Untitled Goose Game Review — Honk If You’re In

Synopsis: It’s a lovely day in the village, and you are a horrible goose.

Publisher: Panic
Developer: House House
Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch
Also available for: Windows, Mac
The Team: Nico Disseldorp, Jacob Strasser, Michael McMaster, Stuart Gillespie-Cook
Music: Dan Golding
Sound Design: Em Halberstadt (A Shell in the Pit)

The majority of my family thinks video games are either Crash Bandicoot or ultra-violent first-person shooters—which, of course, is sometimes true. Over the years I’ve shown them things like the Ratchet & Clank remake or Uncharted 4 to highlight how impressive games can look and how far tech has come. Untitled Goose Game from Melbourne-based developer House House—Goose Game for short [Editor’s note: I disapprove of this shortening. Disrespectful.]—is my new go-to example of the kinds of playful, accessible experiences people are making right now. It’s the sort of game you can put in front of grandparents or kids who haven’t played much before and have them honking in minutes.

Across four interconnected village areas, you work through mischievous checklists. Early tasks range from stealing fruit from a gardener to nicking his hat; the game is never hard, but a few objectives had me thinking just long enough to feel clever without getting frustrated. Complete enough tasks and you’ll unlock a new one that opens the next area, and so on—your mission: honk, cause trouble, and generally distress every resident in this peaceful town.

As a nimble, honking goose, you can duck under objects, grab things above or at your feet, pull or carry them, and—of course—HONK. A flourish of outstretched wings sells the proud, chaotic energy. These simple verbs are all a goose needs to steal, distract, and sneak.

It took me around 2.5–3 hours to roll credits, missing one or two tasks. Finishing unlocks a fresh batch of optional challenges plus speed-run goals for those inclined to honk with pace.

I laughed, chuckled, smiled—and generally had a fantastic time. It’s charming, and while you’re playing a seemingly evil mastermind, no one gets hurt; nothing here is malicious or too violent for children. Is chasing a kid into a phone booth so he calls for help “bad”? Yes—and maybe he’s scarred for life by geese—but his parents run the local TV store and, once inside, I got to HONK on TV. Swings and roundabouts.

The bright, after-school-program aesthetic keeps things relaxed, but it’s the music that ties everything together. Dan Golding riffs on Debussy’s Preludes with reactive arrangements: silence while you stroll; a tentative motif as you creep toward the gardener’s keys; a sudden, playful sprint as you snatch them and bolt. It turns the whole caper into a Chaplin-inspired, slapstick short.

It also feels good to cause mayhem in a sandbox that isn’t built on death or destruction. You’re just a real menace of a goose.

It’s 2019, and our gaming overlords have given us the mascot of the year. Untitled Goose Game is disgustingly charming and everyone should play it. Don’t just watch clips—go experience the joy yourself. Honk! Honk!

(Untitled Goose Game code provided for review)