When Untitled Duck Game was first announced, nobody expected tricky puzzles or stealth in the spirit of Hitman from what seemed to be just an entertaining naughty bird simulator. But it turned out there is much more to the gameplay here that we’ve been hoping for. The goal is clear and simple – you have a list of bad stuff you need to do around the village to proceed to another location. But figuring out how to do them is completely up to you. You can pick up objects with your beak, throw and break them. However, sometimes the missions go beyond the scope of your immediate capabilities and then you need to think out of the box and invent a clever way to perform them anyway. But even if you can’t cope with some of the tasks, don’t worry – you’ll be able to gain access to a new level even in this case.
Note that the residents won’t be very happy about you wrecking havoc on their village. To steal some object from them, sometimes you’ll have to do a bit of stalking. You’ll need to follow some of the dwellers, find out where they go, what they do and how they react to your crimes – someone may not give a damn, and someone will immediately pick up a broom and run in your direction. Shelters are also important – make sure you note a few to save your skin in case of danger. You can hide behind some object that’s big enough or quickly dive into a hole in the fence if you’re pursued.
Funny gameplay becomes more fun thanks to the visual design and music. The duck is animated just fine, his movements seem to show that he is the master of the situation and can do whatever he wants. He is annoying, self-righteous and pompous, it’s a pleasure to control him. Sometimes, though, probably because of his hefty weight, you may find it difficult to turn while running. And the music, inspired by the compositions of Claude Debussy, makes the game look like a comedy from the era of silent cinema. Only here it is not completely silent – one of the buttons on the gamepad allows you to quack without stopping, driving everyone mad with your cries.
The four locations span seven or eight task each, so it won’t take you more than two hours to pass the game. After that, the lists of instructions will be updated and you will be offered to return to the same areas and do even more trouble, but the impressions will be completely different. Items and people don’t change, but now you have to interact with them in a new way. This is a great reason to play Untitled Goose Game again and again after a while!
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