An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs

Lore & Background

The game follows the protagonist and his fiancée, the last two humans, who travel separately through airports run by dogs. The dogs are represented using stock photography and have descriptive names, such as 'Bribe Dog', who accepts bribes. Players must perform fetch quests to progress, with no money involved. Once players acquire the proper items, they can board their flight to meet their fiancée. Locations can include other planets. Time proceeds in real-time, and if players miss their flight, they must determine an alternate route. All signs are written in an alien language, which can be deciphered. The airports are interconnected hub-like areas with optional side quests, but the game is not an open world—it is a linear or semi-linear adventure with limited exploration.

Reader's Guide

An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs was developed by Strange Scaffold, founded by El Paso, Texas-based developer Xalavier Nelson Jr. for his personal projects. Nelson began as a video game reviewer and wrote articles for PC Gamer before deciding to tell stories using video games. The game was developed in collaboration with No Quarter, an event run by the NYU Game Center. The story was initially serious, but Nelson liked the effect of a placeholder stock photo of a dog used for one character, turning development into 'a healthy and joyful process'. The game received mixed reviews on Metacritic. GamesRadar praised the love story, calling it 'equal parts disarmingly funny and surprisingly touching'. Adventure Gamers called it 'a highly unique and surreal' experience, praising the dialogue but noting repetitive gameplay. The Guardian said it struggles to overcome its nature as a novelty game, but enjoyed the love story and postmodern elements. PC Gamer said it is funny despite the repetition.

Did You Know?

• The dogs in the game are represented using stock photography.
• Time in the game proceeds in real-time, and missing a flight requires finding an alternate route.
• All signs in the airports are written in an alien language that can be deciphered.

Gameplay & World Design

The game casts players as one of the last two humans on a planet, navigating a series of open-world airports operated by intelligent, talking dogs. The protagonist and his fiancée travel independently to various destinations—some of which extend to other planets—by completing fetch-style errands for the canine staff. These dogs are rendered using stock photography and carry descriptive monikers like "Bribe Dog," who will accept a bribe to help you along. There is no currency in the system; progress is purely item-based. All signage is written in a decipherable alien script, adding a layer of environmental puzzle-solving. Time flows in real-time, meaning a missed flight forces the player to improvise an alternate route. Beyond the main objective of reuniting with the fiancée, players can wander the open-airport spaces and complete optional side quests, giving the experience a sandbox quality within its structured narrative.

Development & Creative Origin

The game was born from the personal projects of Xalavier Nelson Jr., a developer based in El Paso, Texas. Nelson originally entered the industry as a video game reviewer, writing articles for PC Gamer, before deciding he wanted to craft his own stories through the medium. He founded Strange Scaffold as a vehicle for these personal endeavors. The project took shape during No Quarter, an event hosted by the NYU Game Center, where Nelson collaborated with fellow creators. A pivotal creative shift occurred when the story was originally intended to be serious, but Nelson grew fond of a placeholder stock-photo dog he had assigned to one character. His amusement at the absurdity of that choice transformed the entire development into what he described as "a healthy and joyful process." The finished product launched on Windows and Xbox Series X/S on May 25, 2021, followed by a Nintendo Switch port on August 25, 2022.

Critical Reception & Player Response

On Metacritic, the title received mixed reviews, reflecting a critical consensus that acknowledged its originality while questioning its mechanical depth. GamesRadar highlighted the emotional core of the love story, describing the experience as "equal parts disarmingly funny and surprisingly touching." Adventure Gamers called the game "a highly unique and surreal" adventure and commended its dialogue, yet noted that the fetch-quest loop grows repetitive over time. The Guardian acknowledged the game's struggle to transcend its novelty-game identity but appreciated the postmodern storytelling and the tender romance at its heart. PC Gamer, similarly, found the humor effective even amid the repetitive structure. The overall critical picture paints a game that prioritizes voice, tone, and narrative charm over mechanical variety—a deliberate choice that divides reviewers but earns a devoted following among players who value character-driven, absurdist storytelling.

Narrative & Thematic Identity

At its narrative core, the game follows the last two humans in existence as they attempt to reunite through a network of dog-run airports. The separation of the protagonist and his fiancée into parallel journeys creates a bittersweet structure: each player session is essentially a one-way ticket toward the other. The dogs, though rendered as simple stock photos, function as full-fledged characters with personalities encoded in their names and behaviors. The alien signage, the interplanetary destinations, and the real-time flight schedules all contribute to a world that feels simultaneously mundane and deeply strange. Reviewers frequently noted the postmodern quality of the experience—the game is aware of its own absurdity and leans into it. What began as a serious narrative concept became, through Nelson's creative pivot, a story about connection, patience, and finding joy in the ridiculous. The tone balances humor with genuine emotional weight, making the eventual reunion feel earned despite the comedic framing.