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.
