Dog Companion

Overview

The dog companion is a functional pet in Outbound that actively assists the player during exploration. Rather than a purely cosmetic addition, the dog fetches resources, carries supplies in its own inventory pouch, and delivers items back to the camper van on command. Square Glade Games originally had no plans for an animal companion, but overwhelming community enthusiasm during the Kickstarter campaign convinced the studio to add one. The dog was unlocked as the seventh stretch goal (labeled the "Community Stretch Goal") and quickly became the most popular addition to the campaign.

Players adopt their dog at the Paws & Whiskers Lodge and can choose from five appearance options. The companion is entirely optional; players who prefer to travel solo can skip adoption altogether.

Adopting a Dog

Dogs are adopted at the Paws & Whiskers Lodgea landmark located in the game world. When the player visits the lodge for the first time, they can choose to adopt a dog and give it a name. The Kickstarter reward tier "Treats for Lucky" included special companion items, suggesting Lucky as a possible default name. Once adopted, the dog travels with the player and rides along in the camper van.

Adoption is entirely optional. A developer from Square Glade Games confirmed on the Steam community forums: "Yes, you can skip the companion if you don't want them." Players who choose not to adopt a dog can still complete every activity in the game without penalty.

Dog Skins

The dog companion has five appearance options. Three standard skins are available to all players, while two Kickstarter-exclusive skins were offered as add-on purchases during the campaign.

The Cotton Candy and Marshmallow skins were part of the "Cotton Candy & Marshmallow" Kickstarter add-on tier. Both feature brightly colored fur and a rainbow tail, giving the dog a playful, stylized look that contrasts with the three naturalistic options.

Abilities

The dog responds to player commands and provides practical help during gameplay. Players can direct the dog to pick up specific items, move to a designated position, or return to the van with collected materials.

Square Glade Games has noted that the dog "will help you if you train them, feed them and give them well-earned scritches," indicating that the dog's effectiveness improves through regular interaction and care.

Care and Bonding

The dog requires regular attention to maintain its bond with the player. Care activities include feeding, petting, and giving treats. Training the dog through consistent interaction makes it more responsive to commands and more helpful during resource gathering runs.

A visual feedback system was added in beta v0.7.8: when the player pets the dog, small heart emotes float above its head. These hearts provide an at-a-glance indicator of the companion's mood and the strength of the player-pet bond.

As Mobile Storage

Beyond its role as a companion, the dog functions as a mobile extension of the player's storage and inventory system. The dog carries its own pouch that holds collected items separately from the player's backpack. This effectively increases the amount of materials a player can gather before needing to return to the van.

By commanding the dog to deliver items back to the vehicle, players can continue foraging without interruption. This "dog express" approach is especially valuable during long resource runs in remote biomes where the van may be parked far from the gathering area.

Customization

In addition to the five skin options, the dog's appearance and gear can be customized. The Steam store page lists customizable companion gear as a feature. Further customization options may become available at the May 2026 launch.

Multiplayer

In Multiplayer and Co-Op sessions with up to four players, each player can have their own dog companion. Multiple dogs working together can shuttle resources back to the van while the group continues exploring, making resource collection significantly more efficient for teams. Each player's dog operates independently and responds only to its owner's commands.

Relationship to Wildlife

The dog companion is separate from the wild animals and wildlife found throughout the game world. While wild animals can be observed, fed, and petted, only the dog (adopted from the Paws & Whiskers Lodge) is a permanent functional companion. The dog does not chase or harm wild animals.

Development History

The dog companion was not part of the original game design. After the Kickstarter campaign surpassed its initial goal of €30,000, the community pushed for an animal companion. Square Glade Games added it as the seventh stretch goal, and the campaign ultimately raised €265,679 (885% of the original target). The companion went through several refinements during the beta period.

You Can Pet the Dog

In a launch-window post announcing Outbound's PS5 release, the developers addressed the question directly: "For the dog fans out there, you do have one with you on your Outbound journey, and, yes, you can pet the dog." Petting the dog triggers the heart emote animation added in beta v0.7.8, and a 1.0.10 patch fix on May 22, 2026 corrected the dog's position not following the elevator properly during multiplayer sessions, which had been a small but noticeable hitch in build-heavy van layouts.