Synopsis:
Donut County is a weird and hilarious game where you play as a hole in the ground, sucking up everything around you; an apt metaphor for our current times. The game neatly combines narrative and puzzling in fun and fast-paced ways.
Who Should Play:
Donut County is a great first choice for a gaming circle. The narrative is quite funny and it has things in it both for those who like puzzle elements as well as those who like narrative elements.
Made by: Producer: Annapurna Interactive Digital; Developer: Ben Esposito
Available on: iOS, Mac OS (steam), Microsoft (steam), Playstation 4
Price: $4.99 – $12.99 (depending on platform)
Play time: Approximately 3 hours
Questions for Donut County:
- The creator of this game refers to this as a “redemption story” – in what ways was BK redeemed? Were any other characters redeemed?
- What kind of pleasures are there in being a-hole (note pun – intentional by creator)?
- Who was the protagonist of this story and what made them a protagonist?
- Who did you relate to the most in the story?
- Did the story or puzzle matter more in this game?
- How did the process of making holes make you feel?
- The game was born out of an off-hand twitter joke. In what ways does this come through in the play and story?
- Was the final “boss level” too much of a deviation from the rest of the play? What might have been a better way to do a boss level that was more inclusive of different kinds of audiences?
- Was the game a good length? What might have made it better?
- Was the end satisfying or is more closure necessary to make it a good story?
General Gaming Circle Questions:
- What did and didn’t you like about the game?
- How much time did you spend playing? Did you play all at once or break up your time?
- Did you play during other activities, or dedicate time solely to playing?
- Did the game feel like a waste of time? A good use of time? Explain.
Links & Walkthroughs:
• Official Site
• Polygon (Review)
• IGN (Walkthrough)
• App Unwrapper (Walkthrough)
Play like a Feminist. 