I don't think Mountain is a game.
But it can be analyzed like one.
Mountain is an exe that first prompts the user to draw pictures based on a word three times. These words are randomly selected, and the pictures are stored but seem to be meaningless (they may be used to seed a random number generator, but that's dubious). The exe proceeds to create a mountain (seemingly via heightmap) and the upper right corner shows a small faded icon. Upon clicking the icon the user is presented with the ability to turn the audio on and off (which effects more than just audio). The user is also shown that the controls are "nothing" for the mouse and keyboard.
This is a lie.
The scroll wheel of the mouse lets the user zoom in and out on the mountain. Right clicking and dragging allows the user to rotate around the mountain (faster than the pace the mountain slowly turns at). The second and third row of keys allows the user to make tones. These tones will eventually cause a prompt that sounds a tone and message relating to the simulated weather or time of day. If a player repeatedly hits these tones the time scale of the simulation will speed up, this only occurs if audio is enabled. This will prevent random actions from firing.
Randomly, additional prompts will sound a tone and state text (the next line in a stored text file). If the user doesn't interact with the simulation for a long enough time a random object will crash into the mountain and stay there. These objects may very in scale and objects may repeat, they are random. Weather patterns also change and shift randomly or semi cyclically.
While normally games with such random events and content try to encourage the player to explore, the interaction is restricted to such a degree and events move so slowly that the feeling of exploration is not achieved. Often prompts craft some sort of story, or lend to reinforcing a core experience. Here it seems to only ask questions, as if its trying to provoke thought or craft some sort of character for the mountain. However this character of questions has little importance.
The simulation builds the façade of deep contemplation but fails to deliver any coherent lines of questioning. Its essentially shallow while acting as if it is deep. Games are not new to the use of smoke and mirrors to craft the sense of meaningful choice. However here the interactions are so far removed from any result the effect is a passive experience. The illusion that is being created, the experience that is attempted, is lost.
There is however the meta game that persists around these simulations. The 'game' serves as a starting point to conversations around the topic of games. The experience desired is the one I, the author just had, and as you the viewer are engaged in. It is to think, discuss and create text or media about the 'game'. It exists to start a conversation.
In a way the meta game is self perpetuating, as another's response will undoubtedly be another game to be discussed.
If you want to keep playing this game I suggest you check out these 'games'.
Progress quest
Proteus
One button RPG
(Links coming soon)
