Parents' Guide to

Donut County

By David Chapman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Short, fun adventure tale about a raccoon and his sinkhole.

Game Mac, PlayStation 4, Windows 2018
Donut County Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Donut County screenshot #1
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Community Reviews

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age 5+

Based on 1 parent review

Vikingmum
Vikingmum Adult
November 11, 2020
age 5+

My 5 year old loves this game

Game controls and mechanics are easy enough for a 4.5 to grasp. The game is a loosely physics one. The game involves controlling a hole in the ground. You try to "eat" up everything. The more objects (and animals character) that fall in the larger the hole gets. There is also some mild puzzles where things have to be done in the right order to move onto the next section. I helped my five-year-old a few times and after that, he was able to solve all the problems himself up to the "boss fight". There is a bit of a "think for yourself instead of just following orders" and "think of others" message too but it is buried under a bit of silliness. The male main character does redeem himself at the end of the game.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

There's something a little strange about life in DONUT COUNTY. Sure, it might seem peaceful, but things don't feel quite right. Maybe it's the fact that most of the townsfolk are talking animals. Maybe it's the fact that everything from coffee cups to cafés have recently started to come up missing. Or maybe, just maybe, it's got something to do with that giant hole that seems to be moving around with a mind of its own and casting everything in its path to a deep, dark abyss. Yeah, it's probably the hole. Players take on the role of a raccoon, BK, whose new job involves swiping people's trash through the use of remote-controlled holes. There's more to the job than just dropping everything into a movable pit, though. Players can combine certain objects for unique effects, causing some extra chaos, and creating even more trash to collect. But who exactly is BK working for, and more importantly, what do they want with all that "trash"?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (9):

Sometimes the simplest ideas can be the most fun, which can also be said for bizarre ideas, but when you combine equal parts simple and bizarre, the result is almost irresistible. Welcome to the world of Donut County, where the absurd premise of the game is deceptively easy. You're given control of a small hole that you move around the environment, causing items to drop in along the way. The more stuff that falls in the hole, the bigger the hole gets. The bigger the hole gets, the larger the items that can fall into it. And the cycle keeps going until your hole is big enough to swallow up just about everything in the stage.

There are some occasional strategy/puzzle elements mixed in to keep things fresh. For example, one early stage shows a hot air balloon anchored to a couple of boulders next to a person making clay pottery. After swallowing some pots and benches, the hole finally gets big enough to swallow up the nearby kiln. Once the kiln drops in, the hole starts billowing up a stream of hot air, which can then be used to force the balloon to rip free of its anchors, leaving more rubble behind in its wake just waiting to be swept up. It's little quirks like this that make Donut County so hard to put down. Sure, you could just move around aimlessly and hope for the best, but it's more fun to experiment and find creative ways to interact with the environment. If there's one gripe to be had here, it's that there's just not enough content in the game. To get from the introduction screen to the end credits takes less than two hours, and there's not much in the way of replay value. The game is over way too soon, leaving you feeling much like the ever expanding hole you've controlled: hungry for more.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about crisis preparedness. What are some ways that families can be prepared for emergencies, like earthquakes, storms, or other natural disasters?

  • What's the appeal of more simple games like Donut Country over more complex gaming experiences? What creates a relaxing gaming experience?

Game Details

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