The Mac App Store isn't exactly flooded with top-notch games, so you'd expect that Apple would be keen to get a game that won a BAFTA Award into the mix. But it turns out that Untitled Goose Game was rejected by App Store review.
An app being rejected when trying to get into the App Store isn't new, of course. But the reason that Untitled Goose Game was rejected is particularly interesting — because it's completely bonkers.
According to the developer of the game, Panic, Apple rejected the app because it couldn't figure out how to get past the opening credits.
Rejected Goose Game
Panic's Cable Sasser, writing on Twitter alternative Mastodon, was commenting on the ongoing discourse about how difficult it can be to get apps into the App Store sometimes. As part of the discussion, he explained how Untitled Goose Game was rejected by App Store review not once, but twice.
Ultimately Panic gave up rather than continue to do battle with Apple.
"We once submitted Untitled Goose Game to the Mac App Store. It was rejected by the reviewer because they thought you couldn’t skip the credits," Sasser said. "We explained that you could skip the credits by holding space. It was then rejected for something else and at that point, we just gave up and never bothered to resubmit."
Untitled Goose Game went on to be a hugely successful title that's available on multiple platforms and even won a BAFTA Award. The game is generally accepted to be one of the best short Nintendo Switch games around.
The App Store continues to come under scrutiny from both apps and regulators. Only yesterday we saw Apple refuse to allow an email app to make an update available because it included ChatGPT support. The same app is already available on Android.
Lawmakers around the world are also investigating whether the App Store gives Apple an unfair advantage and stifles innovation in the gaming and web browser space.
