Game Review: Mountain Goat Mountain, a Game for Goat Lovers (and Not Only)

by Chrisanna Lazaridou on 30 July 2015 · 4417 views

I don’t know how many of you have grown up in villages or visited your grandparents when you were younger, but I’m sure that most of you are familiar with goats- these cute yet easily irritated animals. Having spent most of my summers in a village among such animals, I can’t help but feel drawn to games that include them, especially when the premise is fun or interesting enough for me to try out. Such is the case of a newly released game called Mountain Goat Mountain by Zynga Inc for iOS and Android, a fast arcade game that perhaps will draw your interest about goats!

Let’s take a look at what Mountain Goat Mountain has to offer, shall we?

Plot

Goats are known for their unique horns, milk (and cheese) and their funny attacks, but also have the ability to jump and climb on top of mountains and cliffs. Faithful to this “legacy”, Mountain Goat is all about climbing and reaching the highest and most treacherous mountain ever seen by a goat.

Gameplay

Your task in Mountain Goat is to guide the cute goat at the top of the mountain while feeding it grass and protecting it from falling and avoiding obstacles. It is an endless climbing game which means that there is no actual finish line but there are levels and flags showing how far up you’ve climbed. The Mountain consists of cubes, and to guide the goat all you have to do is tap and swipe to the direction you want the goat to go to. But it’s far more difficult than it sounds…

For starters, getting to know how controls work, and exactly which cube your goat will climb on will take some time, and if you add to that the fact that you need to be quick in order to avoid being hit by obstacles, the result is plenty of start overs.

Speaking of obstacles, the developers were very generous about them. There are falling rocks and logs, cubes that will collapse the moment you step on them, small waterfalls waiting to drown you, clouds with lightings that can turn your goat into a delicious meal, and of course one wrong step (or jump, more precisely) and you’re in for the fall of your life.

It is funny, however, that every time the goat dies, a grave with the initials "RIP" carved on the stone appears. Certainly makes the frustration go away for the most part!

Of course, jumping and avoiding obstacles is not all this game is about. Some of the cubes have grass necessary for the goat to eat, otherwise its energy levels will drop and it will starve and die. You have to feed it very often and when the limit is reached, a grass image will start flashing on your screen to remind you that you have to feed the goat soon- otherwise it is game over. So always look around for more grass because being killed off by an obstacle is one thing, but losing your goat because of lack of food can drive you crazy.

Other cubs have coins that are necessary for unlocking more goats and levels, springboards that move you to another spot if you step on them, cubes with trees that you can’t jump on and more.

After every game over a Mystery Crate appears and if you want to open it you have to spend 100 coins. This is how you unlock a new goat along with its own unique level.

The game’s mechanics are easy at its core but to fully understand them you need to act fast and pay attention to what’s around you, so as to pick the way to the top which has the highest chances of survival. As long as you follow these two rules, you’ll get better and better at it.

In-App Purchases

Through the game’s IAP you can purchase any goat you want without having to wait for a Mystery Crate, or having to collect the coins for $0.99. It’s a fair IAP system because its offers are possible without spending money- you just have to try hard in-game.

Graphics & Sounds

The graphics are something that have completely left me speechless. Although the first level might seem plain, I was amazed by the beauty of some others like the Samurai Goat’s level or the Granny Goat’s level. The colors are crystal-clear, the 3D designs cute and the goats are unique, each with different accessories and looks. The background music fits the game’s atmosphere with its lively and funny tunes.

Conclusion

Mountain Goat Mountain is a charming game that offers a very pleasant and fun experience to the player. The gorgeous, beautifully crafted levels and characters are one of the best aspects of the game, and certainly make up for the simplicity of the gameplay. Add to all that the cute little goats and you found yourselves a fresh new addiction similar to Crossy Road. Give it a try and you won’t regret it.