Donut County

It’s something of a dilemma to be left disappointed by a game where your only complaint is that it left you wanting more. But that’s how I feel about Donut County. What it does, it does very well. But there just isn’t enough of it.

A nice little game, with emphasis on the little. You'll have a great time in its couple of hours of quirky gameplay, but that might not be enough for some, considering the price.

If you take Donut County for what it is - a short and weird experience - Ben Esposito's game will deliver a sweet moment of a strange experiment. Built as an anti-Katamari Damacy, the hole mechanics are really addictive and fun to play with, even though the game suffers from a very short length. But if you are curious enough to try something as weird as the most bizarre Japanese games, you might be in for a treat.

Much like the sugary treats in its name, Donut County is sweet, satisfying, and you'll wish there were more when you're done. It's a jovial little adventure that has some great ideas; moving a hole around making objects fall in is surprisingly addictive and entertaining. Serving as a bite-sized snack between bigger titles, this definitely hits the spot, but those looking for a more filling experience may be left a little hungry.

But Donut County is first and foremost a titanic wasted opportunity: not without a certain ironic irony, it is indeed the depth to miss a game where you control a bottomless chasm.

While the story was a non-event and there’s not nearly enough absurd hijinks happening to suit my taste, I still found Donut County to be a worthwhile experience that was hard to put down. Making things disappear into the earth like a wrathful subterranean god was cathartic in an unexpected way. I’m not sure that I can fully articulate it, but I do recommend it.

A non-sense indie arcade game that recalls Katamari Damacy's gameplay style but falls too short to be remembered.

Donut County isn’t really bad at what it sets out to do, but its ambitions are so meager that you can’t help but feel the concept hasn’t been explored to the fullest extent. This is indie game design at its most disposable. I’d be shocked if anyone is still talking about—or even remembers—Donut County a year or two from now.

No other game this year will make you an accomplice in a dastardly raccoon plot to take over a town.