Untitled Goose Game became a massive, surprise hit-and a meme-in the month since its release. The player’s job is to make them work again. Games are machines, and broken ones at that. And playing them requires exerting the effort to operate them. That’s the big problem with video games: To enjoy them, you have to play them. The only problem is that you have to play the game to do so. You gain a new perspective, having had the opportunity to be something grander than-or just different from-yourself. Games turn the world on its head, allowing you to become all the things you are not: a criminal, in Grand Theft Auto an explorer of alien worlds, in No Man’s Sky the universe itself, in Everything. It’s fun! Being a goose for a while is diverting and surprising, and embodying one in a simulated, pastoral environment speaks to the flexible power of games as a medium. For some reason, it turns out to be familiar to everyone, even city slickers who have never seen a goose in person. A recent, hugely popular video game, Untitled Goose Game, stages this conflict. If you are a person and one appears on your country estate, the advice recommends avoiding engagement and then standing your ground if it charges. They’re brusque, clumsy, and territorial. (Untitled Goose Game is available to download for $19.99 online at goose.game or at retailers GameStop, Best Buy, Amazon and EB Games.Like games, geese are notoriously annoying. Plus, the game also has a two player option, so you can keep playing once your social battery is fully charged. As a casual gamer, it took a decent amount of time for my goose to find its footing, but it’d likely be a quick playthrough for a gaming expert. Who should play: Everyone! It’s straight-forward enough for beginners, but I think the indie concept is novel enough for experienced gamers to enjoy. And there’s no stress about forgetting what you have to do - all of your objectives are written in cursive on virtual lined notebook paper. Most of the tasks can be completed in any order crossing off easy ones sometimes tricks me into feeling productive from the couch. So even when the farmer starts chasing you after you drag his rake into the lake, the stakes are low.Ī great escape: Your goose’s objectives, presented in digestible batches, are relatively simple and attainable. Failing to complete a task doesn’t penalize you or deplete your health bar there’s no way to die. Unexpected meditation: Though there are times of stress - my heart rate always spikes when the townspeople catch me red beaked - the puzzle game is quite soothing. But rather than a bloody shootout in games like Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty, the horrible goose only pains the villagers with minor inconveniences. Run around the village and use your beak to steal possessions, sneak into gates and annoy everyone.īe a troublemaker: As a conflict-averse individual and strict rule follower, I find it oddly satisfying to create chaos within the town. The game should really be called Horrible Goose Game, as the central tenant is to wreak havoc on the townspeople. As you explore the area, you’re guided through the basic button controls and eventually led to an English village - and that’s where the mischief begins. The basics: Untitled Goose Game opens with a goose standing in the middle of the field, sans storyline. I started playing Untitled Goose Game as an anxiety-reducing distraction during quarantine (taking a break from another obsession, Animal Crossing) but now use it to recharge my social battery. Why? With pandemic restrictions easing, I’m thankful to go outside and hang out with people again - but after a year and a half stuck inside, it’s been an adjustment. What I’m obsessed with: Untitled Goose Game - an indie video game available on Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Xbox One, PC and Mac - developed by House House and released September 2019. San Diego Union-Tribune editors and writers share what they’re currently obsessing over.
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