Bone: The Great Cow Race

About

Bone: The Great Cow Race is a single player puzzle game with a comedy theme. It was developed by Telltale Games and was released on April 12, 2006. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

It's spring fair time and The Great Cow Race is about to begin! Play carnival games. Write love poetry. Outsmart a really big bee. Cheat the locals out of their hard-earned eggs. Bang on some pots and pans. Escape from an angry mob. Oh, and dress up like a cow. (Not necessarily in that order.)

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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55%

Audience ScoreBased on 71 reviews

story7 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game features improved puzzles and allows players to switch between characters, enhancing gameplay variety.
It offers a fun and humorous story that is more engaging than the first game, especially for fans of the Bone comics.
The game is longer than its predecessor, providing more content and opportunities for exploration.

The story is still considered slow and uninspired, with some players finding it boring and tedious.
The game ends on a cliffhanger, leaving the story unresolved and disappointing for those looking for a complete narrative.
Graphics and animations are dated, and some gameplay mechanics can be frustrating or unclear.

story
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
74%
8%
The story of the game is generally perceived as uninspired and slow, with many reviewers noting that it feels unfinished, particularly as it ends on a cliffhanger without a resolution to the overarching plot. While some appreciate the humor and character interactions, the dialogue and voice acting are often criticized for being wooden, detracting from the overall experience. Ultimately, players are encouraged to read the original comics for a more complete narrative, as the game itself does not satisfactorily conclude the story.
- “The story takes off where the previous game ended; you reach Barrelhaven for the annual fair and cow race.”
- “This game is much more lengthy than the previous game as you play as all three Bone cousins, each having a different story path that leads to one finale.”
- “Overall, the story is more humorous than the previous episode and about double the length as well.”
- “While the puzzles are definitely improved since the first game, the overall story is still both slow and not terribly captivating.”
- “Except for a couple of bugs here and there, I didn't mind my time with the game, but I can't recommend a game that still has an unfinished story after 16 years.”
- “And it really is for that one main reason that I can't recommend this game; it's an unfinished story. This is part two, and though I'm not sure where exactly they were going with this, it needs at least a part three.”
gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and simplistic, primarily relying on point-and-click mechanics and occasional minigames. While some appreciate the introduction of new features, such as character switching, others criticize the gameplay for being either overly straightforward or confusing, often overshadowed by bugs and a lack of engaging content. Overall, the gameplay experience is seen as a significant step down from expectations, with many players finishing the game primarily for the story rather than the mechanics.
- “I have played my share of adventure games and felt that the gameplay was totally fine.”
- “The gameplay is still the same as the first one, but this time you can switch to which character you want to play on the fly.”
- “[Entertaining puzzle-based gameplay, more to see and do than in the last episode, adventure games are back! Hooray!]”
- “The gameplay is more of the same from the previous game, with simple point-and-click mechanics and the odd minigame here and there.”
- “The gameplay is just so bad.”
- “Story takes a backseat to gameplay; gameplay is either dully straightforward or obnoxiously confusing, with bugs everywhere.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing and comedic elements, often drawing comparisons to classic titles like "Simon the Sorcerer" and "Monkey Island." Players enjoy the hyperbolic and slapstick humor, which leads to hours of laughter, especially when playing with friends. Overall, the game is noted for its funny script and engaging storylines, making it a delightful experience for fans of comedic adventure games.
- “Now this is written with a ton of hyperbole, and I actually enjoyed playing this game with friends since it's so funny and we just laughed for hours about some of the dumb things in this game.”
- “A classic point-and-click adventure with a great sense of humor.”
- “The script is funny and the game is very fun.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The graphics of the game are widely criticized for being outdated and visually unappealing, especially when compared to contemporaries like Resident Evil 4. While some users acknowledge that the cartoon style holds up reasonably well and that animations are above average, overall impressions lean towards disappointment, with reports of graphical bugs during gameplay.
- “First, there's the graphics.”
- “This game is garbage looking, and there's no doubt. I mean, this game came out the same year as Resident Evil 4, which is amazing for its time. If you compare the graphics, that was what was capable in 2005. In fact, Resident Evil came first, and I know it's a cartoon style, but it's just bad, and it hurts my eyes.”
- “Graphics are very dated.”
- “Skipping may also lead to graphical bugs.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be less tedious than its predecessor, particularly noting an improvement in puzzle design. However, some still feel that certain conversation puzzles are arbitrary and contribute to a grindy experience. Overall, while there are improvements, the grinding element remains a point of contention for some users.
- “I felt the conversation puzzles were arbitrary and they felt way more tedious and grindy than the first chapter, out of Boneville.”
- “Just like the first one, this one hasn't aged all that well either, but at least it does not have really tedious puzzles anymore.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized for being buggy, with users reporting issues such as runtime limitations, occasional glitches, and long loading times that detract from the overall experience.
- “The game is buggy, with issues like the helmet bug and transitive object bug.”
- “Run time is still a little short, and occasional glitches hamper the experience, along with long, frequent loading events.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized, with users finding the story and gameplay to be boring, which diminishes any potential for emotional engagement.

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75%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

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2h Median play time

2h Average play time

2-2h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Bone: The Great Cow Race is a puzzle game with comedy theme.

Bone: The Great Cow Race is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 2 hours playing Bone: The Great Cow Race.

Bone: The Great Cow Race was released on April 12, 2006.

Bone: The Great Cow Race was developed by Telltale Games.

Bone: The Great Cow Race has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Bone: The Great Cow Race is a single player game.

Similar games include Bone: Out From Boneville, The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries, Supreme League of Patriots, The Low Road, Deponia: The Complete Journey and others.

Bone: The Great Cow Race

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