Mountain Goats. A Fun Family Game That Homeschoolers Will Love.

Mountain Goats is a fun, simple, 20-minute family game that’s all about rolling dice and moving your goats to the tops of the mountains to gain the most points.

How to play:

There are six mountains (columns) that you can climb, and you get six dice. On your turn, you roll all six dice and then make combinations with them - which have to be numbers between 5-10.

For example, if you roll your six dice and get 6, 4, 5, 5, 3, 2, you could make 10 (6+4), 10 (5+5), and 5 (3+2). That means you can move your goat on the 10 mountain up two spaces, and you can move your goat on the 5 mountain up one space.

Of course, there are plenty of other combinations you could make from that same roll. For example, you could make 9, 9, 7, or 7, 8, 10. 

It’s all about deciding the best way to use the combinations you’ve rolled.

Mountain Goats is simple enough that you can learn to play in under a minute. 

It’s great for kids, it’s great for adults. It’s just a really fun, easy to play, family game that you can play over and over again!

How you score

Once you reach the top of a mountain, you score that many points.

For example, if you make it to the top of the 10 mountain, you get 10 points. If you make it to the top of the 5 mountain, you get 5 points.

Then, while you’re at the top, every time you roll the dice and make that combination again, instead of moving your goat, you score those points again.

So if you’re already at the top of the 10 mountain and you roll a 10, you get another 10 points.

But here’s the twist…

If another player rolls their dice and reaches the top of the mountain that you’re currently on… they kick your goat all the way back down to the bottom.

So if you’re sitting at the top of the 10 mountain and another player rolls a 10 and reaches the top, your goat goes straight back to the bottom.

Now you have to work your way all the way back up again before you can start scoring any more points from that mountain.

Meanwhile, while they’re at the top of the 10 mountain, every time they roll a 10, they’re the one collecting those points.

Homeschoolers, are you Gameschooling?
Here’s why you’ll love Mountain Goats…

Every turn, players are adding up their dice and trying to make combinations. They’re working out how to add their dice to make 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10.

Which means players are doing quick mental maths every single turn, but it doesn’t feel like it because it’s fun! Players are simply trying to work out which goats they can move! 

However, the repetition of mentally adding these dice is wonderful for making it automatic to know which numbers equal 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

It’s the best game I’ve seen for practising quick mental maths addition up to ten - and what’s best is that it doesn’t feel like an educational game whatsoever… because it’s actually just a fun family game!

Summary

I think every family should have this game. It’s very simple to learn - if you can play a game like Trouble, where you’re just rolling a die and moving your piece, you can play Mountain Goats.

However, Mountain Goats is so much more fun than the usual roll-and-move games. There’s interesting decision making, fun “I’m kicking you off the mountain!” moments, and the whole game is just beautifully designed and fun to play. 

From the wooden goats and the beautiful artwork, to the thick cards and tokens, the quality of the components is excellent.

And the size of the box is tiny - making it take up almost no space at all in your game cupboard, or even to take with you if you’re travelling.

But for homeschoolers, I find it invaluable. The mental maths aspect is brilliant - without feeling like you’re practicing mental maths whatsoever. 

Mountain Goats.

2–4 Players | 20 Min

Complexity: Family Friendly, Kid Friendly

Mountain Goats is available in-store or online at Brain Spice…