Capsule Review: Donut County
A short and mostly-chill game that plays a bit like an inverted Katamari Damacy and feels a bit like Untitled Goose Game.
The story is lighthearted and irreverent, with art and tone reminiscent of Untitled Goose Game. You play as an amoral raccoon stealing from a town populated by anthropomorphic animals by moving a hole around to collect progressively larger objects which then expand your hole, in a sort of inverted echo of Katamari Damacy. This is generally not very difficult and can be a bit soothing as you effectively tidy up environments of their clutter.
Over time some light puzzle mechanics show up, such as using the hole to manipulate water or fire, and several puzzles revolve around a catapult upgrade that allows your hole to also shoot some objects back up. Mostly these just add some pleasant variety to the game’s otherwise very simple conceit, but in the last few levels there are some moments where you have to apply these mechanics under time limits which goes against the game’s chill atmosphere of playful exploration. The challenge level was low, so I don’t actually know what happens if you fail, but it still made the game less relaxing.
Overall, it’s still a fun and relaxing romp for an hour or two. Nothing mind-expanding, but it’s charming and I enjoyed it.
I Stopped Playing When: I finished the game.
Three Stars: Good. I liked the game enough to finish it (or just play it a bunch, for games that don't end). I recommend it to most genre fans.