Untitled Goose Game Review – Honkin’ Around

Who knew a game about a goose could be so entertaining? Untitled Goose Game is one of those games that sets out to accomplish a very specific goal, and it does so with flying colors. It’s focused and charming although a little on the short side. It also has a dedicated honk button. This is an indie you won’t want to miss.

Game Name: Untitled Goose Game
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), Nintendo Switch
Publisher(s): Panic
Developer(s): House House
Release Date: September 20, 2019
Price: $19.99

Untitled Goose Game is a game about a goose that goes around a small village and harasses the people just trying to go about their daily lives. Playing as said goose, you’ll honk your way through different sections of the village, crossing items off a handwritten to-do list. Some of these goals are puzzle-based, tasking you with something simple like spraying a gardener with a sprinkler, while others are fetch quests, requiring you to bring a set number of items to a certain location. Nothing gets too complicated though, and you’re really just thinking of new ways to use your goose abilities, like honking and picking things up with your break, to solve your problems.

The game mixes puzzle solving with stealth. Most of the game’s objectives require you to do things that people won’t necessarily like, so you’ll have to sneak your way around bushes and under tables like a sort of low stakes Metal Gear Solid. As far as controls go, you can duck, flap your wings, pick things up, and honk. These four abilities will get you through the entirety of Untitled Goose Game‘s brief two-hour runtime, and figuring out how to combine them in creative ways is the name of the game here. None of the gameplay is too challenging, and most of the fun comes from just being a nuisance to everyone around you.

One thing I loved about Untitled Goose Game was the lack of any real consequences for failure. There aren’t any game overs in Untitled Goose Game. If your plan doesn’t pan out the way you wanted it to, the worst that can happen is getting chased off by whomever you were messing with. This made the game a really chill experience, and I could focus on the fun on being a goose rather than worry about getting caught with something a goose shouldn’t be carrying. You don’t even need to cross every item off an area’s to-do list to progress as the game allows a few omissions. All you need to worry about is honking.

There’s also no understating the charm of Untitled Goose Game. Hearing the pitter-patter of the goose’s feet on the pavement or seeing a sock hanging from its beak never failed to make me smile. The dedicated honk button didn’t hurt either, and I was surprised to see some items actually modify the honking sound in hilarious ways if you pick them up. The game’s piano soundtrack accompanies the action nicely, picking up at just the right times. Also, the areas of the town that the game is set in are interconnected, and you can open up gates to return to areas you’ve previously explored. This is a game with a real sense of identity, and it’s one that had me chuckling throughout.

Unfortunately, Untitled Goose Game isn’t perfect. Some of the fetch quest objectives get repetitive after a few times, and the camera almost never showed enough of the scene when I needed it to. I also wish the game was just a tad longer. There are a bunch of postgame objectives that unlock after the credits roll, but most of them are just variations of the missions in the base game. At least there’s something for those diehard Goose Game fans.

There isn’t a lot to say about Untitled Goose Game because the game itself is pretty simple. It’s a game about being a goose and not much else. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, and it’s incredibly charming the entire time. With a low price point and a short runtime, there’s very little excuse to not give Untitled Goose Game a shot.