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Welcome to our regular gameplay impressions and video post where we record our first 10-30 minutes with a new game, and provide some general impressions on that early playthrough. Today’s game is: Goat Simulator from developer Coffee Stain Studios.

Although you could easily pass Goat Simulator off as a clever April Fools prank, Coffee Stain Studios has put a surprising amount of effort into making this one-off "joke" into something more substantial. That isn't to say that Goat Simulator is the type of experience that will be described as deep or endlessly replayable, but the single level offered by the game has a lot of detail.

At a glance, Goat Simulator calls to mind the Insurance Fraud mini-game from Saints Row: The Third, only with a goat in place of a human. Players control the precocious little goat and are given the freedom to do almost anything they want.

There are objectives in place to steer players in certain directions, but the game never forces you to do anything. Even the game's scoring system, which includes a multiplier for doing damage quickly and creatively, feels like something extra, even if it is a good gauge for the types of chaos players can create. For example, you might ram into an innocent bystander, then jump high into the air and do a backflip, before landing on a car and getting sent flying across the map. And that's just one of a hundred different zany combos players can do.

Goat Simulator Gameplay Video

What's even more impressive about Goat Simulator is the staggering amount of in-jokes and obscure details that are packed into this seemingly slight experience. The game never goes after the obvious laugh, but instead keeps things subtle. Well, subtle isn't the right word, but the fact that the game has a "goat fight club" is enough to prove Goat Simulator marches to the beat of its own drum.

Coffee Stain also promises plenty of mod support and various game tweaks in the future, which should help keep the charm of Goat Simulator going a little bit longer. It's existence and success will also likely influence a ton of imitators, like the previously announced Bear Simulator.

As it stands, though, the game packs the appropriate amount of silly content, and it finds some smart ways to keep players coming back and consistently laughing. The game may not be an actual "goat simulator," but it is a lot of fun to mess around with for a few hours.

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What do you think of Goat Simulator? Does it look like a game for you? Let us know in the comments below.

Goat Simulator is available now for $9.99 on Steam

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