Frequently Asked Questions
Gameplay
What is Top Dog?
A free real-time .io arena where up to 16 stray dogs fight over a neighbourhood. You earn REP (reputation) mostly by marking posts; the highest REP at the end of the ~6-minute match wins.
How do I score points?
Mainly by marking posts and landmarks to earn REP over time. Combat (bark, bite, tackle) helps you take and defend turf. See Scoring & REP.
How long is a match?
About 6 minutes. After the timer ends, a results screen shows final standings and awards.
What are the controls?
Move with WASD, sprint with Shift, mark with E, bark Q, bite B, tackle V, jump Space. Full list in Controls.
What do pickups do?
Bones heal, sausages boost sprint, and the cat, sock and leash disrupt nearby rivals. Details in the Pickups wiki.
How many maps are there?
Ten themed maps. Browse them in the Maps Overview.
Account
Do I need an account to play?
No. You can play instantly as a guest. An account lets you keep your display name and cosmetic progress.
How do I create an account?
Use the Register link in the header. Accounts are optional and free.
How do I sign in?
Use the Login link in the header.
Can I delete my account?
Yes. You can request account data deletion — see our Privacy Policy.
Technical
What do I need to play?
A modern desktop browser with WebGL support. No download or install required.
The game runs slowly — what can I do?
Close other heavy tabs, make sure hardware acceleration is enabled in your browser, and update your graphics drivers. The game is server-authoritative at 20Hz with client prediction, so a stable connection helps.
Is it playable on mobile?
Top Dog is built desktop-first. Mobile support is planned for a later update.
I found a bug or got stuck.
Try reloading the page to rejoin a fresh match. Persistent issues can be reported through the channels on topdoginmyhood.com.