Just Crow Things Review – Hijinks and Hilariously Bad Jokes

Everyone knows the feeling they get when they need to absolutely destroy something, and incite chaos just for the sake of doing it. Those desperately in need of a playground for therapeutic destruction need look no further than Just Crow Things.

When I sat down to embark on my adventure in Just Crow Things, I expected a charming little tale similar to Little Kitty, Big City. Instead, I entered the crow apocalypse, where flaming poop, bird gangs, and avian terror reigned supreme.

Key Details

• Developer: Unbound Creations
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch/PC via Steam/Xbox
• Price: $19.99
• Review Copy Provided: Yes

Puzzles, Flamethrowers, and Busted Balloons

The basic premise of Just Crow Things is that players take on the role of a newly minted bird just joining society. With some encouragement from crow grandma, players set off on a journey to learn the ways of bird chaos.

While I was expecting something with a bit more depth, Just Crow Things is more of a comedy puzzle-solving game than an RPG adventure. Goals are straightforward, like finding specific shiny items on the ground and delivering them to set locations, or assisting animals with tasks that require a destructive bird’s expertise.

I was delighted when I loaded into the first map and found myself a blow torch. While I needed to find items for the first puzzle, I spent nearly an hour flying around the city testing everything that might be flammable.

I also found myself tasked with destroying a children’s birthday party. After pooping on the heads of all the party guests, I was then left to pop every balloon to the sweet screams of startled partygoers.

Heavy-Handed Jokes Can Be Cringey

While unmitigated destruction has its perks, Just Crow Things struggles with something of a “cringe” factor. It is very clear that this game was written by gamers of the 2000s. From a The Legend of Zelda easter egg in the tutorial to comments of “hoomans” and thirty-year-old sore back jokes, the game doesn’t ever miss a chance to try and land a nostalgic wise-crack.

Unfortunately, as a thirty-plus-year-old gamer, these got old pretty quickly.

With gameplay that is primarily going to appeal to young teenagers, these jokes aren’t going to be funny, just awkward. For the adults playing the game for some stress relief, there are moments where you get embarrassed about a reference or comment, and simply ignore it.

For me personally, I’m not a big fan of this type of writing. I do think it will make the right audience giggle, but for me, it was a bit much.

Clever Mechanics Make Chaos Fun

While I was never motivated to dedicate myself to the story that runs idly in the background of Just Crow Things, I did appreciate the clever mechanics that make the game tick.

Eating specific items changes the type of poop crow drops on people. There is nothing more hilarious than pooping fire on buildings after eating a hot pepper.

Additionally, the ability to grab and hold items like blow torches, flashlights, leaf blowers, and musical instruments was amazing. It turns the crow into a proper character and creates a mixture of clever mechanics and absurd gameplay opportunities.

While I can’t sit and play the game for hours at a time, it is a blast to hop into for a short bit to blow off steam.

Final Score: 7/10

Just Crow Things knows exactly what it is. It’s a humorous, destructive romp disguised as a crow coming-of-age story. Whether you get your glasses back or not, you’ll have fun terrorizing different towns while trying.

This game isn’t my cup of tea, but it’s silly and will smack with fans of cheeky, cringe humor and the opportunity to create major mayhem. It’s not as deep or as emotionally driven as other games that feature animal main characters, but it’s a good time, and one worth investing in if you enjoy casual gameplay, puzzles, and silly narrative direction.

Speaking of silly, check out our preview of Nif Nif, a game about bathing your enemies.

**A Steam PC code was provided to Bonus Action for the purpose of this review.**

About the Author

Laura Gray

Administrator

Laura Gray, known as Ezra when not putting pen to paper, is a D&D enthusiast with a love of all things written. They are a collector of fantasy and sci-fi novels, a lover of cooking weird food, and a player of farming sims and Pokémon games. When not engrossed in a re-read of Anne McCaffrey or a deep dive into the Adventure Zone: Balance, they can be found sniffing the cats and napping in half-finished crochet projects.

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