Untitled Goose Game

Untitled Goose Game is exactly as advertised – the subtext-free exploits of the most dickish waterfowl in existence – and it’s hilarious. But the funniest thing about it may be its dark horse popularity amid the trend-chasing arms race of major publishers. It’s an incredible demonstration of the power that a single memorable idea can have. Not that the game doesn’t have influences; it’s been related to Goat Simulator, Katamari Damacy, and a non-violent Hitman, all of which are appropriate, but those are just the closest approximations. Compared with Goat Simulator in particular, it benefits from a satisfying structure and an infinitely greater level of polish.

The physics and AI can be uncooperative and inconsistent at times, but the animation, sound design, and attention to detail are top-notch. “I can’t believe they planned for that” moments comprise the bulk of the experience, uniquely blurring the line between emergent and intended gameplay. There’s a good deal of unused potential in the interactions that exist just for a quick laugh, and some of the “legitimate” solutions suffer from unintuitive adventure game logic, but this is just a side effect of approaching every objective from a creative angle. And of course, the multitude of things accomplished with the dedicated “honk” button never ceases to delight.