Platform: Nintendo Switch

Developer: House House

Publisher: Panic, Inc.

Release Date: September 20, 2019

Genre: Puzzle, Stealth

Nerd Rating: 8 out of 10

Reviewed by Nerdberry

HONK! HONK! Sometimes, you just gotta honk. Untitled Goose Game will have you honking all day as you wreak havoc on a tiny English town… Okay maybe I’m overselling it a bit. “Wreak havoc” isn’t exactly a great description for the action of Untitled Goose Game, but “cause mischief” is. My confusion in descriptive terminology is wholly caused by the uniqueness of this game. It’s puzzle. It’s mischief. It’s stealth. It’s hilarious. And so much more.

When I first saw images for Untitled Goose Game, I was admittedly not very intrigued. Sure, it looked unique and beautiful, but nothing really stood out to me. There’s a goose and the animation is pretty, yet clearly basic (intentionally so). What’s drawing me in? It wasn’t until researching multiple “Best Switch Games” lists revealed Untitled Goose Game as a top tier option. Pair the accolades with a $20 purchase tag, and it seemed like a worthy and affordable decision – even considering that I was coming in blind.

Where Once I Was Blind, Now I Can See

Within three minutes of starting Untitled Goose Game, I was honked, I mean, hooked. Darn typos. To say that the creative style of the developers is as soft as a feather, is to compliment them for their unique approach. There is nothing extreme, abrasive, or in-your-face here, and I’m honestly relieved. The sleek animation, smooth piano, and move-at-your-own-pace gameplay lends a level of comfort and reprieve from your everyday puzzle and stealth games.

I was blind to this style of gameplay, eschewing newer modern games for my massive stash of unplayed retro games. Seriously, I collect ’em faster than I play ’em. Untitled Goose Game gave me some modern-momentum, and now I’m rady to tackle more indie games! Now I can see.

Meat & Bones

Untitled Goose Game has a lot going for it, even in such a simple and small package. Controlling the goose is exceptionally easy and comfortable despite the fact that he never flies. Goose glides effortlessly across the water and ground despite his inability to fly. The controls are simple and effective, with 1 button to honk, 1 button to grab items, 1 button to run, and 1 button to duck down. No button goes unused or underutilized, and their purposes are well-thought-out and meaningful.

If the controls are the meat, then the visuals and music are its bones. As I mentioned earlier, the visuals didn’t captivate me in the thumbnails I saw before buying the game. But after just 10 minutes of exploration, I was in love with the animation! It is subtle yet charming and easy on the eyes, reminiscent of early cel-shaded games, but less clunky.

The soundtrack isn’t much of a, well, soundtrack. The game consists of random piano keys, which sounds less than thrilling, right? But it’s how they used these piano keys that adds a layer of excellence to this already excellent game. Whenever you roam around the tiny English town, there’s no music. No piano. Just nothing. But as you encounter pivotal moments, the piano will chime in, often with a single note. As the gameplay intensifies, so does the piano. Although not intended to be scary, the piano key notes remind me of old suspense and scary movies.

Conclusion

Untitled Goose Game is a worthy addition to any gamer’s repertoire, with a slew of puzzles to solve and plenty of mayhem to dish out. Some of my favorite moments involved pestering the the townsfolk, and the reward of solving a tough puzzle. With gorgeous animation, tough-yet-solvable puzzles, and edge-of-your-seat piano soundtrack, there’s plenty to love about Untitled Goose Game. But that’s not to say the game is perfect…

The game seems to encourage exploration and moving items randomly around the stage. On more than one occasion, the items I moved ended up doing nothing but slowing down my progress. With no direction, you are forced to figure everything out on your own, and at times it can take a while. But once you figure it out, you’ll be so satisfied that you can’t wait to solve another one!

Of everything there is to love about Untitled Goose Game, it is worth noting that it seems fairly short and lacking in replay value. After beating the game, the credits started to roll, and I was overjoyed, but also feeling empty inside. I felt a little unfulfilled, despite how much I enjoyed playing. I would have enjoyed a little more emphasis on stealth, a la Metal Gear Solid, but oh well, it was still pretty darn fun.

Once the credits finished rolling, I saw that I can actually keep playing the game with a whole new set of puzzles to solve. At that point, oddly, I just didn’t want to keep playing, I felt accomplished and my drive had already left me. Despite this, I highly recommend Untitled Goose Game for any casual gamer looking to take on something a little beyond casual, but not fully immersive.