Goat Simulator was my first foray into the “Absurd Sandbox” genre, as I call it. Since then, I’ve played things like Just Die Already, and cuter offerings like Little Kitty, Big City. Now, a new contender has arrived, a nutty one you might say.

Squirrel with a Gun is exactly what you’d expect. You play as a squirrel that gets ahold of top-secret government technology that he mistakes for an acorn. After acquiring a gun, you escape the government facility and are unleashed on an unsuspecting town. There are enemies (mostly agents) out to apprehend you, but for the most part, you are a menace that can either pester the townsfolk or help them.

The interesting part about Squirrel with a Gun is that it is more than just a meme-esque experience. The variety of gun options you can acquire changes how you move. For example, a regular pistol gives you multiple jumps, while an SMG gives you more of a long-term glide option. All the guns are subject to ammo capacity, so platforming puzzles and challenges often require you to be aware of ammo management.

By helping the townsfolk or completing challenges, you’ll acquire Golden Acorns and ammo reload clips, giving you an edge as you progress. Golden acorns differ from the regular acorns that you acquire from defeating agents or mugging townspeople, in that they’re used to unlock new areas and tools of mayhem. Regular acorns are used to unlock things like guns or even a car you can use to drive around and do tricks.

This is where I think Squirrel with a Gun shifts from a meme game to puzzle exploration. A lot of the houses and environments are filled with puzzles, and to some degree, it feels like a goofy version of a collect-a-thon platformer. There’s a level of absurdity to it that was refreshing after some of the more serious games that I’d been playing for a while too.

However, a game like Squirrel with a Gun isn’t without its janky, weird moments. Combat music sometimes reset at random points in the middle of the track, for example. Additionally, I accidentally managed to duplicate a Golden Acorn at one point (though I couldn’t replicate the bug) and there were just a few things that I looked at and went “Huh, okay.”

The janky, weird elements are expected with this type of game, though Squirrel with a Gun manages to pull it off without too many errors. Squirrel with a Gun also won’t overstay its welcome. I took about 10 hours to finish everything, but I’ve seen reports of other people being able to finish it in around 8 hours. Regardless, if you like Goat Simulator then you’ll probably enjoy every minute.

Overall, Squirrel with a Gun is a fun sandbox romp with a bit of 3^rd person shooting thrown in. Add some interesting platforming puzzles and a bit of absurd humor, and you have a recipe for fun in my book. If you have a friend who loved Goat Simulator, this is a no-brainer on the gift guide list.

A PC Review Copy of Squirrel with a Gun was provided by Maximum Entertainment for the purposes of this review.

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Squirrel with a Gun

$19.99 USD

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Fun puzzles
• Interesting yet absurd gameplay
• Simple Controls
• Comedic Story

Cons

• Short Run time
• A few minor bugs