G.O.A.T. Review

Hot on the hooves of Goat Simulator, G.O.A.T. gives players even more goat gaming goodness. And while it might not be as surreal as Coffee Stain’s recent cult hit, its path-finding puzzles are still quite head-scratching. However, despite its poorly explained acronym, G.O.A.T. is just pretty good - not the greatest of all time.

The goal in G.O.A.T. is to gobble up every square of grass on the gridded map in a single, continuous line. There’s no backtracking, and the path must end on a special item like a boot or a fish skeleton. However, because each puzzle typically features multiple items, it’s up to the player to determine and draw the proper path.

Some solutions are immediately obvious and it’s just a matter of executing them. That may sound boring, but there’s something satisfying about instantly visualizing an answer. It’s like seeing the code in "The Matrix." Of course, the experimentation needed to solve the harder puzzles entertains as well. Players will pick up tricks like how to weave between adjacent squares to fully cover a territory while still moving forward. However, the game occasionally does a poor job of showing just how much grass has been eaten. Puzzles also awkwardly end once a winning path is fully drawn, not when the goat actually reaches the finish.

There are 40 free levels along with tougher “fall” and “winter” packs to purchase. But honestly, the initial stages might be more than enough for some players and it takes some time to get through them thanks to the difficulty curve. Also, unfortunately, the puzzles start blurring together after a while due to similar layouts and repetitive graphics. The delightfully disgruntled goat himself is always enjoyable to look at, though.

Like real goats, G.O.A.T. isn’t the flashiest or most dynamic game ever. It does one thing, but it does it pretty well. It’s stubborn, but dependable.