New Indie Soulslike Reimagines Dark Souls With A Stray Dog

Upcoming Indie Soulslike Basically Has You Playing Artorias' Iconic Dog Published Aug 21, 2026, 5:35 AM EDT James Lucas is an Executive Editor at TheGamer who has worked in professional journalism since 2018. A Newcastle University graduate with a degree in Journalism, Media, and Culture, they have written hundreds of guides, news stories, and original reports, with bylines in IGN, NME, GaymingMag, and VG247, sourcing interviews with studio heads, legendary industry figures, prominent actors, and more. An expert on FPS games, Soulslikes, RPGs, and survival horror, James has intimate knowledge of a wide variety of titles, providing in-depth coverage and exclusive profiles. Some of the games they have extensively covered include: Half-Life 3, Counter-Strike, Elden Ring, and Fallout. They pride themselves on their consistently thorough research, leveraging nearly a decade of industry experience. You can reach them at James.t@thegamer.com Sign in to your TheGamer account If putting down a loyal wolf guarding Artorias' grave wasn't heartbreaking enough, I can't imagine the iconic Prepare to Cry video by VaatiVidya helped. And I know for a fact millions of us watched it. Sif is one of Dark Souls' most tragic stories, and there was even a cutscene added in the DLC where he recognizes you if you travel to the past and help the pup, only making the fight that much more painful. But beyond the tragedy, Sif is just plain and simple cool — a massive wolf with a massive sword. It's surprising it took someone this long to turn that into a game. Stray Dog: nobody cares is an upcoming indie soulslike that promises to put you into the boots (or I guess, paws?) of a loyal companion to a disgraced knight. The "unnamed hound" in question is a grey wolf, much like Sif, and it wields a large sword in its mouth. Beyond that, the environments and even some of the enemies are incredibly reminiscent of both Dark Souls and Elden Ring. It's a Sif game. Let's be honest. Parrying, Deathblows, Backstabs, And Even A Smough-Like Boss: Sif Souls Looks Pretty Damn Good Highlighted by award-winning video game marketing consultant Joe Henson (better known as Indie Game Joe) on X, the game features all the Souls staples — backstabs, parries, and deathblows. There are even some familiar looking bosses, like a suspiciously Smough-shaped warrior with a suspiciously Smough-like hammer. "A stray dog saved by a disgraced knight marches to rescue its captured master," the description reads. "Scorned by all as useless roadside trash, it grips his frayed sword in its jaws and ventures forth. The medieval age is torn by endless wars between kingdoms. The border fief Greythorn is invaded by a tyrannical legion. No gods shelter this land, no heroes rise to save folk. Villages burn under fire, ordinary lives crushed by iron hooves. Countless villagers, servants and beasts are cast aside, forgotten and pitiless." It's a neat pitch, but I was sold at Sif. The game doesn't have a release date yet, but wishlists are open on Steam if you want to keep up to date (which is really helpful for a game's visibility on the platform). Developer Parry Frames Studio promises that it's "coming soon", but if you want a taste of their work in the meantime, Crimson Oath is another soulslike with serious Vincent Valentine, Berserk, and Castlevania vibes that has a demo available to download right now.