Overview: World of Goo is a physics-based puzzle game where, in each level, the player uses Goo Balls to build structures and reach an exit.
Snapshot:
Steam Game Time: 10.6 hours (total game time)
20180527:
I haven't played in a long time but today I loaded up my old save file (via Game Save Manager) and gave it a spin.
While part of me wanted to go back and complete the OCD for the beginning levels, I ultimately chose to press forward with new level in an attempt to move closer to finishing the story.
I stopped prior to playing the last level of World 3, "Product Launcher."*
*Playing this level on 20180603, I learned it was just to move the story along.
Steam Game Time: 11.8 hours (total game time)
20180603:
Today I started playing World 4.
The first level introduced a new Goo, informally known as "Launch Goo."
While I intended to play through several levels, I had to stop short when something else came up.
Steam Game Time: 12.0 hours (total game time)
20180604:
Today I finished World 4 and was able to complete the first two levels of the Epilogue. I was having trouble with Horizontal Transportation Innovation Committee. My strategy was to build up, but having it build tall enough and tipping it over was troublesome.
As such, I went back to Chapter 1 to complete the OCD challenges. The first three already have the OCD flag.
However, I was met with challenge there as well. After several tries, I beat my old collection record of 38 Goo Balls on the fourth level. It was now 40 Goo Balls. But the OCD requirement is 42 Goo Balls. Yikes!
I decided to skip the fourth level and go to Flying Machine. There I struggled but I felt I could get it (OCD: 16 seconds or less). After many tries, I started consistently getting 18 seconds, then 17 seconds. Finally, I got my time down to 15 seconds!
Flying Machine, Achieved OCD: It seems the key is to get as many balloons on the cargo as possible. More or less, I momentarily have four balloons the first bridge. Then I removed one. Then I get four on the second and attach two to the cargo. And quickly remove balloons from the second and attach them to the cargo. And I might have gotten one from the first bridge to the cargo as well.
Ivy Towers, Achieved OCD: It took a while, but I eventually understood the solution to Ivy Towers. Actually, in one of my earlier solutions, I came close to the real solution, but... there were three or four hanging and that was unstable. The key is just to have two hanging. Interestingly, when pulling the bottom one, it's the one that's next to the pipe that will go in.
Tumbler and Chain essentially have the same OCD solution as Ivy Towers. My last OCD completion for the night was Pumping Station.
Steam Game Time: 16.1 hours (total game time)
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Fun concept, fun to play
+ Completing the OCD challenges for each level adds to the game's lifespan.
+ A puzzle story with an ongoing story is a perk
Neutral:
~ The trial and error with World of Goo is not as repeatable as with some other games. That is, while the game is physics-based, the resulting behavior can feel random; perhaps from the butterfly effect resulting from small actions taken by the player. As such, one's strategy should somehow take the randomness and/or instability into account.
~ The OCD versions of the levels are both fun and torture. Because I'm obsessive-compulsive and being unable to complete an OCD challenge is frustrating...
~ The graphics are simple and aren't essential to the experience and/or story of the game. But the resolution is lower than modern games.
Minor Cons:
- There isn't a way to skip the intro scene for each level. This is especially a waste of time when playing levels again to complete their OCD challenge.
- Checking the OCD requirement requires going into the game menu.
[20180604]
Summary:
Prior to playing this game recently, Steam had recorded me as playing it for just under 12 hours. And yet, returning to the game today, I added another 6 hours of playtime to it. That's evidence that I enjoy it. Of course, I do have an affinity to puzzle games.
The game, however, has imperfections and my recommendation to players out there is to play the demo before committing to the game. With that being said, most puzzle lovers will probably enjoy the game.
[20180604]
20180605:
Gameplay Log:
Impale Sticky, Achieved OCD: I got the structure to swing and stick. I also reversed the starting polarity from down to up.
Fisty's Bog, Achieved OCD: I used 4 balloons, 8 goo. In my final solution, I had three balloons in one spot.
Tower of Goo, Achieved OCD: Build a 4 wide base, but then quickly go to just a single flute. Use rewind goo to undo mistakes and whistle to remove heavy top. Build quickly towards the end to rush to the exit.
"Ode to the Bridge Builder, Achieved OCD" is the last one I need for Chapter 1 and I can't seem to get it.
Chapter 2: Whistler and Red Carpet already have OCD.
Drool, Achieved OCD: It took a while, but I finally understood that the key was to destroy a white along the chain to recover a single white. And then the solution results in me getting 25!
Steam Game Time: 18.1 hours (total game time)
20180607:
Gameplay Log:
Fly Away Little Ones, Achieved OCD: I couldn't get it the other day, but today I realized I had to alter the initial cage.
Blustery Day, Achieved OCD: I kind of got lucky. The chain cut and I got enough Goo Balls off of it to reach the OCD requirement.
Welcoming Unit: Somehow there's an extra Goo Ball that needs to be collected beyond the 60 ones.
Beauty and the Electric Tentacle: While trying to complete this level's OCD, I raised the Beauty Goo to the sky and it burst. There was an Easter Egg where she was in front of a wall vaguely describing the physics involved (forces of weight and tension). The Painter's Sign says, "It's so simple!"
Genetic Sorting Machine: Hmm. I feel like I used very little moves but can't get the flag. 1) While looking for if this was a bug, I saw a video that did it in two moves that made use of the Green Goo Balls to push stuff around. 2) This World of Goo page talks about it in detail: http://worldofgoo.wikia.com/wiki/Goo_throwing
Genetic Sorting Machine, Achieved OCD: Revisiting the level after reading, I got the flag. I suspect I didn't get it before because removing a Goo counts as a move. Note that I tried the Goo throwing technique I saw and read about. It was much harder than the video made it look.
"Welcoming Unit" and "Beauty and the Electric Tentacle" are the two I need for Chapter 2.
20240103 Snapshot:
Steam Game Time: 20.6 hours (cumulative game time) / 20h 36m (Playnite)
Last Played: 20200528
20240106 Comment:
It never ceases to amaze me when I encounter an item for which I have some feeling in my head, but the data or my blog would reveal otherwise. Some examples are feeling that I've watched a movie many times only to have seen it once, playing a video game many many times only to have played it once or twice before, and having heard an album many times only to have heard it two or three times. In general, I find that I overestimate the frequency of interaction with items I enjoy more, and similarly underestimate the frequency (in some cases to zero) of interaction with items I enjoy less. As it applies here, while I also would have expected having put more hours into World of Goo, I would note that apparently there's also a temporal element. Not only did I feel like I would have played the game more, but that I would have played it more frequently or more recently. As such, it was surprising to find that potentially the last time I played the game was in 2020, and the bulk of when I played the game was prior to 2018.
20240107:
Gameplay Log:
Apparently I was very near the end. I completed "Horizontal Transportation Committee" today which was technically the last level as "Observatory Observation Station" is just a simple story level.
Watching the end scene, I thought that big Goo was a gigantic Goo in the sky so it was comedic that it was just a Goo on the telescope which the Sign Painter rubbed off
Tried to do "Ode to the Bridge Builder" OCD but didn't get near my best of 37... Read Wiki page for some info and confirmed my overall strategy but also read that Goo throwing should be used to wake up sleeping Goo once reaching the other side. It made me curious if my best try of 37 could have been converted to 38 in order to achieve the OCD...
Horray! In Chapter 2, the last OCD I needed was the "Beauty and the Electric Tentacle" OCD and my best was 28. At first I was able to match that. I realized that if my sky bridge was built out of 12 then I could get 29 by forcing the sky bridge to be 11, and just figure out how to get the Beauty Goo across the small gap. After some playing around, I managed to do it. In some of the tries one of her Goo components flew away so there's some randomness... In any case, after a few tries with the general strategy underway, I managed to get it.
Second Hand Smoke: Read the OCD Strategy on the Wiki.
Steam Game Time: 23.6 hours (cumulative game time) / 3.0 hours (session game time)
World of Goo (PC) (2008)
Relevant Links:
World of Goo Website
World of Goo (Wikipedia.org)
World of Goo (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
World of Goo (Steam Store Page)
Snapshot:
Steam Game Time: 10.6 hours (total game time)
20180527:
I haven't played in a long time but today I loaded up my old save file (via Game Save Manager) and gave it a spin.
 |
| Connect Goo Balls to collect other Goo Balls. The less you use, the more you save! |
While part of me wanted to go back and complete the OCD for the beginning levels, I ultimately chose to press forward with new level in an attempt to move closer to finishing the story.
I stopped prior to playing the last level of World 3, "Product Launcher."*
*Playing this level on 20180603, I learned it was just to move the story along.
Steam Game Time: 11.8 hours (total game time)
20180603:
Today I started playing World 4.
The first level introduced a new Goo, informally known as "Launch Goo."
While I intended to play through several levels, I had to stop short when something else came up.
Steam Game Time: 12.0 hours (total game time)
 |
| When attached, Pink Goo Balls act like balloons. |
20180604:
Today I finished World 4 and was able to complete the first two levels of the Epilogue. I was having trouble with Horizontal Transportation Innovation Committee. My strategy was to build up, but having it build tall enough and tipping it over was troublesome.
As such, I went back to Chapter 1 to complete the OCD challenges. The first three already have the OCD flag.
However, I was met with challenge there as well. After several tries, I beat my old collection record of 38 Goo Balls on the fourth level. It was now 40 Goo Balls. But the OCD requirement is 42 Goo Balls. Yikes!
I decided to skip the fourth level and go to Flying Machine. There I struggled but I felt I could get it (OCD: 16 seconds or less). After many tries, I started consistently getting 18 seconds, then 17 seconds. Finally, I got my time down to 15 seconds!
Flying Machine, Achieved OCD: It seems the key is to get as many balloons on the cargo as possible. More or less, I momentarily have four balloons the first bridge. Then I removed one. Then I get four on the second and attach two to the cargo. And quickly remove balloons from the second and attach them to the cargo. And I might have gotten one from the first bridge to the cargo as well.
 |
| These transparent Goo Balls only hang from their attachment point. |
Ivy Towers, Achieved OCD: It took a while, but I eventually understood the solution to Ivy Towers. Actually, in one of my earlier solutions, I came close to the real solution, but... there were three or four hanging and that was unstable. The key is just to have two hanging. Interestingly, when pulling the bottom one, it's the one that's next to the pipe that will go in.
Tumbler and Chain essentially have the same OCD solution as Ivy Towers. My last OCD completion for the night was Pumping Station.
Steam Game Time: 16.1 hours (total game time)
Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Fun concept, fun to play
+ Completing the OCD challenges for each level adds to the game's lifespan.
+ A puzzle story with an ongoing story is a perk
Neutral:
~ The trial and error with World of Goo is not as repeatable as with some other games. That is, while the game is physics-based, the resulting behavior can feel random; perhaps from the butterfly effect resulting from small actions taken by the player. As such, one's strategy should somehow take the randomness and/or instability into account.
 |
| Skull Goo are impervious to death |
~ The OCD versions of the levels are both fun and torture. Because I'm obsessive-compulsive and being unable to complete an OCD challenge is frustrating...
~ The graphics are simple and aren't essential to the experience and/or story of the game. But the resolution is lower than modern games.
Minor Cons:
- There isn't a way to skip the intro scene for each level. This is especially a waste of time when playing levels again to complete their OCD challenge.
- Checking the OCD requirement requires going into the game menu.
[20180604]
Summary:
Prior to playing this game recently, Steam had recorded me as playing it for just under 12 hours. And yet, returning to the game today, I added another 6 hours of playtime to it. That's evidence that I enjoy it. Of course, I do have an affinity to puzzle games.
The game, however, has imperfections and my recommendation to players out there is to play the demo before committing to the game. With that being said, most puzzle lovers will probably enjoy the game.
[20180604]
20180605:
Gameplay Log:
Impale Sticky, Achieved OCD: I got the structure to swing and stick. I also reversed the starting polarity from down to up.
Fisty's Bog, Achieved OCD: I used 4 balloons, 8 goo. In my final solution, I had three balloons in one spot.
Tower of Goo, Achieved OCD: Build a 4 wide base, but then quickly go to just a single flute. Use rewind goo to undo mistakes and whistle to remove heavy top. Build quickly towards the end to rush to the exit.
 |
| Green Goo Balls can be removed and reused. It's an interesting game mechanic. |
"Ode to the Bridge Builder, Achieved OCD" is the last one I need for Chapter 1 and I can't seem to get it.
Chapter 2: Whistler and Red Carpet already have OCD.
Drool, Achieved OCD: It took a while, but I finally understood that the key was to destroy a white along the chain to recover a single white. And then the solution results in me getting 25!
Steam Game Time: 18.1 hours (total game time)
20180607:
Gameplay Log:
Fly Away Little Ones, Achieved OCD: I couldn't get it the other day, but today I realized I had to alter the initial cage.
Blustery Day, Achieved OCD: I kind of got lucky. The chain cut and I got enough Goo Balls off of it to reach the OCD requirement.
Welcoming Unit: Somehow there's an extra Goo Ball that needs to be collected beyond the 60 ones.
Beauty and the Electric Tentacle: While trying to complete this level's OCD, I raised the Beauty Goo to the sky and it burst. There was an Easter Egg where she was in front of a wall vaguely describing the physics involved (forces of weight and tension). The Painter's Sign says, "It's so simple!"
 |
| These Red Goo Balls are flamable! |
Genetic Sorting Machine: Hmm. I feel like I used very little moves but can't get the flag. 1) While looking for if this was a bug, I saw a video that did it in two moves that made use of the Green Goo Balls to push stuff around. 2) This World of Goo page talks about it in detail: http://worldofgoo.wikia.com/wiki/Goo_throwing
Genetic Sorting Machine, Achieved OCD: Revisiting the level after reading, I got the flag. I suspect I didn't get it before because removing a Goo counts as a move. Note that I tried the Goo throwing technique I saw and read about. It was much harder than the video made it look.
"Welcoming Unit" and "Beauty and the Electric Tentacle" are the two I need for Chapter 2.
20240103 Snapshot:
Steam Game Time: 20.6 hours (cumulative game time) / 20h 36m (Playnite)
Last Played: 20200528
20240106 Comment:
It never ceases to amaze me when I encounter an item for which I have some feeling in my head, but the data or my blog would reveal otherwise. Some examples are feeling that I've watched a movie many times only to have seen it once, playing a video game many many times only to have played it once or twice before, and having heard an album many times only to have heard it two or three times. In general, I find that I overestimate the frequency of interaction with items I enjoy more, and similarly underestimate the frequency (in some cases to zero) of interaction with items I enjoy less. As it applies here, while I also would have expected having put more hours into World of Goo, I would note that apparently there's also a temporal element. Not only did I feel like I would have played the game more, but that I would have played it more frequently or more recently. As such, it was surprising to find that potentially the last time I played the game was in 2020, and the bulk of when I played the game was prior to 2018.
20240107:
Gameplay Log:
Apparently I was very near the end. I completed "Horizontal Transportation Committee" today which was technically the last level as "Observatory Observation Station" is just a simple story level.
Watching the end scene, I thought that big Goo was a gigantic Goo in the sky so it was comedic that it was just a Goo on the telescope which the Sign Painter rubbed off
Tried to do "Ode to the Bridge Builder" OCD but didn't get near my best of 37... Read Wiki page for some info and confirmed my overall strategy but also read that Goo throwing should be used to wake up sleeping Goo once reaching the other side. It made me curious if my best try of 37 could have been converted to 38 in order to achieve the OCD...
Horray! In Chapter 2, the last OCD I needed was the "Beauty and the Electric Tentacle" OCD and my best was 28. At first I was able to match that. I realized that if my sky bridge was built out of 12 then I could get 29 by forcing the sky bridge to be 11, and just figure out how to get the Beauty Goo across the small gap. After some playing around, I managed to do it. In some of the tries one of her Goo components flew away so there's some randomness... In any case, after a few tries with the general strategy underway, I managed to get it.
Second Hand Smoke: Read the OCD Strategy on the Wiki.
Steam Game Time: 23.6 hours (cumulative game time) / 3.0 hours (session game time)
World of Goo (PC) (2008)
 |
| A stack of Goo Blocks ready to fall over. Whoops. |
Relevant Links:
World of Goo Website
World of Goo (Wikipedia.org)
World of Goo (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
World of Goo (Steam Store Page)
Date/Time
Sunday, May 27, 2018
@
18:00
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