By The Way, Yes, You Can Pet The Dog in Blair Witch

For nearly six months, the videogames community has been captivated and aww’ed by a Twitter account called “Can You Pet The Dog?”. Documenting the canines met across videogames of every genre, the account has accumulated over 300,000 followers, inspiring a few developers to issue updates specifically to include this beloved detail.

Well, consider this a new entry in the series. Blair Witch has a leg up on them all. In this latest horror game from Bloober Team, dog petting is a feature, not an afterthought. Starring Ellis and his dog Bullet, it makes collaboration with your canine companion a key part of how the Black Hills Forest is searched and navigated. As they hunt together for signs of a missing young boy, Bullet can be directed, through a five-part command wheel, to stay, keep close, search for clues or receive a scolding, a bit like the system in games like Haunting Ground and Rule of Rose. But most importantly, you can pet Bullet, and when or how often you do (and your general treatment of Bullet in general) may affect your ending of the game.