Murder Dog IV: Trial of the Murder Dog
A satirical courtroom adventure game about a murderous canine.
Murder Dog IV: Trial of the Murder Dog is a 2011 adventure game from Irish indie developer Stephen Gillmurphy, who works under the name thecatamites. Players take on the role of a defense attorney for the title character, a dog whose fondness for killing is played for dark comedy. While the game is satirical, critics widely praised it for offering a subversive look at the justice system.
In the plot, the player assists Murder Dog—a self-described "noted murder enthusiast"—as he stands trial at the Hague for "crimes against humanity," specifically over 1,500 brutal homicides. The dog shows no remorse, openly states his "thirst for bloodshed remains voluminous," and promises to kill again. The player must present his case and can reach one of six endings. A small dog at the bottom of the screen offers running commentary on the trial, reflecting on how the proceedings relate to the justice system and the nature of violence and justice.
Gameplay uses a point-and-click interface. Players plead their case, submit evidence, call and cross-examine witnesses, and rest their case. Dialogue appears in a main box, with the small dog's remarks in a separate lower box. Choices branch based on evidence submitted, and players can choose to either indict Murder Dog or try to exonerate him. Options include having Murder Dog eat evidence, destroy witnesses, refute testimony, or even attempt to murder the jury.
Development took place over two weeks, when Gillmurphy created the game for a game jam on the now-defunct platform Super Friendship Club. In 2011, it was released as part of the IGF Pirate Kart, a multicart-style compilation of indie games organized by Mike Meyer for the 2012 Independent Games Festival. A Macintosh port followed in October 2019, published by programmer Jonathan Cole.
Critical reception was positive, with many highlighting the game's satirical and subversive take on the justice system. Writing for Vice, Cameron Kunzelman noted the game "revels in the arbitrariness of justice" and "meditates on real-world ideas in a strange, chaotic, and overly-violent way," pressing players to question assumptions about justice itself.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Murder Dog IV: Trial of the Murder Dog
- Developer
- Stephen Gillmurphy
- Engine
- Adventure Game Studio
- Platforms
- Windows, Macintosh
- Genre
- Adventure
- Released
- 1 August 2011
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Murder Dog IV: Trial of the Murder Dog was developed by Irish independent game developer Stephen Gillmurphy over two weeks for a game jam on the defunct platform Super Friendship Club. In 2011, the game was released as part of the IGF Pirate Kart, a compilation of independent video games organised by Mike Meyer resembling a multicart for entry in the 2012 Independent Games Festival. In October 2019, a Macintosh port of the game was published by programmer Jonathan Cole.
The plot involves the player assisting 'noted murder enthusiast' Murder Dog, a canine on trial at the Hague for 'crimes against humanity,' charged with 'more than 1,500 instances of brutal homicide.' Murder Dog is openly unremorseful and vows to murder again. The player presents Murder Dog's case using a point-and-click interface, with dialog options creating branching outcomes depending on evidence submitted. A small dog at the bottom of the screen provides commentary on the proceedings and their implications for the justice system.
Reader's Guide
Murder Dog IV received positive attention from critics as a satirical game and unexpected source of subversive commentary on the justice system. Vice writer Cameron Kunzelman reflected the game 'revels in the arbitrariness of justice' and 'meditates on real-world ideas in a strange, chaotic, and overly-violent way.' Writing for Rock Paper Shotgun, Alec Meer sardonically praised the game as a 'libertarian rebuke of the modern justice society' and 'liberal treatise against the covert endorsement and use of violence by police.' A retrospective by Brendan Caldwell concurred the game was 'dangerously self-aware,' noting the verbose dog at the bottom of the screen finds the entire justice system quaint and unnecessary. Writing for Paste, Darius Kazemi praised the game as a 'vehicle for wildly funny parody and social commentary.' The game was also a winning entry in the 2020 Game Developers Conference Game Narrative Review Competition, with analyst Merita Lundstrom of University of California Santa Cruz stating the game 'poses a number of interesting questions about the nature of courtroom proceedings, the failings of the judicial court system, and the relationship between the player and their protagonist’s heinous actions.'
More in Satirical video games 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced