Goat Simulator 3 Mobile preview: Horns on the horn

We'll be honest - we still have no idea what possessed Coffee Stain to spin up a game about a goat, but two entries and a bunch of crossovers in, and I'm glad they did.

Goat Simulator 3 is a wild time already, but if you've ever wanted the GOAT of simulators in your pocket, we've got good news - it's coming to mobile, horns and all. For all of its slapstick comedy, though, this port is absolutely no joke and is pretty clip-clopping ambitious.

• Check out our preview of Assassin's Creed Nexus.

Goat your own way

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Have you ever wanted to be a goat? If so, there's a good chance you've already played Goat Simulator in some incarnation, and therefore know what to expect.

In Goat Simulator 3, players take their four-legged mammal, create chaos, and attach themselves to objects throughout the fictional San Angora - an area 18 times the size of the original game's open world.

What's wild is that this mobile port retains just about everything from the console and PC versions, meaning players can explore an enormous open world, enjoy diversionary sections that move into new genres, and work their way through the game's story mode.

Headed up by Coffee Stain Malmo, a mobile-specific studio, the team's producer Luka Paunovic told us that "the studio is currently looking at mobile versions of existing Coffee Stain games, and no new IPs", but if the technical wizardry on display to get this running on a phone is anything to go by, there's plenty more to come.

In our demo, we played through a part of the campaign, moving through puzzle and platform-based levels, while also playing some local multiplayer minigames. The team at Coffee Stain notes that Goat Simulator 3 Mobile should open up the franchise to new players thanks to the ubiquity of smartphones, too.

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Pygmy, pygmy!

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Multiplayer is a little pared back compared to the four-player chaos of the main game, with co-op restricted to two players instead of four.

There are, however, still PvP multiplayer modes, but co-op players will need to designate a host. Moving away from that host can reset the other player's progress, but as long as you're playing locally on Android or iOS you should be fine.

Modes include King of the Hill, The Floor is Lava, and Prop Hunt, and while the latter is likely to be trickier on a smaller screen, all provide chaotic fun.

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Final Thoughts

If you've not been convinced by Goat Simulator in the past, more of the same won't change your mind. And yet, we're definitely excited to install it on my phone for long commutes, but also family game nights, which will be a shining factor in this mobile move.

Coffee Stain Malmo's port may lack any unique new features, but it certainly feels ambitious, and we can't wait to see how the player base takes to it.