Game: Puppy Luv

We are definitely getting old, objecting as we do to the misspelling of ‘love’ in this title aimed at youngsters.

Still, there’s no doubting that almost everyone adores puppies, and Puppy Luv is essentially a juvenile-dog simulator; a clean and safe way for kids to learn about the responsibilities of looking after a canine kid or two.

Actually, that risks making Puppy Luv sound a bit dull. It isn’t­ at least, not for kids. It is in fact a cutesy, easy-to-play game that should keep younger children occupied for ages.

The game begins by selecting either a Labrador or a Dalmatian puppy, along with a few other simple criteria, such as gender and colour (in the case of the Lab, anyway). Then it’s into care-and-play routine, keeping an eye on their puppy’s health, happiness and bladder bulge. If they’re neglectful carers, things could get messy.

While we quite enjoyed Puppy Luv, we can’t recommend it for older children, because it lacks sophistication. Where other pet simulators employ complex physics for realism when throwing toys and balls, for example, Puppy Luv just plays set animations. So, throw a ball three or four times and you’ve seen all there is to see and it’s on to the next toy.