Every dog has its day and today is YOURS!!!

Having slipped the confines of your

mundane and dreary home, you set out into the world with a song in your heart and
a lot of drool on your fur.

Go out and have adventures!

Dog Time! is a game about a dog having the time of their life and getting into all
sorts of shenanigans! It can be played solo or with friends, but at least 2 players are
recommended.

To play, you will need:

• A deck of regular playing cards, with the jokers removed.

• This game.
• At least two 6-sided die, also known as d6.
• Some way to write down notes.

Setup
You are a dog. Before you begin playing, answer these questions first:

What shape are you?

What is your favourite treat?

How did you escape?

How old are you?

Are you a good boy or a weird gremlin?

How likely are you to contribute to the solving of a crime and in what capacity?
How to Play
You start by drawing a card from the deck and reading its prompt. Each card
corresponds to a different situation or development that you use as inspiration to
describe what happens in the story. You can choose to give brief answers or expand
on each prompt as much as you like. Be sure to write down your answers to keep
track of what’s going on. Once you’ve answered the prompt to your satisfaction,
place the card face up in a separate pile and draw a new one. Rinse, repeat, etc.

For every 4 cards you draw, you roll for Homecoming to see if, one way or another,
you end up back home. You also roll for Homecoming when you draw an ace. Have
fun!

Homecoming
When you roll for homecoming, roll a d6 for each 4 cards you have drawn so far. If
you’re rolling because you drew an ace, add an additional, temporary d6 just for this
roll. On a 10+ you go home! Describe how your journey comes to a close and how
your adventures have shaped you and your life.

Example of Play
Derek is playing as a fluffy round dog, whose favourite treat is meatball subs. He
escaped by leaping from an open window and landing gracefully on a sofa out by the
dumpster (he’s fine! It was a magic sofa or something). He is 5 dog years old and
he’s a good boy who would immediately start licking the guilty party of any
investigation.

Derek starts by drawing the Ace of Hearts. Perhaps his owner realized he’d leaped
out the window and is frantically running downstairs to check if he’s okay! Derek
describes how he runs away into a nearby park before he can be caught and
scolded. Since he drew an Ace Derek gets to roll for Homecoming (0d6 because he
has drawn less than four cards + 1d6 from the Ace, to a total of 1d6) but because it’s
impossible roll a 10+ his journey won’t be ending here.

His next card is the Seven of Hearts. Derek narrates how he sees a person wearing
a Darth Vader costume and decides to follow her around because his favourite toy is
a Darth Vader plushie. Perhaps the person sees and plays with him, or perhaps she
doesn’t notice him at all.

Eventually Derek draws his fourth card and it’s a Six of Spades. Derek describes
how he gets so dirty that his white coat turns brown from the dirt and muck. He gets
to roll for Homecoming (1d6 because he has drawn four cards), but again, it’s
impossible to roll a 10+ so he continues.

After about 20 minutes of playing, Derek has drawn seven cards and is about to
draw his eighth. He has been through quite the adventure, so right now he’s dozing
off beneath an oak tree at a nice park. Derek draws… another Ace! This time it’s the
Ace of Spades. It’s been a good day, but Derek is growing hungry and there’s nothing
more appetizing than his owner’s bespoke, artisanal meatball subs. Then again,
there’s so much more exploring left to do! Because he’s drawn his eighth card
(which was an Ace, no less!) Derek gets to roll for Homecoming (2d6 because he
has drawn eight cards + 1d6 because he drew an Ace, to a total of 3d6). Remarkably,
Derek rolls three 1s to a total of 3, much less than a 10! Looks like he gets to
continue with his shenanigans for a few more cards.

However, his next card is an Ace of Diamonds. Who shuffled this deck?! Derek
describes how his beloved Darth Vader plushie is dangled in front of him by a
person he can’t quite make out. He rolls for Homecoming again because he’s drawn
an Ace (again!) and gets a 5, a 6 and a 3, to a total of 14. Uh oh, looks like the jig is
up! Derek describes how his owner is overjoyed to have finally found him and grabs
him in a big hug before heading back home. He’s learned a lot today, like how fun it
is to splash around in mud and how sofas are much softer than they look. His owner
won’t be leaving the windows open anytime soon, but Derek is confident that he can
find another way out, given enough time or motivation. And so, his adventures will
continue!
♥ Hearts
A You’ve been spotted! If you don’t flee fast enough then you’re going home
buster! (Roll for Homecoming, keep playing if you get a 9 or less)
2 You make an unexpected new friend. Who, or what, are they?
3 A little kid runs up and starts petting you. How do you react?
4 You come across a tall man smoking a cigarette. How does he know you?
5 Someone teaches you an exciting new game! Who are they and what are the
rules?
6 You meet another dog! What hijinks do you get up to?
7 You start following someone who you think is really cool! What do they look
like?
8 You find that old lady that smells real good! What’s that in her pocket?
9 You run into someone you know VERY well. Who are they?
10 A VERY sexy dog just walked into view. What’s your move?
J You’re surrounded by a crowd of people loudly cheering for you! What just
happened?!
K You meet another dog! In what way are they special to you?
Q You are greeted by a kindly, old witch, who will grant you any one wish.
What do you ask for?

♦ Diamonds
A You just found your favourite toy! Wait, where ARE you right now? (Roll for
Homecoming, keep playing if you get a 9 or less)
2 A bug lands on your nose. What does it look like and how long do you wait
before you shake it off (or eat it)?
3 You conduct a thorough investigation of a suspicious bush. What do you
find?
4 You sniff at the air for a good few minutes. What secrets does it reveal?
5 You find food! What does it taste like?
6 You discover a patch of mud! How dirty do you get?
7 You just had the most beautiful experience of your life yet. What was it?
8 You’re pretty sure someone just called out your name. What did they
actually say?
9 You find a cool spot in the grass. How long do you doze for?
10 You “accidentally” swallow a strange, glowing rock. What power does it
grant you?
J Someone just gave you a treat! Who are they?
K You unearth a valuable treasure! What is it?
Q You’ve FINALLY been accepted into Dog University. What do you choose for
your major? (You can’t read)
♠ Spades
A You’re starting to get really bored… and hungry! Perhaps it’s time to head
back? (Roll for Homecoming, keep playing if you get a 9 or less)
2 You inadvertently (and stupidly) invite great misfortune upon yourself. How
did you manage this?
3 You suddenly get struck with nausea and throw up on the ground. What in
the world caused this?
4 Through means that you do not fully comprehend, you’ve become partially
clothed. What exactly are you wearing?
5 A bunch of dogs are barking at you from apartment windows. What do you
do?
6 You find what you THINK is food…
7 You enter into a space that was previously forbidden to you! What is it?
8 A cat walks up to you and gives you a mean look…
9 You’re sitting down next to a busy intersection. What distracts you while you
wait to cross?
10 Egads! One of your prized possessions has been stolen! What did you lose?
J Someone yanks you by the collar and you react immediately and entirely on
instinct. What happens?
K Your nose has led you to an unattended turd on the ground. How will you
resist partaking in this delicacy?
Q The Queen of Night has come to collect your debt. How do you bargain with
her?

♣ Clubs
A Someone just called animal control. How will you get away?! (Roll for
Homecoming, keep playing if you get a 9 or less)
2 You hear a distant howling. How loudly do you respond?
3 You start playing with a comically large stick in your mouth. Who do you
inconvenience with it?
4 You pee on something much larger than you. How does this get you in
trouble?
5 You stumble into someone that looks EXACTLY LIKE YOU??? How do you
PUNISH this BRAZEN copycat??
6 A powerful, ancestral force compels you to chase that red truck down the
street. Do you succumb?
7 You’re CERTAIN that dirty sock on the ground is an EVIL WIZARD! How do
you save the world from its machinations?
8 You see a cop. How do you ruin their week?
9 Your irrepressible desire to dig lands you in hot water. What did you do?
10 The vile water-spewing Serpent of Karre-Vasche is terrorizing the land!
What is the culmination of your epic battle?
J You join a pack of other dogs and bring RUINATION on your enemies! What
large event do you interrupt?
K You get into a fight with someone bigger than you. How do you emerge
unscathed?
Q Someone tries and fails to inflict physical harm to your body. How does the
universe punish them for their crime?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
By cubic_wombat

Fonts used: Action Jackson (CC0), Ennobled Pet (CC0) and Bahnschrift Light.

Images used:

Chapeau en feutrine, Clément Bucco-Lechat, CC BY-SA 3.0

<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Dog on a Stick, Spider.Dog from United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0
<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Yellow Star, 999Vic999, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons