I’m going to level with you guys, following my Dropsy review, I questioned if modern point-and-click was even worth playing as a genre. After all, I’ve never enjoyed the “confuse the player intentionally” dev philosophy. With Dropsy having such great reviews, I was worried that the point-and-click genre would cater more to that fanbase, I mean just look at all the card games being made following Slay The Spire, and that Woolley Mountain would be built to appease them. It wasn’t.
It should be noted graphics are near the bottom of the totem pole as far as the importance of enjoying a game for me. Lots of ugly games such as Minecraft have great gameplay. Conversely, visually stunning games such as No Man’s Sky are about as fun as a stormy night gameplay-wise. Up to this point, when talking about accessibility, I’ve strictly been talking about the things devs do, or don’t do, to make a game accessible to disabled players. However, there’s another kind of accessibility I feel bears talking about. On a scale of Starbucks in downtown Seattle to that one person at a party who hates ice cream, how inviting is your game to players to play? Woolley Mountain presents a warm tone right off the bat. As a result, I feel as though Woolley Mountain is one of those rare games where the visual style adds impact to the game as a whole.
Woolley Mountain is the kind of game I can tell the developers put some time to consider the wide spectrum of people playing the game. By using the bold white text centered in the middle of the screen by default without the need to check a special box or menu, it reduces the stigma of some disabled players that feel they stand, or sit, out by using the accessibility choices provided.
At its core, Woolley Mountain is your typical point and click adventure game with the stereotypical goal of saving someone from something/someone else, in this case children from witches and shadow monsters. However, I feel like abstracting the game in this sense is a disservice to the cheesy jokes, much like I subject IGT’s readers to in my reviews, and clever dialogue. In this genre, giving your game a personality is a must to stand out in the ever-crowded field of similar indies. I can happily report this game does that well. Retro gaming fans should rejoice too as 1980’s technology such as the ZX Spectrum and vinyl record players even help drive the plot. The whole experience is also voiced, adding another layer of immersion.
The game isn’t perfect though. At the beginning of the game, there’s a minigame using an arcade cabinet that gives you a certain item that I felt requires greater reflexes then my cerebral palsy allows. A very similar problem occurred towards the end of the game in my final battle against the witch. Both times I felt like my victory was a sheer coincidence and not truly earned. On top of this, I found Act 2 way harder and less straightforward than Acts 1 or 3. However, the developer takes a great step in helping struggling players by including an official walkthrough on the game’s website to try to reduce the amount of rage quitting on the part of the player. Personally, I still feel like hints should be included in-game, but it’s a big step up from other point-and-click adventures I’ve played. Even with its flaws, I’d recommend The Mystery of Woolley Mountain to anyone seeking a fun, family-friendly, point-and-click adventure. I for sure love it 3000. Editor’s Note: That’s an Avengers: Endgame reference, hope you get it, cause I don’t.
The Mystery of Woolley Mountain was developed by Lightfoot Bros with Switch publishing handled by Huey Games
Point of Sale: Steam, Itch.io, and Switch
Price $14.99 on Steam and Itch. $12.99 on Switch.
A Steam review key was provided by Huey Games as part of a #KickstarterSelect event.
Djf1107 has awarded The Mystery of Woolley Mountain the Indie Gamer Team Seal of Approval.
Indie Gamer Team 