The Meteor on the Mountain

I stumbled upon Mountain while perusing the Game of the Year lists.  Nothing in particular really stood out to me; in fact, it was the simple fact of its GotY win, for landscaping no less,that drew my attention.  So I bought it.  It was about 66 cents, less than the spare change bouncing around my purse, so I wasn’t exactly worried about the investment. 

I never suspected the can of worms I was opening. 

Mountain is a very chill game.  Very little happens; your mountain sits there, floating in its little bubble of atmosphere, gently spinning in space, and that’s it.  There’s no ‘gameplay’ to it at all; I can rotate my mountain so it spins faster for a moment, and I can zoom in or out, and if I really want to, I can rotate it down to see the rocks and such that make up the mountain’s base.  In that way, that absence of control or real interaction, Mountain is a very peaceful game. 

the view from space

Right now, it’s raining on my mountain.  The air is a little foggy, and the trees are gradually changing color as whatever passes for fall occurs in this tiny universe.  Whatever ‘entity’ the mountain is appears to have feelings as well.  “…. BORRRRRING….” just flashed across my screen, I assume a reference to the calm of the game. A little while later, as the sun rises and sets in the background, the trees start to sparkle with Christmas-esque lights and a gentle song steals out of the speakers, accompanied by the sounds of snowflakes padding down onto the mountaintop. 

This game, wherein you literally do nothing, taps into some deep voyeuristic part of human nature.  I have no effect whatsoever on the outcome of the game -- all I can do is zoom in or out or rotate the mountain, nothing else -- and yet I am unmistakably compelled to find out what's coming next. I don’t want to get up; I am instead absorbed into this world and unable to look away. 

When I finally tore myself from the computer about twenty minutes ago to take a shower, it was snowing gently on my mountain, the evergreen trees covered with a thin layer of snow and the atmosphere slightly cloudy.  Now, upon returning (because of course I couldn't turn it off), I find that my mountain has not only changed shape slightly, it now sports a random, giant phonograph near the summit.  

See it up there, near the top?

I have no idea where this came from -- I missed it when I stepped away. And the curiosity is making me crazy.  Where did that come from? Did it randomly appear or was the mountain lonely for another inanimate object? Does it play music if I wait long enough?? I will never know.

A sailboat showed up later too – I left it on while I had dinner, letting it go in the background of my life (as the official description suggests on its Steam listing), and this sailboat just popped up. 

Later the mountain had another random thought, this time saying "I AM ABSORBED BY THIS WONDROUS NIGHT."  (The mountain experiences life in all caps, apparently.)  

It's pretty cool.  I'm enjoying its peaceful atmosphere, and the ability to just sit and observe is more powerful than I expected.  

 

... didn't see that coming... 

And now, holy shit, a meteor just hit my mountain!  I have to go… and watch, I guess.  What a weird and wondrous game!