My 100 Video Game Challenge (2024) #11: Donut County

Played on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Where to even begin writing about this one? It's a weird one.

Well, for starters, Donut County is another indie game recommended to me by Sarah, who is quickly becoming an outstanding source of indie games both bizarre and strangely soothing. Donut County checks both of those boxes, with Sarah pitching it to me under the mysterious promise of, "Trust me", coincidentally timed with Donut County being just a few dollars on sale at that point. So, after being introduced to the PS4 version of the game on Sarah's PS5, I grabbed the Xbox version for myself, and later the PC version, so I could play it on my Steam Deck.

Donut County is an indie game that was initially conceived during a game jam (an event where people come up with, and program, simple game concepts on the fly) by Ben Esposito, an indie developer best known for assisting with production on The Unfinished Swan and What Remains of Edith Finch. Initially built for smartphones, before ultimately expanding to consoles and PC, the game places you in control of a hole, which you use to gobble up various features in each level, increasing the size of your hole as you do.

Why are you a hole? Why are you enacting unfathomable destruction on the humble town of Donut County with your mysterious, hole-themed agenda? You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you. I can however chiefly praise Donut County for one thing; Its surreal sense of humour is fantastic, especially when its ultimate endgame puts a genuinely hilarious spin on an environmental theme. That's the only clue I'm giving you.

That's why it's a little tough to write about this game and how it plays, because Donut County is one of those games that relies heavily on surprising the player with just how weird it can get. There are some exceptionally creative uses of the central hole mechanic too, such as sometimes filling the hole with water in order to fill a mechanism or trigger an electrocution, or the player eventually gaining the ability to shoot an object out of the hole, which is also used for some simple puzzle solving. I actually wish that Donut County dug a little deeper into these gameplay ideas, because they often feel so disappointingly fleeting.

On that note, Donut County is another incredibly short game, even by the standards of an indie. You'll likely finish the entire experience in just a couple of hours, maybe adding one or two more if you're planning to chase every achievement/trophy, none of which are hard to earn. That scant playtime is fortunately complemented by a modest price tag though, one that basically sinks to the price of a chocolate bar if you can grab this game on sale.

As much as this is another indie game that I wish was just a bit longer (much like the comparably great Hoa, another standout indie game that Sarah recommended to me this year), Donut County still likely represents some of the most fun I've had playing any video game so far in 2024. The Xbox One and PS4 versions were already entertaining, but it's the PC version of Donut County that I really had the most fun with, being able to use a mouse, or my finger in the case of the Steam Deck, to drag the hole around with more immersion.

The fact that the mobile version for iOS and Android is even cheaper than the console/PC price is all the better, when Donut County is actually built very effectively around the touch display of a smartphone. It's astonishing to me, but this might be one of the rare instances where I'd most highly recommend the mobile version to curious new players in this case, with the PC and Nintendo Switch versions of Donut County tying for a close second (I didn't try the Switch version, but the Switch's portability and touch-enabled display is a natural fit for Donut County right from concept), though you really can't go wrong with any platform.

This is because, as strange as it is, there's something weirdly soothing about dropping things in a hole. Whether it's a lawn chair, a rock, a campfire, or even the town's own citizens, you'll feel a strange catharsis as you slowly devour each of the level landscapes before you, with those good vibes eventually adding up to genuine amusement, as your hole ultimately becomes large enough to swallow up entire houses, waterparks or cliff formations. I really wish that I could explain how and why this all happens, but I don't even want to make a spoiler section in this case. The surprise must be preserved. Take my word for it; The narrative payoff is great, and the zany, surreal dialogue that precedes it is just as great.

As a mobile game, Donut County is outstanding, even considering its brevity. Its innately appealing hook and core mechanics could have used a bit of expansion to more naturally fit on consoles and PC, but overall, this is still a really entertaining, and bizarrely satisfying game. I really hope that Ben Esposito and Annapurna Interactive team up again for a Donut County 2 in the future, since there's definitely a lot of potential with which to further expand upon this weirdly compelling foundation of being a hole and swallowing things. If they can add a bit more to the puzzles, and maintain the same degree of creativity and humour, I think a sequel has the means to be an instant classic among indie game enthusiasts.

Like a great woman told me, trust me. You'll have a great time with Donut County.

IF I HAD TO SCORE IT: 8/10