Montague’s Mount was one of the many ambitious Indie projects present at Rezzed this year, but it had quite an incredible back story which really made the game look like something very special indeed. I managed to speak the whole development team on this project; to the creator, designer, artist, and programmer of the game. All of this has been achieved by one man alone, under the studio name of PolyPusher Studios, through his own ideas and funds. And it is entirely fair to say that for a one-man project, Montague’s Mount blew me away. The game is a psychological thriller with a strong puzzle subtext throughout. Based in Ireland and drawing on many of the creator’s own experiences in this setting, there is a feel to the game of great mystery and unease. The player begins by waking up on a beach, but even after this unusual occurrence the very atmosphere of the game gives a very deep sense of something being unusual; a mystery to Monatgue’s Mount which the player will try to uncover.
The game is not yet 100% complete, but after 18 months of development it is reaching its concluding stages. The creator was displaying the game in public for the first time at Rezzed and was delighted by the reception is has received. This was certainly well deserved. Visually the game has a very gloomy ambiance, set on a stormy night with heavy rain and foggy surroundings making for a particularly eerie experience. All of this, and the textures used throughout, look simply beautiful. It took me some time to contemplate how one man, who had not previously worked in the gaming industry, could have done all of this alone. The games puzzles also looked to be varied and interesting, requiring some genuine focus by the player in order to complete them. One thing that is pleasing about this game is that it does not involve the usual jump scares every two minutes along the way that similar ones may. While this is a thriller rather than a horror game, it is still nice to see that the atmosphere and mystery which is already present has been left to do its work, and that is does this work well.
Not too much of the game was revealed at Rezzed, however the creator did have time to chat about what else to expect, the creation process, where he was aiming to go in terms of releasing the game and what he might go on to do next. Without giving too much away, he revealed to me that the game would have an interesting twist or two, which might change everything the player may have thought they knew so far. If the game didn’t already look intriguing enough, it certainly had my attention now. Creating the game had been a stressful process of 14 hour days for 18 months with a self-funded development, little help, no idea of what the reception might be in the end and alongside living with a family. Despite this however it appears that the developer has overcome his challenges along the way to make a game which would not see people turn their nose up at the end result. At present, the game has just started a Steam Greenlight campaign, which is the channel by which the developer is hoping his creation may reach the gamers who in the end will be able to enjoy it. There has also been some interest during Rezzed by publishers who have offered to help with this stage in the game’s life. Understandably however the creator could not say whether this was something he would choose to take them up on or not. As for what he might do once he has finished his project an whether he would make another game in the future, the creator said that if he did then he would not make another one with rain, so we can surely expect a brighter future…
(…and I should apologise for that irresistible, terrible pun)
Nathan’s Final Thoughts:
Montague’s Mount is an inspiring creation from the mind of just one man. It is astounding to see what he alone has been able to achieve here and I wish the game every success. I look forward to having the chance to sit down and explore the mysteries of the island myself once the game is released, and would absolutely encourage people to support the game’s quest for a Steam Greenlight approval.
Steam Greenlight page can be found Here
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