This game is about doing sit-ups with your cool dog

Amid all the Gamescom announcements from today, it’s easy to miss the smaller things — like this short animated game, animated by filmmaker Atsushi Wada. The store page explains the game very simply:

Let a chubby boy do his exercise and sink into a dog’s body. Maybe animals will come to cheer him up.

My Exercise is a festival of private comforts. Subtle secret elements are hidden delicately.

My Exercise is adapted from one of Wada’s works, specifically, a segment of his upcoming series Ikimono-san. The game was created with independent Japanese developer Ryoya Usuha and Swiss studio Playables.

The end result is a delightful, funny game where you control a little boy, doing his exercise, with the aid of a big, patient dog.

Image: Atsushi Wada / Playables

There’s more to the game that unfolds as the player completes their sit-ups, but it never strays far from the central premise. My Exercise feels similar to a mobile title like Florence, but with less of a story. Instead, it’s a relaxing, absurd little loop to enjoy.

There are also few games that offer a player the opportunity to meet this dog up close and personal, so that’s a bonus.

Image: Atsushi Wada / Playables

My Exercise is available for $2.99 on iOS, Steam, and Itch. The play time is listed as anywhere between fifteen and infinity minutes.