This is what it sounds like, when Pigeons cry
Every now and then a game comes along with a premise so strange you can’t help but be curious. Pigeon Simulator is one of those games, I mean I honestly imagined that I would just be flying around pooping on pedestrians but it’s so much weirder than that. You play as a covert, gadget-wielding city pigeon tasked with tracking down paranormal anomalies. Wild right? It sounds dumb in the best way. It sounds like the kind of off-the-rails sandbox that should deliver nonstop laughs and weirdness.
It doesn’t.
MSRP: $14.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PC
Price I’d Pay: $14.99
There’s no denying the concept has charm. Flying around New Squawk City, messing with pedestrians, dropping surprises from above; there’s a foundation here that should lend itself to chaotic mayhem. But the moment you start the actual missions, reality sets in. Most objectives boil down to the same handful of tasks: find anomaly, contain anomaly, repeat. The world is open, but the loop is narrow, and it quickly settles into a rhythm that feels more chore-like than comedic. Even the flying; arguably the thing the entire game hangs on, never quite clicks. It’s serviceable, but sluggish enough that simple turns and dives feel like wrestling the controls instead of gliding through the city. When a game’s central mechanic feels this stiff, it drags down everything surrounding it.
A game starring a paranormal detective pigeon should be leaning all the way into absurdity; sharp writing, unexpected situations, escalating nonsense. But the humor in Pigeon Simulator feels surface-level, like it’s relying on the idea of being a pigeon to carry the comedy instead of building genuinely funny scenarios. There are flashes of personality, but nothing that sticks. It’s the kind of game where you laugh once at the premise and then wait for the real jokes to arrive… and keep waiting.
There’s an upgrade system where you spend currency to boost abilities or buy new tools. It should make your pigeon feel increasingly ridiculous and powerful. Instead, upgrades are small nudges rather than meaningful leaps. You don’t have that great moment where everything clicks and suddenly, you’re swooping like an ace pilot. It’s more like slowly tuning a radio that never quite finds a clear station. This lack of payoff becomes a real problem because the game depends on long-term progression to keep you invested. When the upgrades don’t hit hard enough, you’re left wondering why you’re grinding at all.
And then there are the technical issues that I ran into on the Series X. I experienced moments of stuttering during fast dives, and the camera has a bad habit of jerking around when you’re near buildings. This is especially irritating because tight flying already feels tough; adding a temperamental camera to the mix only amplifies frustration. Co-op isn’t immune either. Matchmaking and pacing issues show up often enough to break the flow, especially if your group isn’t perfectly in sync.
Pigeon Simulator has a premise you want to root for. It aims for goofy, chaotic fun, and there are moments when you can see the spark of what it could’ve been. But the repetitive mission design, underwhelming flight controls, weak progression, and lack of comedic punch make it difficult to recommend. If you’re looking for a quick laugh and don’t mind the rough edges, you might get a brief kick out of it. But for me, this pigeon never quite spreads its wings.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
