GAME REVIEW | Getting Loose-y with Baffling "Tingus Goose"
For the last few weeks, I have been trying my damndest to describe the kind of game Tingus Goose is. A collaboration between renowned artist MasterTingus and Australian game developers Sweaty Chair, the…whatever this is mystifies with its strangeness and kooky behavior. And yet, even after I’ve spent countless hours playing it, I cannot for the life of me sum up what I have witnessed. Has Tingus Goose broken me, and is what’s broken fixable?
Perhaps if I go step-by-step into what I witnessed, it will help. So Tingus Goose starts off with a loving couple awaiting the birth of their child. But then, a goose gets planted into the mother’s belly, as it springs up into the clouds. From there, you must allow the goose’s neck to keep on growing so it can meet its lover. To grow, the goose will spit out babies that will generate cash into the giant piggy bank below.
But there’s more. To gain more money, the babies can ricochet off of other geese’s heads. Some of these give cushion to a fallen child; others eat the infants so it can spit out two or three more of them. In some instances, a goose’s head will launch out a green goose turd that can be picked up for cash. And if you combine three infants, you can make a super baby that will bring about more funding.
After each level, players will be treated to a cartoon short from MasterTingus. These little toons progress the story, as new geese will be birthed to meet their future mates in the sky. The higher the level, the more cash it’ll cost to bring these fowl lovers together. And with more levels come stranger concoctions that will help to raise the right amount of dough to complete the levels.
Yeah. This didn’t help me explain Tingus Goose in the slightest! I mean, what is this game?! And is it even a game?! At the very least, I can call it “a work of art”. I’ve seen MasterTingus’s creations in many museums in Japan and America, and they are all as weird as this game(?) is. So for that, good on you?
One thing that I can say about Tingus Goose is how inventive it is. It’s an experience that has no rules over what each goose-y concoction can do to help you earn more money. One moment, you’re watching a crowd of people applauding for a landing infant, and the next, you’re seeing tree dwellers drag a baby into a tree hole and start raining money. MasterTingus is a madman, and he’s dragging us all down with him towards his insane asylum!
At the very least, I’m laughing on my way down. These game(?) elements and the shorts by the kooky artist have kept me thoroughly entertained throughout my playtime. Just when I think I’ve seen the funniest moment Tingus Goose can deliver, it will (sometimes literally) poop out another visual gag that’ll have me hollering. Good Lord, whatever this is, it’s making me lose my marbles!
The odd part: you can’t just turn your brain off while playing Tingus Goose! Sometimes, you’ll come across hazards that will require you to recalibrate your goose neck and switch around concoctions. This is an experience that requires getting the right mechanics down so you can attempt to make money as fast as possible. In order to succeed, you’ll have to be as wacky and off-kilter as the mastermind himself.
For that, Tingus Goose deserves a lot of praise. Here is a game(?) that requires you to be smart and insane all at once. Sometimes the greatest geniuses are a tad loopy, an aspect that’s fully required in order to both conquer and comprehend the weirdness MasterTingus and Sweaty Chair Studio have created.
PROS:
- Lots of geese
- Lots of babies
- Weirdly inventive
CONS:
- Takes a lot of time to complete one level
- Very, very hard to describe
FINAL THOUGHTS:
To appease the goose, one must become the goose. Tingus Goose allows players to do just that, and then some. This may be the weirdest video game I’ve played since Armed & Delirious warped my brain nearly 30 years ago. Even as you slip into madness, you cannot deny just how fun Tingus Goose truly is. Honk!
FINAL GRADE: 🪿🪿🪿🪿
Promotional consideration provided by JF Games PR. Reviewed on the PC via Steam.
