Sometimes, there are games that tend to have certain quirks that may throw some people off, and these are usually seen as “arthouse” and “unconventional”. They do push the boundaries of game design to unprecedented levels, but they’re still weird as hell and won’t get everyone on board. Nonetheless, these games do exist in the App Store and some of them even become cult hits. Here’s Llamasoft’s stab at it with GoatUp.

The game lets you play as a goat that makes childrean when it eats grass, then uses them as weapons. That’s such a weird concept, but that’s only the start with GoatUp. You can swipe or tilt to move the goat around and keep it alive and make children for as long as possible as you climb up the platforms endlessly. In a sense, it’s a throwback to old school arcade games that tend to be really abstract and feature endless gameplay.

This game mixes the novel vertical platformer that has become popular in recent years with some weirdness. Some may think that its quirkiness is merely a gimmick, but it them becomes a part of the gameplay itself. The objectives that you have to accomplish tend to turn for the abstract and the absurd. If it’s your kind of thing, then GoatUp should be a treat for you. If not, then at least it’s not a bad thing to give it a try.

The controls are actually quite responsive and smooth, so you won’t have a lot of accidents as you try to keep your goat alive. This game does have a high-risk-high-reward mechanic in that you can get impatient and do something reckless, and it will either pay off dividends or end up with your goat dead and gone. Of course, you can resist the itch and play it safe, making more children that you hurl towards enemies as you safely climb higher.

The visuals are a mix of retro and modern stylings, so there’s a lot of eye candy all around. The sounds are a cool mix as well, which really shows the old school inspiration that it surely has. This is a game that takes some time getting used to, from the premise right down to the little details of throwing kids at enemies and making sure that you keep climbing up to stay alive. This is the type of game that has made the independent game development industry boom in the last decade.

But overall, it’s a vertical platformer that looks weird to a lot of people. Despite the bizarreness of the game, this is actually one of Llamasoft’s more sober titles. If you’re into stuff like this, as well as endless gameplay, then you should give it a try. If you’re looking to not be stressed out, then this may not be your cup of tea.

GoatUp is for people who like things different. If you liked Llamasoft’s previous efforts, then this should do nicely for you. As for everyone else, let’s just say that you should try everything at least once. You might even pleasantly surprise yourself with this game.