Donut County

Story-based mobile games have a pretty standard problem with post-game retention, or in other terms, the ability to keep the player entertained after the story is finished. For 4.99, you'd expect Donut County to tackle this issue, but it really doesn't. Donut County is an aesthetically pleasing game with neat mechanics and it excels in providing a fairly great experience. The problem is that the experience lasts no more than an hour and a half and there's very little replay value. The puzzles aren't very challenging despite the number of elements included in each level and the story itself relies more on being Quirky™️ than being well-written. Is it a bad game? Not by any means, it's just not something I feel happy about spending 5 dollars on. This is the type of game you download, play once, delete, and forget about for maybe five or six months until you find it again one day and play a level or two again out of boredom. That's not a five dollar experience for a mobile game in my eyes. So, overall? 3/5. An average score for an above-average game that seems like it thinks a bit too highly of itself.

WE NEED MORE!! This game is so charming. It is has many cool aspects incorporated into the game that just stimulate the senses in a different way like puzzle solving, critical thinking, virtual escape room aspects. Each level is so cleverly designed and it never goes the way I thought it would and I love that. The music is perfect for relaxing after a long day and playing something that is stimulating yet not stressful. It is perfect to play with my 5 year old because he is just learning how to read simple sentences. The trashopedia is very clever and Donut County players can quote these witty and hilarious descriptions for years. This game can be taken very far with multiple bosses, a continued storyline, more levels, and gadget upgrades to solve puzzles with! This game is a vessel that can handle so much and developed upon even more and I hope the developers decide to continue the story! It ended too quickly for me. I felt like this was going in the direction of something like an old video game like Mario 64 or Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong, etc. My only complaint is that it ended much too quickly and I want to play this game all the time like Cooking Craze. We need Donut Country..! ...Donut WORLD!

in short: i really looked forward to this game more than i enjoyed it. It was by no means a bad game, i really did like it. the story was really cute and i love the concept. the art is beautiful, i love the music, all of it. it’s great. but it’s too easy and WAY too short. i mean, for $5, you expect a lot more on a mobile game. a $5 game on mobile is a lot for most people. and i really hate to say, but i’ve thoroughly enjoyed free games for much longer than this lasted me. now if we could get one with some more content and some more challenging puzzles, or really anything more, it would be a lot more satisfying. This was a cute game, but not really worth $5 in my opinion, and i hate to say this about a good indie title that had this much work into it, but i really don’t think this one deserved game of the year. it just leaves you feeling like you missed half the game, wondering “i wonder how much longer 5 games that cost $1 would last me” i hate to be so negative because i really did enjoy it. but i think it was mostly hype, and not enough content.

I was quite excited to play this game and waited a long time for it to come out. When it did, I had beaten it fairly quickly, in just two or three sessions, but don’t get me wrong. A short collection of levels doesn’t discredit how intricate and charming the base game truly is. Gathering around a campfire with fellow sink-hole-victims and learning about their whimsical backstories had me rather hooked on not only the cutscenes between actual gameplay, but the world I was introduced to interact in during the base gameplay. Everything about the game felt assembled flawlessly and revealed itself in a way that built upon the last mechanic. The puzzles themselves weren’t particularly challenging, however, deemed themselves as just the right amount of rewarding. Although I wish that there was more to do and see in this vibrant, low-poly atmosphere the developer has created, what is offered is seamlessly constructed in a unique, fresh sandbox with plenty of friendly faces to meet and greet. Beautifully done.

I loved the game, loved the story. It was nonsensical and fun! It’s weirdly satisfying swallowing everything up. I beat the game rather quickly, I just wish there was more! I played through twice hoping to find something I missed the first time but alas, no Easter eggs that I could find. I’ll keep looking out for updates, and maybe quests or objectives for beaten levels (hint hint!)? Maybe an order to swallow up objects, time goals, etc. Definitely not for the first play through though, as part of the fun is taking your time immersing yourself in the story and fun of growing and destroying, and adding other objectives to think about would take away from the initial experience. But I hope they make some incentives to play through again! I’ve been enjoying playing random levels here and there but want something to work for. I guess I’m just sad it’s over! Great game, I love it and so does my 5 year old. Definitely a WIN!!!