Horror puzzle Psychological horror Night shift horror

a pet shop after dark

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Water the plants, feed the pets, and do not turn off the lights.

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Stores: Steam, GOG, itch.io
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (89% of 412 reviews); 4.4 out of 5 from GOG players; 5.0 out of 5 from 40 itch.io ratings
Length: about 2 to 3 hours (HowLongToBeat main story 2 hours; the maker says about 3)
Players: 1
Controls: Mouse: click to look, move between rooms and use items. Steam lists full controller support. Some puzzles are solved in the game's folder.
Made by: npckc
Released: 2022

On GOG: one of the GOG horror games.

What frightens A cute night job in a pet shop full of empty cages turns uneasy: the pets cannot be seen, the lights must never go off, a voice in the dark begs to be let out, and the game crashes on purpose and makes you dig through its own files to go on.
Content: intentional game crashes, mild gore references, asks you to edit the game's files.

a pet shop after dark is a horror point-and-click puzzle game by npckc. You take a well-paid night job in a little pet shop where the cages look empty and the one rule is never to turn off the lights. Behind its cute cartoon art is a meta puzzle game that crashes on purpose and sends you into its own files.

About a pet shop after dark

a pet shop after dark is by the indie developer npckc. It began as a free game jam entry in 2020, and the full, expanded release came out on 30 August 2022 for Windows, Mac and Linux, sold on Steam, GOG and itch.io. It is made in Ren'Py, and a 2024 update added a setting for text speed.

A young woman answers an ad for an odd job. The owner of a little pet shop pays well for very little: water the plants, feed the pets, and stay the night. The pets are shy, says the to-do list, so do not worry if you cannot see them. And do not, under any circumstances, turn off the lights. The cages and tanks are all empty, and soon the shop starts to show that the rule has a reason.

You play by clicking through the shop's rooms, looking at things and using items, and much of it is a puzzle game. Its makers warn that crashes are intentional: the game shuts itself down, and the way on lies in its folder on your computer, where files can be read, moved and deleted. An in-game hint system gives up to three hints for most puzzles, and reviewers found some of them hard.

It is not a game of jump scares or chases. The art is round-eyed and cartoonish in black, white and pink, and the horror is in the unease: an ominous heartbeat under the music after dark, a voice asking to be let out, and a game that will not behave like a game. It suits players who liked the fourth-wall tricks of Doki Doki Literature Club or Pony Island and want something gentler to look at but no less strange.

How to play a pet shop after dark

Read the owner's to-do list: water the plants, feed the pets, keep the lights on.
Click the arrows to move between rooms and click objects to look at or use them.
Water each plant and feed each pet, even the ones you cannot see.
When the game closes itself, open its folder and look at the files; then start the game again.
Use the hint button when stuck on a puzzle; it gives up to three hints.

Screenshots

a pet shop after dark screenshot: the shop owner in a black cape and tiny top hat tells the petsitter in her apron, 'Do NOT, under any circumstances, turn off the lights.'

a pet shop after dark screenshot: the petsitter in a white apron stands by empty cages and a glass tank and says she cannot see any pets

a pet shop after dark screenshot: the to-do list, water the plants 0/5, feed the pets 0/6, do not turn off the lights, over the shop's sofa and armchair

a pet shop after dark screenshot: a shop room with an arched red door, empty hanging birdcages, cages on a counter and a tank, with arrow and magnifier icons to click

a pet shop after dark screenshot: near-total darkness with the faint outline of a long-haired girl and the words Let me out

Tips

Keep the game's folder open beside the window: much of the game happens there.
Start the game again even after you think it has ended.
Back up the game folder before you start deleting files, if you want to replay from the start later.

Questions

Is a pet shop after dark scary?

It is unsettling more than frightening: cute art over a story of unease, intentional crashes and a voice in the dark, with no chases. Indie Hive calls it uniquely disturbing despite its cutesy look.

How long is a pet shop after dark?

HowLongToBeat lists the main story at about 2 hours. The maker said on its itch.io page that players take about 3 hours on average, depending on how good they are at puzzles. Indie Hive's reviewer took three to four.

Does the game really crash?

Yes, on purpose. The store page says so, and the crashes are part of the puzzles.

Is it on consoles?

No. It is sold for Windows, Mac and Linux, and its puzzles use the game's files on your computer.

Can I play it with a controller?

The Steam page lists full controller support. Some puzzles still ask you to open the game's folder on your computer, so keep a mouse close.