Anna Sheppard
Equinox Staff
On Friday, September 20, the game developers of House House released their anticipated new simulator “Untitled Goose Game.” Starting as a running joke from the four-person game developers, the idea of a goose popped up as a humorous gag that has quickly turned into a fascination in just a year. This oddly-titled game provides creative new graphics to a simple storyline in which you perform tasks as a goose waddling around an English village. In just two weeks the game sold over 100,000 copies, according to ABC news. According to the Kotaku, there was a pre-alpha trailer for the game that provided a peek into the fun chaos you could stir up within the simulator. “It’s a lovely morning in the village, and you are a horrible goose,” their website reads.
The premise is pretty self-explanatory and very intuitive; if you choose to play the game you will quickly get the hang of things and soon enjoy terrorizing the townspeople who strive to keep you from completing your goals. In their defense, some of your tasks include stealing groceries from a store keeper, scaring a young boy into a telephone booth and pitting neighbors against one another. The general appeal of the videogame is the smooth graphics; with just a small white dot, you control the direction of your goose, and with the space bar you have the ability to alert those around that you are a terrifying goose out to annoy anything and anyone in your path. Unlike most puzzle-oriented video games, you’re allowed to get immersed in it. You are the goose. Adventuring around the map is a large part of the game and the goose has the most mobility in the town so why not explore your region? Your jobs are simple and you get to enjoy some wholesome comedy along the way.
The goose’s strut on its own makes the journey entertaining. Each puzzle gives you the opportunity to think like a sleuthing goose, but don’t get caught. If someone tries to stop you, a wild goose chase will come into session and an energized piano conducts your movements and the folks chasing you. Your options are among hiding, distracting or entertaining. You must steal items or cause a disruption that attracts someone to where you want them. Distracting the townspeople is the trickiest part, if you don’t work fast enough, they’ll stop you and return the item you might have needed to where it belongs. They’re just doing their job, but interferes with you being the chaotic goose you are. With your floppy feet and grabbing beak you are more than capable of completing this short game within a few hours, but with so many different ways to complete each level, why wouldn’t you play it all over again? If you find that $14.99 is worth it to you, it is a highly recommended peaceful game you can play on your PC, Mac or Nintendo Switch. So what are you waiting for? Waddle on!
Anna Sheppard can be contacted at
asheppard@kscequinox
