The Escapist 2008 Holiday Buyer's Guide

The Escapist Holiday Buyers' Guide: Kid At Heart

World of Goo (WiiWare, PC)

There were two types of kids growing up: Those whose Legos came in shrink-wrapped, ready-to-assemble kits, and those whose collection filled a closetful of 15-gallon storage bins. The former meticulously prepared their pirate ships and Millennium Falcons for permanent display on bedroom bookshelves. The latter searched frantically for that one perfect piece to complete their structurally dubious creations, only to tear them apart minutes later with equal gusto.

Collectors, there are plenty of videogames for you, including, not coincidentally, the Lego [Insert Franchise Here] series. Now, thanks to the immeasurable talents of Kyle Gabler and Ron Carmel, there's a game for the builders out there. World of Goo lets you construct any number of gravity-defying structures to shuttle troupes of anthropomorphic tar-balls across dozens of impossibly weird levels. But the game's true genius lies in the World of Goo Corporation, a giant goo-filled playground where you can build to your hearts content. Erecting the tallest Tower of Goo™ you can is almost as satisfying as watching it come toppling to the ground. Even better, you'll never get stuck looking for that one missing piece.

Up next: Spend some time with a money-grubbing raccoon.