If you're like me, you loved Untitled Goose Game. It's a stellar idea, being a butthead of an animal to the people surrounding you. Because of the way it's presented, it gets away with its meanness, even though you know you're the worst. I got a lot of that energy from the trailer for Bad Magpie at the Xbox Games Showcase, but after playing it, I've found a sweeter tune coming from this bad little bird.
You play as this magpie, who unfortunately cannot fly due to only having one working wing. Because of this infirmity, our poor bird is missing its flock, who are long gone by this point. As the bird hops around, it finds a fallen star, and in order to win it over and finally have a friend, looks for shiny trinkets to give to it. Unfortunately for everyone else, locating these will be a very destructive exercise.
After a quick introduction, my preview began in earnest. Bad Magpie has you hopping, pecking, and chirping your way to the end of a level, collecting a certain number of shiny things to progress. It's all done in a puzzly style, although without too much difficulty. This is more of a chill game, letting you take your time, and it functions almost like a point-and-click game – just peck and chirp around until you find the answer.
From the above reveal trailer, you probably got the impression that Bad Magpie is on the level of Untitled Goose Game in terms of being an annoying character. While you can do your share of shenanigans, my short time with it was more about collecting glittering shards than intentionally being a butthole. Yes, you will peck at a rock and set a fire occasionally, but this is done to solve a puzzle, even if it unfortunately catches a few singing flowers ablaze in the process.
I do appreciate how clever the puzzles are. Nothing is that complex, but discovering the solution makes you feel smart. For instance, I had a moment where I couldn’t set close-by brush on fire to progress forward. It took a moment, but I finally realized that when pecking a tree, branches would fall. Picking one up, I went over to a nearby rock and pecked, lighting the branch on fire. Since it was still in my beak, I was able to carry it over to the brush, thus rectifying my issue.
In another section, I wanted a shard that sat above a whiteboard. There was a big floor piano on the floor, like the one from the movie BIG, along with instructions on the whiteboard on what to play to get it down. First, I had to plug it in. Second, just standing on each key to play the needed note wasn’t enough. Third, I cracked the puzzle by opening a few cardboard boxes of books, and then picking those up and setting them on the necessary keys. Boom, the shard was mine! It's these kinds of witty puzzles that keep you wanting to play a game, and it seems like Bad Magpie has them in spades.
I’d be remiss to leave this preview without praising the art style. The storybook, minimalistic design is charming. I know I keep referring to Untitled Goose Game, but they do share many similarities, including the aesthetic. It’s not a bad choice for mimicry, as there aren’t a lot of games that share this visual style. Bad Magpie feels unique, and a big part of that is the artistic design.
Milktooth really wasn’t going to have to try hard to get my attention with this game. Bad Magpie touches on exactly what I want this kind of game to touch – cutesy art style, fun puzzles, and a birb. While more could occur later on, I’m glad to see this isn’t just a game about being a nasty animal to everyone. Instead, there’s a lot of heart underneath, which hopefully will continue to show. All we know is that Bad Magpie is coming soon to PC and consoles, and this bird will be ready to roost and play as soon as it releases.
