Donut County

Genre: Puzzle / Misc.

Players: 1

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Review:

Donut County is an odd game that’s hard to categorize, but probably the closest I can come to it is that it’s a Puzzle game of sorts. Probably the game it most resembles is Katamari Damacy, except where that game had you collecting random junk with a ball to make a bigger ball, this game has you swallowing up random junk using a hole to make the hole into a bigger hole.

It’s a fun concept that’s presented with a great family-friendly style that uses cel shading for a cartoony effect (it’s very similar in visual style to the more recent Untitled Goose Game). The game also has an amusing plot about a young woman’s best friend, a racoon, being the cause of the town’s woes by using a hole-creating app on his phone.

As for the gameplay, this game has elements of the brilliance of Katamari Damacy, where you have to gradually increase the size of what you’re swallowing up with the hole. However, it manages to mix in a few puzzle elements, such as swallowing a barbecue pit and using the fire to heat up objects above, or swallowing a pair of bunnies so they can multiply and increase the hole even more.

However, while this game has some clever ideas, it’s also far too linear for its own good. In every level, there seems like a clear progression of what you need to swallow up with the hole, with little room for deviation. The game also limits you to very small areas, too, only allowing you to progress further after you’ve swallowed up everything in sight.

The game can be completed in a few short hours, and it doesn’t feel like there’s very much replay value here after you’ve completed it. For a game that costs $13, it seems a bit of a steep price for such a short ride.

Still, Donut County is a fun ride while it lasts, even if it never quite reaches the heights of Katamari Damacy. The gameplay here is fun, the presentation is nice, and the story and characters are amusing. If you can catch the game on sale, it should be worth the few hours of your attention it takes to beat it.

tl;dr – Donut County is an odd family-friendly game whose closest genre is Puzzle games, but the game it most resembles is Katamari Damacy, with a main mechanic that has you sucking up random objects into a hole to make the hole gradually bigger in size. The gameplay here is fun, but the game is too linear and limited, and it’s really short for it price tag. Still, it’s fun while it lasts and the story and presentation are really endearing. Worth a look if you can get a good deal on it.

Grade: B-

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