Untitled Goose Game is a part stealth, part sandbox puzzle game from the Australian indie studio House House. Considering it is only their second project I was incredibly impressed with how polished and well thought out the entire thing was. It was better than a lot of triple A titles. In Untitled Goose Game you play as a “horrible” goose terrorising the local inhabitants in a peaceful and tranquil town. You have a list of goals to complete ranging from mundane tasks like stealing a hat from a farmer to more sinister ones like trapping a little boy in a phone box. The game doesn’t have much in the way of guiding the play other than a list of controls and a list of goals to help you to keep track of what you should be doing. This allows for the player to have a sandbox style of freedom. You may be thinking that this sounds daunting but fear not, the game is cordoned of into different sections of the village so it doesn’t feel too open but because of the nature of the tasks it doesn’t feel too closed off.
The game controls how you would expect controlling a goose would feel, you can duck your head, peek your long neck around corners and the most important thing, honk and flap your wings to scare humans. You have a run button but be careful when using it as you can’t turn around bends as fast as you would normally. The controls are really tight and responsive and add to the enjoyment.
The art style in Untitled Goose Game is another aspect I really enjoy. I like the simple cell shaded style and the vibrant colours. The simple style real gives it a unique feel in a landscape dominated by realistic looking games. The music also adds to the experience. The game features a minimalist sounding soundtrack with a heavy emphasis on piano. The soundtrack also only plays at times with high amounts of action so it really feels like your actions have consequences.
My verdict on Untitled Goose Game is it is a must play title that everyone needs to experience. It feels magical to play. However be warned it can be quite short. A 3 – 5 hour play session is enough to complete it, however the price is relatively cheap at €20 so it feels pretty reasonable. House House, if you are reading this I hope you are making a sequel as I rate this game a solid 9/10.
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