From what I can tell, it's because the original game was not updated for newer versions of Android. I went to the Play Store, switched to my older Google account, and found it in "manage apps" by switching to "not installed", selecting the "games" filter, and scrolling to the bottom, where World of Goo (the original) says "not available for device". Tapping it shows the listing, where it says "Your device isn't compatible with this version"
Google Play used to show when an app was last updated. This appears to longer be the case. However a reviewer says it has been "abandoned since 2013", which explains why Google Play won't let me play it on a Pixel 6a, with an Android version 10 years newer.
Android just doesn't have the backwards compatibility of Windows or Linux.
Yes, sadly that's the issue with mobile platforms, I had a browse through the Android games I got with a Humble Bundle 10 years ago hoping to play Ridiculous Fishing but none of these games work anymore.
Google Play used to show when an app was last updated. This appears to longer be the case. However a reviewer says it has been "abandoned since 2013", which explains why Google Play won't let me play it on a Pixel 6a, with an Android version 10 years newer.
Android just doesn't have the backwards compatibility of Windows or Linux.