Indie games have become a staple of the video game landscape for years. New and exciting games are being developed and released daily, providing players with unique experiences. Sometimes, you’ll be playing through a pixel-art 2D platformer, and other times, a point-and-click adventure; there is something for everyone. This variety was evident back in October when I attended PAX Aus (I know this is late; I got distracted), and I found a charming game called Go-Go Town! that caught my eye. Developed by Prideful Sloth, its art style and city-building gameplay drew me in. After a quick chat with the devs, I decided to sit down and have a go. Little did I know that I would be in for 30 minutes of kidnapping, aliens, and a high-fiving cow.
The plot of Go-Go Town! is a simple one. You, a random person, are kidnapped and forced to become mayor of a struggling town. The townsfolk leave it up to you to turn the barren town into a bustling centre for people of all kinds. Aside from the kidnapping part (which the opening cutscene depicts hilariously), the plot and gameplay progression is similar to many other town-building games. It gives you a reason to build up your perfect town. In my time with the demo, I didn’t experience much of the story outside of the intro, but I’m interested in seeing how the game’s plot develops. Maybe there will be seasonal events you have to run. Or maybe they’ll include quests revolving around the supernatural visitors that come to the town (aliens, ghosts, etc.). Either way, I’m curious to learn more.
Go-Go Town! has a similar gameplay loop to other town-building games like Animal Crossing. You gather resources, construct buildings, and invite new people to stay in your town. The easy-to-pick-up and-play nature of the game allowed me to jump straight in and get the hang of the mechanics in the first few minutes of the demo. While it has a similar gameplay loop, Go-Go Town! differentiates itself from other similar games with the various side-quests and crafting systems. You can gather resources for the town’s residents to help them out. You can craft different items to build buildings and complete quests. You can even jump in a vehicle and drive around town, including a race car!
That’s not even mentioning the level of customisation available for both the town and your character. You can change almost every aspect of the town, from the terrain to where buildings are located. You can also make your character look as cool or cursed as you’d like. The developer I talked with also said they plan on adding even more options before the game releases, like adding in options to make your own BearPigMan (no relation to ManBearPig from South Park).
With all these things to do, you’re probably thinking I spent most of my demo time designing my town or making the coolest character ever. You’d think that, but you’d also be mistaken because I will unashamedly admit that I spent a solid amount of time giving every character a high-five. Yes, in Go-Go Town! there is a dedicated high-five button. You can walk up to anyone in your town, and they’ll give you a high-five. This isn’t just limited to people; you can also high-five a cow, and it’s adorably hilarious. I was a little disappointed I couldn’t high-five all the animals, and I said as much to the developer. He did say that they’ll look into making it possible to high-five every animal in the game. I even suggested they make an achievement for high-fiving every single character in the game at least once. So, when the full game is released, and you see that achievement, you have me to thank for that. Also, if the developers are reading this, I’m looking forward to my consulting fee.
I had a blast trying out Go-Go Town! at PAX Aus. The adorable art style, creative gameplay, and all-around wholesomeness have put the game on my radar. The game will be available on all platforms, and while there is no release date yet, I’m excitedly looking forward to high-fiving my way through my little town.
Have you tried Go-Go Town!? What do you think? Do you want to high-five a cow? Let us know in the comments where we can talk about the best wholesome games out there.
