The Goat Puzzle
The Goat Puzzle, also known as The Infamous Goat Puzzle, The Infamous Goat, The Wretched Goat, or simply The Goat, is a puzzle featured in Revolution Software's 1996 classic point and click adventure game Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars. In the puzzle, protagonist George Stobbart must gain access to an underground dig located in a castle in Lochmarne, Ireland, by avoiding getting butted by a fierce goat. It is often explained to be difficult due to challenging the player in a way different from previous puzzles in the game. It is also noted by many gamers and various publications as one of the hardest video game puzzles of all time. The puzzle was simplified in the The Shadow of the Templars' 2009 director's cut.
Puzzle
Revolution Software's point and click adventure game Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars was first released in 1996. While investigating a murder, protagonist and player character George Stobbbart finds himself uncovering a dark mystery regarding the Knights Templar. A medieval manuscript which he obtained during the investigation leads him to a castle located in Lochmarne, Ireland. As he cannot enter the castle through the main entrance door, he climbs a haystack, which stops short of the top of the wall. He puts a sewer key which he obtained at the beginning of the game in a crack in the wall, which forms a step, allowing him to climb over the wall. Inside the castle, an entrance to an underground dig is located. A tied-up goat is sitting near the entrance; however, the chain to which it's is tied is long enough to allow it to prevent George from reaching the entrance by butting him. At the left side of the screen an old piece of farming machinery is located, but George is unable to interact with it, as the goat continues to butt him. George must allow the goat to butt him when trying to reach the entrance, but while the goat is returning to its original position, the player must click on the farming machinery, which causes George to quickly jump up and run to the machinery and slightly reposition it. When returned to its original position, the goat again charges and butts George, but while doing so, gets its chain entangled with the machinery, due to its repositioning. This allows George to move freely and enter the dig.[1]
Legacy
The puzzle is considered by many gamers and publications to be one of the most challenging video game puzzles of all time. Broken Sword creator and Revolution CEO Charles Cecil[2] and Broken Sword designer Steve Ince,[1] as well as publications which have covered it, explain that the puzzle was challenging because the player was not met with any "time critical" puzzle prior to this point in the game,[1][2][3][4] which would mean "he would not necessarily make the connection that clicking on the machinery at a key moment would make this happen."[1]
Chris Csullion of Official Nintendo Magazine said that "if you've played [Broken Sword], the words 'the goat puzzle' will probably make you break out in a cold sweat."[5] The puzzle appeared on Computer and Video Games' 2011 feature, "Gaming's hardest puzzles".[3] In 2012, it was listed on GameFront's "5 Crazy Difficult and Intricate Video Game Puzzles".[4]
The puzzle was simplified in The Shadow of the Templars' 2009 director's cut by,[2] according to Cecil, adding a more logical solution.[6] This version includes a diary, in which the character takes notes; After completing the goat puzzle, George's diary reads: "So the 'ghost of Locahmarne' is no more than a fierce Billy goat. For a moment I thought it was going to be incredibly awkward to get past, but in the end it was surprisingly simple. Who would have known?", as a reference to the original puzzle's reputation.[6] An easter egg involving a talking goat was included in The Shadow of the Templars' sequel, Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror.[7] It has been confirmed that the goat is going to return in the upcoming Broken Sword: The Serpent's Curse (2013) on the game's Kickstarter update page, as part of the achieved $800,000 "stretch goal".[8]
Goat merchandise was produced for The Serpent's Curse Kickstarter project. Backers who chose either the $250 tier, or added $50 to their pledge, may receive a goat-shaped 16GB USB flash memory stick.[8] Fans have created a "pledge club" called "Order of the Goat"; to join the order, backers must add $7.77 to their pledge, and by doing so, will receive a goat-design T-shirt.[8] Backers who added $30 to their pledge may also choose to receive the t-shirt or a goat-design bottle opener.[8] Backers who pledged $500 or more also receive the bottle opener.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d Ince, Steve (October 31, 2006). "The Infamous Goat Puzzle". SteveInce.co.uk. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ a b c Higgins, Tom (February 27, 2009). "Broken Sword: in-depth interview with Charles Cecil and Dave Gibbons". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ^ a b PSM3 (September 24, 2011). "Gaming's hardest puzzles". Computer and Video Games. Future Publishing. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Hornshaw, Phil (April 26, 2012). "5 Crazy Difficult and Intricate Video Game Puzzles". GameFront. Break Media. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ Scullion, Chris (September 5, 2012). "Broken Sword: The Director's Cut Review". Official Nintendo Magazine. Future Publishing. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
- ^ a b Wales, Matt (January 30, 2009). "Broken Sword The Director's Cut Q&A". IGN. News Corporation. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ Revolution Software (October 1997). Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror (PC, PlayStation). Scene: Talking goat easter egg in Quaramonte City.
- ^ a b c d e "Updates". Revolution Software. Kickstarter. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help)