Dog of Wisdom
My brother Joe Gran released a video game this week, his first as a solo developer. It takes about 15-20 minutes to play, and I recommend adding it to your day.
dog of wisdom: the title screen
Although we share a last name, people are often jumpscared to find out we’re siblings. It’s true that mine and Joe’s best-known 2010s stomping grounds didn’t directly overlap. But I’m always amused by people’s surprise, since the individual ways we approach art seem so inextricable to me.
This isn’t to say I can predict what my brother will do. He’s so agile in his fixations that I’m often winded keeping up. It’s just hard, as his idiot big sister, not to think every joke, hilarious drawing, mind-scarring vocalization, and moment of poignance is aimed directly at me. But that’s the power of his work: we’re all his idiot sibling, and he’s coming to make us lol.
And then I gives them da wisdom.
Our shared history is a basis for much of what he creates. Joe’s Dog of Wisdom videos, starring cherished family pets, are incredibly personal. But their appeal is incomprehensibly global, as evidenced by countless thousands who drum to the beat of his mind.
Pepper meets the Dog of Wisdom
Which brings us to the new game, featuring beautiful pixel artwork, the technical elegance of a handheld classic, and the manic humor you’ve come to expect from Joe. It’s a tiny delight, and I encourage you play it right away. It runs in your browser or on your phone (though you can also flash it to an original GameBoy if you’re a true game freak).
Heidi/DoW plushie
Joe is also taking pre-orders for a plushie of Dog of Wisdom/Heidi, a beautiful creature who also happens to be my dog. Heidi turns 17 next month, and we’re all very proud of her.