Today, Tech Porn takes a break from the usual PC stuffs as we dive-in at one of the latest free-to-play puzzle games in the Android market. Gone Goose is the name, and it is developed by the guys at migme – one of the rising social entertainment platforms at the Asia Pacific region.
The game is as simple as it gets – It’s a match-3 or more puzzle game with your goal to score as high as possible within a 60 seconds frametime. At its core, Gone Goose is a simple game but its breaks away from the usual match making puzzle genre by introducing a story line, a reward system for its players, and a community integration system to keep you and your migme friends connected via the game. If you wish to try it out yourself right now download it HERE.
WHAT’S THE STORY?
Gone Goose revolves around Gerald the Goose and his furry farm friends (that possibly includes the piglet). Basically they got lost while travelling into the jungle for gawd knows what reason. They almost got themselves eaten by an evil snake – which is most probably following the order of nature to survive. Luckily, they got saved by Coco Loco (actually an evil looking coconut) and thus the quest to return to their farm starts. That pretty much sums up the thing about Gone Goose’s story, but there’s more about it here.
HOW TO PLAY:
Once downloaded and opened up, the game will immediately put you into a small introduction together with the story of Gerald and his friends. Afterwards, a small tutorial on how to play the game will guide you through the ropes of Gone Goose. The game is not that hard to play, as even a basic understanding on how a match making game works is enough without going through the trouble of reading each tutorial’s panel.
Basically, you match 3 or more animals by tap-swiping one, either horizontally or vertically and if successful they go kaput on the screen. You’ve got 60 seconds to do it, and you’ve got 5 initial hearts or lifeline to replay. Life is replenish-able but you have to wait for a couple of minutes – so there’s a break when you need it. You can even purchase them or have them honored to you as a part of a reward if a daily task / mission has been accomplished.
Coco Loco is your best friend at Gone Goose and will annihilate a full vertical and horizontal row of animals when the gauge is full – enabling you to score big. Coco Loco together with unlockable power ups, can score you a massive combo when used at the right moment. These power ups included in the game makes up for the unbelievable high scores at the leaderboards. Power ups are purchasable via earning gold or even buying them yourself.
INTEGRATION:
Gone Goose can be actually linked at migme if you have your own account. That said, you can compete with your friends and easily check out who on your friend-list has the highest score that you should beat. The scoring system is real time, and you can even check the global leaderboards to stress yourself out. The guys at the top are just insane to be honest – and even my best score can barely scratch the surface.
THE VERDICT:
Gone Goose serves as a good go-to puzzle game. It’ll run in no time, and you’ll get to learn how it should be played after a few rounds. The tutorial is probably one of the reasons why – showing you the ropes in an easy to understand graphical fashion. Speaking, the user interface is good enough if not great – setting up a child friendly theme that even adults could easily appreciate. It blends well with the simple back story, and firmly plants a cute impression to the gamer. Some elements could be improved though, as animals with the same color palette can easily introduce confusion. I’m looking at you, Chris P. Bacon and Cotton the Corgi.
Gone Goose is a solid mobile game to divert your attention to – whether you had enough of your competitive matches on your rig, or if you just need something to play with on your way home or at work. It’s fast, easy to play, and has this fresh charm to its facade that make me want to play it every now and then. Overall, Gone Goose is a rock solid experience with quirks of its own thrown here and there. Download it HERE for free.
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