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Donut County

Donut County

Ben Esposito · released Aug 28, 2018

AdventureCasualIndie

Donut County is a story-based physics puzzle game where you play as an ever-growing hole in the ground. Meet cute characters, steal their trash, and throw them in a hole.

86
VGC Score
Stablehigh confidence +8 since launch

launched at 78, updates lifted it to 86

78%
At launch
92%
Steam all-time
76%
Press
69%
Player sentiment
93%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)7625
Creator reviews (2 tracked)841
All-time Steam reviews92%861000
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)93%8838
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 108 reviews sampled · 100 total reviews in window · weighted 31 up / 2.2 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (63)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 75
    trust 79Dec 30, 2018

    Despite its short length, Donut County is a brilliantly polished, refined little Indie game. Its premise is simple, well executed and incredibly addictive. There's something profoundly satisfying with dropping items into a hole, and seeing this expand and grow offers up a really satisfying feeling of progression. Donut County is quite simply a really well put together game and one of 2018's biggest surprises - even if it is a little short.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 76Sep 26, 2018

    With enough lols and charm to patch over any holes (sorry, last one) in its simple, but delightful mechanics and story.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 76Dec 31, 2018

    Donut County will no doubt prove to be a divisive experience, but those that are looking for a relaxing and often funny puzzle game will find an enjoyable experience that has just enough charm to justify its existence. With that being said, this is hardly a game that feels like it justifies the relatively high price tag; three hours max of content is a tough pill to swallow regardless of how enamored you are with the concept at its core. We'd recommend you wait for a sale or put some gold points towards this one; it's a cool experience that you'll definitely want to check out, but know that you're not missing much if you choose to skip it.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 74Aug 27, 2018

    It does take a half-hearted stab at commentary near the end, as you face off with the leader of the raccoons and his very American stance on (late) capitalism, but it's a little perfunctory and played more for laughs than anything else. If Donut County has contempt for anything, it's raccoons more than politics, it does not portray our furry, garbage-plundering friends in a positive light. Holes might wreck this town, but the reputation of raccoons suffer the greatest damage.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 69Aug 27, 2018

    Much like the sugary treats in its name, Donut County is sweet, satisfying, and you'll wish there were more when you're done. It's a jovial little adventure that has some great ideas; moving a hole around making objects fall in is surprisingly addictive and entertaining. Serving as a bite-sized snack between bigger titles, this definitely hits the spot, but those looking for a more filling experience may be left a little hungry.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 69Dec 21, 2018

    Donut County is incredibly endearing, but it ends too soon. While the amusing tale wraps up nicely, I wished I could have had more reason to toy around with putting trash into holes and see concepts limited to a level or two be further expanded. Donut County is worth experiencing for what it is, but it's disappointing because it could have been so much more.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 67Dec 25, 2018

    Donut County is a unique game that brings a simple, yet fun core concept to the table.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 67Apr 29, 2021

    Luckily, I managed to find enough time to blow through Donut County after seeing multiple Steam reviewers compare Rain on Your Parade to it. Untitled Goose Game, Donut County, and Rain on Your Parade serve as a kind of cutesy meme-game trinity, though there’s a clear hierarchy. Donut County falls between the okayish but massively overhyped goose game and the more varied and creative Rain on Your Parade.

    read full review ↗
  • 85
    trust 67Oct 4, 2018

    Although it's a short experience, Donut County is enjoyable. The base desire to see everything destroyed by a simple, ever-expanding hole overtakes the lack of complicated mechanics, and the story is fun, whether you want something with or without some meaning attached. At the very least, Donut County is an experience that will stick with you for some time.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 66Sep 6, 2018

    That’s that take away message I have about Donut County. This game isn’t the only “game about a hole” out on the market but this is the one that feels like it’s been loved into existence rather than rushed out to be first. The visuals, the music (oh folks! THE MUSIC!), the character interactions, the little diorama during the credits all build up this quirky feeling to Donut County that make the plot and the game play shine.

    read full review ↗
  • 85
    trust 66Oct 2, 2018

    Donut County is a very pleasant and fun experience, that was undoubtedly a labour of love from its creator. Some flaws, though, prevent it from being an excellent game.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 66Aug 31, 2018

    Short and simple, Donut County is absolutely sublime.

    read full review ↗

…and 51 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

No patch announcements found on Steam yet.