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Mountain proves a hit on iOS, coming to Android, PC
Mountain, a quirky game from filmmaker David O'Reilly, has only been available for a week, but has already topped the iTunes App Store charts in numerous countries. Mountain lacks most traditional game-like qualities. There are no enemies to stomp or aliens to shoot. Instead, the game generates a picturesque, stylized mountain based on a player's interactions within the game, then invites them to subtly influence the area while nature unfolds. Despite (or because of) this novel premise, Mountain reached the top of the iTunes best-selling charts in Germany, the number five spot in the United States, and according to O'Reilly, was the best-selling roleplaying game in "in 33 countries." Unfortunately, as O'Reilly points out, Mountain is a $1 download with no in-app purchases to speak of, so it's yet to crack the crucial top-grossing charts. Those hoping to play Mountain, but lacking the necessary Apple device, may not be waiting much longer. O'Reilly plans to release Mountain for both Android and PC platforms, though a solid timeline of when those iterations might arrive remains absent. [Image: Double Fine]
Double Fine's publishing program moves a Mountain to PC, iOS
The next game to launch courtesy of Double Fine's publishing program is Mountain, an artistic simulation game that's now available on PC, Mac, Linux via the game's site and iOS for $1. Developed by filmmaker David O'Reilly, Mountain has players answer three "questions" in the form of single words with drawings, then the game generates a mountain with the drawings on it. The mountain changes as the omniscient players tap out music on their keyboards, watching weather cycles pass and, as the developer puts it, seeing nature "expressing itself." Double Fine began its publishing initiative with Escape Goat 2 in March, providing "promotional assistance and distribution" for the game. It then assisted developer Sam Farmer with sci-fi noir adventure game Last Life in April, which earned $103,058 on Kickstarter in the next month. We had an opportunity to check out Mountain at the Horizon conference at E3 along with other games like Metamorphabet, Gnah and Night in the Woods. [Image: David O'Reilly]
