Bird-brained fun
In Untitled Goose Game a mischievous character causes quite a flap.
No matter how much fun a game is, from Mario Kart to Fortnite, it could probably be improved by giving you the option to play as a naughty goose with a loud honk. That’s what you’ll think after playing Untitled Goose Game, which is available on Nintendo Switch, PCs and Mac computers.
That really is its name, too. When its developers put a video on YouTube back in October 2017, showing off the game they were working on, they hadn’t chosen a name yet, so they referred to it as Untitled Goose Game. Viewers liked it so much that the name stuck.
You play as the goose, obviously. You can walk and run, duck under obstacles, grab things with your beak, and honk. You’ll need all of these abilities to solve the puzzles set for you by the game. They are found at various locations in the game’s village – including people’s back gardens, a high street and the local pub. Each location gives you a list of things to do. For example, in the first level, you have to make a
groundskeeper hammer his thumb. How? By pulling out a “No Goose” sign with your beak, then lurking nearby and surprising him with a honk just as he’s hammering it back into the ground. Other puzzles include “Get on TV” (by dashing into a shop and pecking the switch on its security cameras) and making someone spit out their tea (by ringing a bell that’s behind them just as they take a sip).
It involves all manner of mischief and is very funny, but the game also tests your problem-solving and lateral-thinking skills. It looks great too. The way your goose waddles around is both lifelike and comical. You wouldn’t want to meet the goose in real life, but it makes for a marvellous game.