Just Crow Things Review: Cozy Chaos

From Unbound Creations, the makers of the popular puzzle sandbox Rain on Your Parade comes Just Crow Things, a chaotic sandbox of aerial action. The concept is simple, visit various locations and help the local animals solve their problems. Build up enough positive reputation, or crowputation, and the player unlocks the next location. The ultimate goal is to be cool enough to get your grandmother’s sunglasses back from a murder of bully crows. Also, sorry for using the word murder, even though that’s the accurate word for a group of crows it still felt out of place in this generally nonviolent game. Unless you count unleashing a herd of goats into a market, blowing people away with a leafblower, or setting a car on fire as violent. On second thought that last one might be a little bit violent.

Just Crow Things is a delightfully low-pressure game full of chaos and humor. In many ways, it is reminiscent of Untitled Goose Game, though a little rough around the edges visually and over the top comedically. The controls and active quests remain on screen throughout the gameplay, which can make the screen feel cluttered at times, but can also help remember what tasks you are working on when you inevitably get distracted. Where Untitled Goose Game relishes in the simple and realistic chaos enacted by the goose, Just Crow Things will have humans soaring across the street from a leaf blower or cars flipping over just from a single splat of crow poop. So if you enjoyed Untitled Goose Game, Just Crow Things does have some of the same energy but also sets itself apart. They are also both about a bird, so if you like birds you’ve got that going for you.

GIF courtesy of Unbound Creations

I met the developer behind Just Crow Things earlier this year at The Mix showcase just before Summer Game Fest and wrote about my experience with the demo here, but now I have played the full game. The game has a dozen areas to explore, each with its own theme, set of quests, activities, and easter eggs to discover. The levels can sometimes feel a little repetitive, with some similar quests appearing in multiple levels. But overall things do get more complicated as you progress. One of the most surprising reveals to me was when I walked into what I thought would be the obligatory fantasy level, and rather than it being another sandbox to explore with various tasks, this level has the player deciding the fate of two warring factions of cat knights and dog Vikings. So just when you start to think that the game is getting a little repetitive, it does hit you with a few curveballs.

Getting the hang of photo mode

While I don’t think the writing is going to win any awards, it fits right in with the game’s campy aesthetic and isn’t afraid to poke fun at other genres and gaming cliches. Levels are full of odd little easter eggs that reward a curious player. Especially if you happen to find another cosmetic hat or mask hidden somewhere. In my playthrough, I decided to mostly stick with the captain’s hat or the cowboy hat depending on if it was an “ahoy” kind of day or a “yeehaw” kind of day, but there’s a whole collection to choose from. You can find everything from a mask that makes you look like a tentacled Lovecraftian horror to a simple cone-shaped birthday hat. But none of these decorations will replace the heirloom sunglasses stolen away at the beginning of the game, the inciting incident that sets the whole story in motion.

A favorite find of mine

Just Crow Things has a few challenging puzzles, I once got frustrated trying to find the fourth and final lost squirrel child and decided to move on to the next level, taking my guilt with me, but overall this is a very forgiving game. Getting too close to a human with a broom or a pharaoh guard with a spear doesn’t result in a game over. The human will simply knock you away for a moment and then you can get back to what you were doing. There is no time pressure, there is no threat looming over the horizon, in Just Crow Things it’s just you versus the tasks you decide to take on. That’s the other thing, to complete a level you just need one hundred crowputation points out of a possible one hundred and fifty. So you don’t need to complete every task on every level if you don’t feel the need to. Like me and the one squirrel I left behind. Forever.

GIF courtesy of Unbound Creations

But the point I’m getting to is that this can be a great game for any level of player. Experienced gamers can focus on completing every task, getting the best time on the race challenges, and finding all the hidden easter eggs. Meanwhile, an inexperienced player can still have fun in the low-stakes sandbox environment. Plus if you forget the controls for a moment or what task you’re trying to accomplish, they’re always right there on the screen for easy reference.

A memorable moment with Odin

I would recommend Just Crow Things to anyone that needs more chaos in their life. As long as that chaos is contained to a cozy, low-pressure video game world. This game is welcoming, not afraid to be goofy, and rewards curiosity and exploration. I think anyone can find something enjoyable about this game. Thanks to Unbound Creations for sending a review copy of their new game. Just Crow Things is available now on Nintendo Switch (which is where I played it), Xbox One & Series X / S, and PC via Steam.