Donut County (PS4) Review

Developer: Ben Esposito

Publisher: Annapurna Interactive

Release Date: August 28, 2018

Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Android, iOS

Overview: If chill vibes were tangible, they would come in the form of Donut County. Not only was this indie game a pleasant surprise, but it also comes with a great soundtrack that's sure to keep that head bobbing.

After beating the game in about 2 hours and tacking on an extra 30 minutes for 100% completion, I was left feeling very satisfied. The game doesn't take itself too seriously nor does it overstay its welcome. It's the perfect blend of casual gameplay and enjoying the ride along the way to the game's conclusion.

Story: The story follows Mira and BK's exploits as mysterious holes begin abducting the citizens of Donut County. The holes not only are abducting people, but also any object that is able to fall into the strange hole. After trying to figure out the source behind the holes, Mira and BK set out to make everything the way it was in their quiet town.

As stated before, the game does not take itself seriously at all. The dialogue between characters is by far the weakest part of the game, but the disgustingly corny writing somehow adds to the overall charm of the game. It's a blessing that the story doesn't matter too much since the gameplay is where this game shines brightest.

Gameplay: Playing as a hole that swallows everything has never been so satisfying. Each level is self-contained and the player starts off as a small little peephole. With each item that is swallowed, the player-controlled hole grows in size, eventually going from taking in blades of grass to houses.

Some puzzle elements are gradually introduced as the game progresses that the player will need to work through. Animals could be locked up in a high cage or certain items need to be spit back out to cause a certain effect. The game doesn't last very long, but the amount of variety per sandbox kept the game very fresh the whole way through.

Presentation: Donut County has a very minimalistic art style, preferring lower polygon counts and abundant coloring than high-resolution vistas. I also cannot gush enough about how great the music is. Each level has unique background music that I can best describe as relaxing Sunday afternoon music. The music is so great that I've included links to a few of my favorites from the game down below!

Final Verdict: 8/10

Donut County is a nice little cozy game that doesn't pose any especially hard challenges but feels rewarding all the same. If you're looking for a narrative-focused title, Donut County will not come remotely close to satisfying that craving.

The enjoyment lies within the relaxing gameplay and music. The story is lighthearted and straightforward. The main pet peeve I had was just how bad the dialogue was. The character dialogue sounds like it was written by a middle schooler and honestly would've benefitted from reducing the number of lines each character had. Other than that, the game provided a quick break from AAA titles that take over 40 hours to complete and I managed to find some banger songs!