World of Goo review

February 26, 10:00 AMPC Game ExaminerBryan Edge-Salois

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Looks like you'll need some help from those goo-ball
balloons to complete that bridge.

World of Goo, created by 2D Boys, is the winner of the Design Innovation Award and Technical Excellence Award from the Independent Games Festival . It's also one of the best games of 2008 for a good reason: it's utterly brilliant. 

It's also a whole lot of brilliance (and fun) for the low price of $20 -- perfect for gamers on a budget in this tight economy. 

The essential gameplay is based on a simple idea:  build a structure out of  bouncy, gooey goo balls and lead them to a pipe that sucks them up for the World of Good corporation.

But obstacles such as goo-grinding gears, spikes, and goo-unfriendly terrain stand between you and your objectives.

Goo balls are the best virtual building toy ever.

In a nutshell, it's basically a physics-based puzzle solving game. The goo balls come in many varieties, each with their own properties. For example, some goo balls are extra stretchy, some can be used to create fuses to ignite things, and some are basically balloons, which provide lift. You'll have to cleverly use and combine their abilities to achieve your objectives in every level.

All of this is done against the weird, whacky backdrop of the World of Goo, which is filled with offbeat humor and a strange 'story' that very politely and cleverly skewers big corporations. Combined with its simple and compelling game play, World of Goo is thoroughly enjoyable for all ages. Adults will find it challenging and funny, and kids as young as five years old can grasp the mechanics of it well enough to play it by themselves (in the earlier levels) and with a little help from mom or dad in the later levels.

I say this based on personal experience -- my five year old loves the game. Although he's a bit too young to read all the funny (and often clue-holding) signs written by 'The Sign Painter', he understands the mechanics of the game well enough to play it by himself. OFten, after I demonstrate a few things for him in a level, he can go on to figure the rest out for himself. 

World of Goo is very family and kid-friendly, and it's inexpensive -- $19.99 if you order through Valve's Steam service. You can also purchase via PayPal directly from the World of Goo home page.