Escape Goat
- October 9, 2013
- MagicalTimeBean
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Escape Goat" is a puzzle platformer game where you play as a goat with the ability to burst through walls. Your goal is to navigate through various rooms and rescue your fellow goats while avoiding obstacles and enemies. The game features cleverly designed puzzles that require both quick reflexes and strategic thinking, with a charming retro-style aesthetic.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Linux
Xbox
Xbox 360
Reviews
- Escape Goat is a charming puzzle platformer with clever level design and a unique premise involving a goat and a mouse companion.
- The game features tight controls, a catchy soundtrack, and a satisfying difficulty curve that keeps players engaged without becoming overly frustrating.
- It offers a good amount of content for its price, including a level editor and additional challenging levels after completing the main game.
- Some puzzles can feel more like trial and error rather than clever problem-solving, leading to moments of frustration.
- The game is relatively short, with a main campaign that can be completed in a few hours, which may leave some players wanting more.
- Certain levels, especially in the bonus content, can spike in difficulty to the point of being excessively challenging, potentially alienating casual players.
- music131 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its unique, catchy, and memorable qualities that complement the gameplay and retro aesthetic. While some noted minor issues with song repetition and looping, the overall sentiment is that the soundtrack significantly enhances the gaming experience, making it a standout feature. Players appreciate the blend of nostalgic sounds reminiscent of classic gaming eras, contributing to the game's charm and appeal.
“The music is amazing.”
“Amazing music, challenging puzzles, great art.”
“The soundtrack is catchy and memorable and even the sound design is very well done - the chime when you collect a key, for example, is so satisfying that I can hear it while I'm typing this.”
“The only thing I'm not that big a fan of is the soundtrack, as it's rather repetitive.”
“The only complaints I can make (and they're minor) is that the songs do get reused for a couple of sections and one of the songs loops weirdly.”
“They should have sent a musician.”
- gameplay103 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Escape Goat" is characterized as a solid puzzle-platformer that effectively combines simple mechanics with challenging level design, providing a satisfying flow and engaging puzzles. Players appreciate the unique mechanics, such as the mouse companion for solving puzzles, though some feel certain elements are underutilized. Overall, the game offers a charming retro aesthetic, enjoyable controls, and a well-paced difficulty curve that keeps players engaged throughout their experience.
“The gameplay is really fun, and not really what you'd expect at first glance.”
“A tight and precise gameplay combined with excellent level design provides some interesting puzzles.”
“Escape Goat is quite the pleasant experience, having an array of few but interesting mechanics you can operate your characters with, which, alongside the incredibly solid level design, makes for a really smooth experience.”
“And, to make things worse, the mechanics of the world around me were unreliable.”
“Once you’ve seen each of those, you’ve seen the main mechanics of the game.”
“Levels start out quite forgiving as they teach you the basic game mechanics and interactions with the mouse, but by the halfway point start turning quite fiendish and can require many, many, *many* attempts to get past.”
- graphics97 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Escape Goat" are characterized by a charming retro aesthetic, reminiscent of 8-bit and 16-bit styles, which many players find appealing despite their simplicity. While some reviews note a lack of variety in environments, the pixel art is praised for its technical execution and ability to enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the game's nostalgic feel, making it a delightful puzzle-platformer for fans of retro graphics.
“I like to think of Escape Goat as one of the most valuable indie titles out there, a true masterpiece, locked (pun intended... play the game and you'll get it) in time by its beautiful pixel graphics, a cute little mouse and goat to guide you through your adventure of puzzle-solving shenanigans.”
“The graphics do fit perfectly what would be outright retro rather than just pixel art alone, not breaking sprite sizes or their self-imposed color limitations, which never interfere and only help how you read the maps.”
“This is one of the few 'retro-style' games out there that absolutely nails the early 16-bit aesthetic.”
“While the graphics do emulate the old-school platformers it’s trying to pay homage to, they’re still not very appealing, and the small variety in significantly different environments leaves much to be desired visually.”
“Overall, the graphics style isn't gonna blow anyone away, but the animations are good and the game works perfectly on a technical level.”
“Graphics look like NES era.”
- story59 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in the game is minimal and primarily revolves around a goat imprisoned for witchcraft, with little development beyond the initial premise. While some players appreciate the quirky concept, many feel that the narrative lacks depth and could benefit from further elaboration. Overall, the game is more focused on puzzle-solving than delivering a rich storyline, making it suitable for those who prioritize gameplay over narrative.
“The story is that you are a goat that was thrown in jail for witchcraft.”
“I got it on sale for 3 dollars, and let me tell you I'd probably buy it for double, the story is short yet great, teaching morals along the way.”
“It kept me invested all the way through the main story, which feels quite rewarding to beat.”
“The story is quite absent in the game; there’s not a big boss or any story after the beginning, just a few words on the screen at the start.”
“My only wish is that the story was explained further, which is something this game doesn't really do despite the intriguing premise and theme.”
“That’s pretty much the beginning and end of the story.”
- humor18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its clever and funny premise, particularly the amusing character of a goat. The game combines challenging puzzles with a lighthearted tone, making it an enjoyable experience despite some frustrations. Overall, it is described as a charming indie title that successfully integrates humor into its gameplay.
“This was a quite funny little platformer with interesting ideas.”
“Escape Goat is funny and even cute in how it delivers solutions to quite difficult problems.”
“The puzzles are challenging, the deaths are frustrating, and the premise is hilarious!”
- replayability8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability, particularly for those who enjoy challenging platformers, as players can strive to improve their completion times and minimize deaths. However, some users noted that certain puzzles can be frustrating, leading to repeated attempts or reliance on external help. Overall, while opinions vary, many find the game engaging enough to warrant multiple playthroughs.
“High replay value and the editor is bringing me and my son even more enjoyment!”
“What I got is an insanely good platformer that's always challenging and infinitely replayable, with a goat.”
“It's a game with replayability, where you can challenge yourself to beat the game in a much, much shorter time with a lot fewer deaths.”
“It's a platformer, so there is no replay value; I assumed that, so yeah!”
“Some puzzles are simply guesses, or dying repeatedly until you finally figure it out. I had to look up one puzzle on YouTube, and that single one drove me crazy. However, it's a game with replayability, where you can challenge yourself to beat the game in a much shorter time with a lot fewer deaths.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a mixed sentiment towards grinding in the game. While some players find the achievement grinding tedious and indicative of poor design, others appreciate the short levels and responsive controls that keep the gameplay engaging despite the grind. Overall, the game offers a substantial amount of content, with many levels available, which some players feel justifies the grinding experience.
“That to me is bad design and I don't even want to finish it even though I'm on the final world because it is becoming incredibly tedious.”
“Well, I finally beat the campaign after 10 hard hours of achievement grinding... and there is more.”
“That to me is bad design and I don't even want to finish it even though I'm on the final world because it is becoming incredibly tedious.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its unique tone, beautiful music, and graphics, creating a nostalgic and immersive experience reminiscent of classic titles like Solomon's Key. Reviewers highlight the seamless integration of controls, sound, and visual elements, contributing to a satisfying and challenging gameplay experience. Overall, the game successfully combines retro aesthetics with modern design, resulting in a captivating atmosphere.
“Excellent puzzles and platforming in this puzzle platformer, with beautiful music and graphics and a very legitimate and unique tone and atmosphere to it despite being a game called Escape Goat.”
“All together the controls, music, and atmosphere mesh perfectly to present a well-thought-out and executed retro-styled game that reminds me of the fun I had with Solomon's Key in my youth.”
“Atmospheric, challenging, satisfying.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally rewarding, as successfully completing levels instills a sense of intelligence and satisfaction. The overall experience is described as fun and clever, enhancing the emotional engagement with the game.
