Goo Deer

Only survived 5 days because I didn't think he was built like that. 10/10

[h1]Something Good Lurks Beneath the Rough Edges[/h1] I really like the dark atmosphere of [b]Goo Deer[/b]. The foggy setting, the isolated gas station, and the feeling that something is lurking out in the forest create a great sense of tension. There’s a nice contrast between the relatively mundane task of running the gas station and having to venture into the fog to hunt for ingredients. The atmosphere is definitely one of the game’s strongest aspects and fits the concept very well. The gameplay itself is enjoyable as well. I like the combination of managing the gas station, keeping the shelves stocked, crafting different Goo Deer flavours, serving customers, and managing resources and employees. Having to leave the station and venture into the forest to hunt for ingredients adds a nice change of pace and gives the management side of the game a more interesting purpose. The core gameplay loop works well and there’s a solid foundation here to build upon. That said, I would strongly recommend prioritising polishing the existing experience and fixing the more noticeable bugs before focusing on adding more content. I won’t repeat the same issues already mentioned in other reviews, but at the moment the game can feel a bit rough around the edges and, at times, somewhat choppy because of them. The UI could be improved as well. In my opinion, getting the current systems into a more polished and stable state should come first, with additional content coming afterwards. The foundation is already there, and the concept could be developed further into a really enjoyable game. Overall, I think Goo Deer is worth its asking price, especially if the developers continue polishing the game and building on what’s already here. There’s a good game underneath the rough edges, and I’d rather see the existing experience refined before the developers start expanding it further. [list] [*]♉For more reviews like this, check out my[b] [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/10745643/]curator page[/url][/b]. [/list]

ki

[h1] Goo Deer is a unique experience that CAN be a diamond in the rough [/h1] I recommend this game w/ a grain of salt. The gameplay loop is very addictive & engaging. As a whole, I enjoyed my time once I really got going. But there's some of negatives about the game for me. Negatives that I don't think will be there forever & my line of thought on that is also why I'm recommending the game for others to try. Recommending what it could become vs what it is right now. (I joined the official Discord so I just see some of the stuff they're working on that are Ws for the game imo so thats why) Permadeath being the ONLY way to play vs an option is a killer for me. While yeah, I rolled credits.. I did so carefully. I think PD is totally fine but better off as options vs the only way to play a game. Especially one like this. There's ways to play around it. Don't hunt at night, take your time, build your funds, prepare for the Deer Man and you'll be okay. The hunting isn't the best but once you figure out good spots and what to do, it's not as bad as when you start out playing. The deer are super skittish though like other reviews mentioned and I'd like to see improvements there. The hunting feels almost too realistic with the skittish nature of them all while there's no way for me to manage that like with lets say noise meters or something. Its a super fictional, dark world. I would except the hunting to be more arcade like. And it kind of is because once you're up on the deer, they're just goofy with how they move at times. But again once you figure out some places to go & how to go about your day... it's not bad. For anyone struggling at start, the hill above the cabin helped me a lot to get going FYI! Talking Deer Man. Spoilers ahead. [spoiler] Killing the Deer man was lame. Due to how he's designed there's no actual hunt or fight. If he gets you, its gg. One hit, dunzo. And w/ it being permadeath thats defeating as a player. I had to just spawn trap him at my gas station exit into the woods where he just ran back & forth & shot him to death. Would love to see a health bar get added to yourself & actually make it a hunt. I do enjoy the creepy factors of the Deer Man. The sounds, the visions, the music. Etc. Just needs work where its actually a fight or a hunt. [/spoiler] The game has some bugs & audio issues which others mentioned. Lots of audio sources going at once at times & it can create some nasty tearing sounds for a brief moment. But that's stuff that I'd hope just continues to get worked on & patched. Running the gas station can be kind of goofy at times because of how just the NPCs go, can get blocked & stopped. Annoying. But not end of the world. The gas station sim part of it, can be really engaging & you feel the progression. I do wish for better customization in the store and basement. Would be nice to arrange the basement how I would like. It would also be nice to assign my workers to certain tasks... Well I guess I just me the stocker. You can control what the operator does. But the stocker, it'd be nice to assign him to just hit these items. Because boy oh boy my store was flooded w/ Bloody Goo Deer because that's all dude was grabbing. If there is a way to do that.. I just missed it. My fault & disregard my comments. Being able to organize inventory would be nice as well. I had very worker hired so we was running like a well oil machine towards the end and man if I didn't turn off the operator from using the ice cream/bottling machine I just had a MOUNTAIN of stuff everywhere at the doorstep of the basement. Had to turn the Op off a few times to just help clear up inventory and organize. Gas station part is the better part of the game of the two main sections. Again hunting can become easy once you get down your spots & what to do. The wombo combo of both is just engaging though. Oh, get the boots and traps as soon as you can. Made things so much nicer. I want to touch on story for a moment. So some spoilers ahead. [spoiler] There is a story to this game happening in the background. At 21/22 days for game completion, I don't know how or when it ends which sucks. It was really interesting with all the moving parts of your father, the brother, BB, the mayor & evening talking to ole Don out at the cabin. I was engaged w/ what was happening but disappointed that NOTHING actually happened like lets saying when the store was open. No one came by. Nothing huge happened. Then I killed the Deer Man which ended the game & ended my run. Which also sucks killing him just ends the run completely which goes back to my permadeath issue. As someone who mostly plays single player story driven games, this was a huge killer for me. I still enjoyed the game for what it was. Just wish more happened with the story & seeing the conclusion. I didn't know killing the Deer Man ended the run, so if I had known that I would have milked the game more. Oh well. [/spoiler] I know I dropped some stuff that could be real negatives for people. But I do think this game has so much potential & I would recommend giving it a go. Go get killed out the gate so rip that band aid off, figure out your method to the madness & play. I appreciate my time w/ the game & the vision they're going for. Really unique experience that I'll remember for good & not so good reasons.

*Minor Spoilers* The developers were nice enough to give me a Steam Key to play this before it released. I made a gameplay review of it on my channel: https://youtu.be/Io0gsLcdvoY?si=UVnYbRA0VuWVMDwK But if you'd rather read about it, here's how the game works: You are given the opportunity to run your own Gas Station selling a company product called Goo Deer. It's an addictive drink that is not only very popular, but is also causing people to look zombified. The store doesn't just solely sell the Goo Deer drink, you can also sell 2 other flavored drinks, and other Goo Deer branded food products. You can also make these Goo Deer products by hunting Deer in the woods behind your Gas Station, which explains why the product is called Goo Deer. With the money you earn by selling Goo Deer, you can hire people to do the mundane tasks that involve running the store while also having the option to buy and upgrade the machines that you use to make Goo Deer products. Hunting the deer is your sole responsibility. While this game may sound simple, it isn't. There are minor challenges you need to face, but I'd rather not spoil the surprises. Overall, for a game that's made by a small group from a studio that just came out, this game is a solid 9/10. I highly recommend that you play this game, and for 15$, it's a VERY reasonable price!!!!

some say it is a Goo Deer game than what ya see on store shelves, yessiree. You don't gotta be a goober to like this 'ere Goo Deer game. *slurps down green drink* The pros: Building infrastructure to produce more and make more money is great. Your employees are super necessary and feel worth it, including their upgrades. The hunting aspect is a very refreshing way to breathe even more life into a cool idea and game. (And if you struggle, just buy traps and put them where you see deer the most; traps are goated) And it's fun The cons: There's a slew of small bugs that range from a dead deer not being able to be picked up, to the "throw" command getting stuck on the screen, or I saw Skootie playing it and his guy kept breathing hard (the audio would not stop) until he restarted the game. The econ balance feels punishing and bottlenecked: Expensive upgrades to your production don't feel worth it, and, your distillery doesn't work fast enough to support having a bottler plus an ice-cream machine running, for example. And the bottler turns resources into way more cash than the ice-cream machine does. the code could use revision and polish: dead deer can't be picked up when in the water, setting a trap while crouched made the trap vanish, and saving and loading can cause unexpected things to happen I haven't finished playing, so maybe I'll update this later but there's still a good chance the game's got a lot more to show me. I just wish I could rearrange items on the shelves somehow or just put different items on the same shelves; having no space for my new vanilla ice cream due to the freezer already having 4 green ice cream in it felt bad. But I recommend it because this game has so much potential and is so much more than some horror game that's already done after a few hours.

Mixing a hunting game with a store simulator isn't something you see every day, and the combination works surprisingly well. Selling your goo while slowly expanding your operation creates a satisfying gameplay loop, and the strange world surrounding it constantly made me wonder what exactly was going on. The atmosphere is one of the game's biggest strengths. During the day, the world feels calm and inviting, but once night falls, everything changes. The eerie lighting, unsettling ambience, and the feeling that something isn't quite right create a surprisingly tense experience. The setting raises a lot of interesting questions about the world and its inhabitants, and I genuinely hope future updates expand on that lore because there is a lot of potential here. Visually, the game is also appealing. It has a nice style that fits the strange atmosphere and helps give Goo Deer its own identity. Combined with the gameplay concept, it stands out from many other indie management games. That said, there are a few areas that could use some refinement. Hunting feels unnecessarily difficult. I don't mind a challenge, but the early game can feel more frustrating than rewarding before you've had a chance to build up your equipment and economy. Progression is another aspect that could be improved. While expanding your operation is enjoyable, unlocking new milestones never felt quite as exciting as it could have. There aren't many meaningful gameplay systems or rewards gated behind progression, which makes advancing feel less impactful than expected. The game also feels slightly unsure of which aspect it wants to prioritize. It combines hunting, store management, base defense, and production automation, but these systems don't always feel perfectly connected. None of them are bad individually, yet it sometimes feels like each mechanic wants to be the main focus without one fully tying everything together. I would also love to see a few quality-of-life improvements. Early production can involve a fair amount of waiting, so giving players the option to manually speed up machines—perhaps through a small minigame or simply by holding a button—would make the opening hours feel much more engaging. Likewise, being able to carry multiple boxes at once and automatically load machines directly from your inventory would significantly reduce unnecessary backtracking without removing any meaningful gameplay. Overall, I had a great time with Goo Deer. It has a wonderfully eerie atmosphere, a genuinely unique gameplay concept, and a world that left me wanting to learn more. While some balancing and quality-of-life improvements would go a long way, the foundation is excellent. I'm very interested to see where the developers take this game in future updates.