Untitled Goose Game PC Review

In Untitled Goose Game I play a goose.  A nameless, rebellious, unruly, goose that honks whenever it wishes and has to-do lists filled with mischievous activities. Right now I’m after this man’s slippers. All he wants to do is enjoy his day, sitting on his armchair and reading his paper. But those slippers of his are in dire need of a “bath”. So I hide behind this conveniently placed wall, only to turn into a waddling ninja when he least expects it and relieve him of one slipper. I do the same thing for the second one and, soon enough, they’re floating in a nearby fountain, alongside a bra, a pair of socks and some soap – all of it my doing. If I had hands, I’d probably have just stolen them in a different way. That’s what Untitled Goose Game makes me assume, anyway.

Developer House House has a knack for giving wacky form to games based on simple concepts, and Untitled Goose Game, its second project, solidifies that. The entire game is based around controlling a mischievous goose and inconveniencing unaware villagers in hilarious ways. Whether it’s honking when they least expect it so they spit their tea out, stealing a fork to set up a table right outside of the village pub or trapping someone in their garage while you steal their stuff, the game’s absurd premise mixed with a healthy dose of slapstick comedy make its two-or-so hours thoroughly enjoyable.

To achieve its goals, the Untitled Goose makes use of a limited set of moves. One left-click sees it waddle endearingly to where it needs to go while two make it sprint. Right-clicking objects lets it pick them up with its beak. Aside from that, it can flap its wings (because it’s majestic and everyone should be made aware), lower its head to pick objects off the ground and, of course, honk to its heart’s content, which will inevitably draw the attention of others while also annoying them.

Untitled Goose Game keeps things quite simple gameplay-wise. In technical terms, it’s part stealth game, part puzzler. You’ll largely find yourself grabbing stuff with your beak to move it someplace else so that you trigger specific interactions. The villagers have set routines and the core of the game involves figuring out when the best time to pass by unnoticed might occur. Although stealth does play a role, it’s nothing to worry about if, like me, you’re outright terrible at it. The game doesn’t apply any form of pressure, always giving you time to figure stuff out at your own pace. Being a jerk goose happens to be strangely relaxing.

For the most part, the assigned tasks can be treated like isolated puzzles. However, occasionally, the game will give opportunities to link solving two tasks together. Although the solutions were never incredibly difficult to figure out, doing so felt quite satisfying. A few of them, like getting someone to buy their own stuff back, are based on some rather contrived logic, though. Untitled Goose Game’s controls and physics are, at times, a source for mild frustration. Placing groceries in a shopping cart with just the beak can be a tad unwieldy, as can maneuvering large objects, which is probably why you don’t see that many geese at your local supermarket. Luckily, only a few tasks involve doing so.

The villagers you go out of your way to inconvenience won’t sit idly while you’re being your horrible self. Trespass in their garden and they’ll shoo you away, get caught stealing and they’ll chase you. A neat touch is found in how getting caught by humans eager to ruin your mischievous activities results in a discordant piano chord being played. If you don’t get out of their sights fast enough, the inevitable chase that ensues is also accompanied by a rather dynamic piano tune that grows in intensity the closer they are to catching you.

Untitled Goose Game is a charming, simple title that lets you live out the fantasy of being a jerk goose. From the fowl’s lovely waddle to stealing slippers or pulling chairs from under people as they try to sit down, its simplicity carries it well over its short run-time. The small village has quite a bit of activity going on within its small area, always giving you something to do, while more optional tasks pop up once you’ve “beaten” it the first time. Its idea might not have much juice left after a few hours, but for what it offers, Untitled Goose Game is a wonderful, silly, and surprisingly relaxing escapade.
 

Bogdan Robert,
Senior Editor, NoobFeed
Twitter