Sure it’s a funny way to start things, but it lets me get something out of the way right off the bat: I loves me a game no matter the genre, platform or technology involved. Just guarantee me one thing – that it is fun.

“Fun” is arguably a horrible method by which to judge a game, given that it is as fluid in its application to computer and video games as any definition gets. I’ll discuss my criteria on another day, but for now:

World of Goo (PC/Wii)

This gosh-darn cute little game almost side-stepped me with the demo release earlier in the week and I’m glad I caught it flying by.

Set on a somewhat bizarre and isolated planetoid, the eponymous “Goo” is a prevalent resource/life-form that inhabits the land. Your role in this game is to attend to the Goo and assist them in finding their way to a pipeline placed in each level. The game-play mechanic takes the form of a puzzle-based physics simulator, allowing you to stretch and attach Goo’s to each-other in order to form (often tenuous) structures. Linear thinking certainly takes a back-seat as you eventually encounter more devilish scenarios, introducing the multitude of Goo-variants that assist you in your tasks.

What strikes me as utterly fascinating with this game is the way in which it remains fairly simple in execution (drag and drop, create structures while maintaining a balance) and instead challenges the user to discover the hidden secrets of a level in order to conquer it.

Let me give an example: Your goal is to reach a pipeline so far away, you can’t even see where it is. Your only landmarks are two tiny balancing islands and a handful of goo’s. However, if you can crack the method of reaching the second island, you are once again presented with no pipe and yet another distant island. The challenge may seem the same, but distance brings its own difficulties. If you master the terrain, you will soon learn to master this level.

Other terrain-based puzzle solving includes semi-automated Rube Goldberg machines, explosive detonators and even a Viral-bath to convert your Goos.

It’s visual style is kitschy and colourful, with each episode bringing an overall theme based on seasons (Summer, Winter etc.) and gives the game lots of various tones and styles to play with. From wind-swept and raining plateaus to frigid and dark silent caverns, each level pops out at the player.

One drawback is the sound, which can quickly become repetitive as you constantly click to drag each Goo in place. Also, the music is fairly limited with a handful of songs covering the major themes for each level type (quiet; exciting; tense; “grand final” and so on), however this lack of variety is offset by the catchy quality of each song.

As this is my first review, I will point out that I am loathe to assign a numerical value on this game and instead work on a scale that I have used for a long time – “The Friend Scale”. Imagine that you are discussing a game with your friend, hoping to either convince or dissuade them from a game you have recently played or finished. Phrases such as “Grab it as soon as you can”, “Worth hiring out” and “I regret the time I spent on it” are the sort you might use (in not so many/few words, with or without colourful language). These are also the kinds of phrases I will use and consider them as you would a friend’s recommendation – something you take on board but are willing to test for yourself if need be.

Given the price-point for World of Goo on the PC, I am inclined to say you may want to grab it for your Wii (a novel and fun interface for this game) instead, but obvious space limitation on your console may make this difficult presently. If nothing else, grab the demo and try the first episode for yourself. Although the main game will only take a few hours to complete the first play-through, its re-playability and OCD goals for each level will provide many more hours for the Completionist. And for those competitive-types, an online aspect of the game allows you to use captured Goos to form your own Tower of Babylon which is saved in real-time for others to compare with.

As a side-note, for those who purchase the game on Steam, there are currently 8 Achievements in the game, something rather unique for an independant game.