Far be it from us to call two titles a trend, but 2014 may well go down as gaming’s Year of the Goat.

The hubbub began in February with the seemingly fake announcement of a game called Goat Simulator, whose wacky, buggy “alpha gameplay” video drew so many laughs, its creators decided to turn the project into a real game. In spite of its April 1st release date, the game was no prank (or, it was released, at least).

Yet only days earlier, another goat game—one with actual esteem, wit, and intelligence, if you can believe it—launched, too. What’s more, the game in question was a sequel, meaning the virtual goat revolution has been a long time coming.

That makes this review a veritable goat showdown.

Goat Simulator: Welcome to dumb

It’s terrifying to consider the directions a game named Goat Simulator could have gone. It could have turned out a giant joke, in which players wander a boring, isolated countryside while pausing on occasion to chew on grass. Or the game could have been an awkward, walk-alongside-a-farmer journey in which players were encouraged not to chew on their masters. (For the record, I would play that.)

Game Details Developer: Coffee Stain Studios

Platform: Windows

Release Date: April 1, 2014

Price: $10

Links: Steam Coffee Stain Studios: WindowsApril 1, 2014: $10

Thankfully, Coffee Stain Studios took the opportunity to couch the phrase “Goat Simulator” in a game that would be better titled “Idiot Simulator.” Namely, the whole point is to rack up points by running around as a fast, durable goat and doing moronic, destructive things.

You only have a few maneuvers at your disposal. The default action is a headbutt, which knocks stuff over. Goats love to do that. Your goat can also run, hop, and flip (forwards, backwards, or side-to-side).

That’s a good default move, but the game’s comedy mostly comes from the “lick” and “ragdoll” moves. The former attaches most any object in the game to your mouth by way of a Gorilla Glue-coated tongue, so you can lug a box, pipe, or hapless citizen behind you—or lick a truck and go for a very awkward, violent ride.

The “Ragdoll” button makes your goat go limp, which has no real gameplay use but can be fun to trigger when you make the mistake of headbutting a car. (Oh, we should mention that every single parked car in the game explodes when touched, just like in real goat life, and doing so will send your goat flying over a mile in the sky.)

Your canvas is a small, weird town, maybe a smidge bigger than a classic Super Mario 64 level. That’s not to say it doesn’t hide secrets and hilarity, like a hang glider zipping around, or a small tower with a “queen” goat hiding within, or a secret burial ground at the top of a hill, but you won’t need more than an hour to chart Goat Simulator’s every inch.

Thankfully, the game propels you toward maximum hilarity and chaos by way of a task list and achievements. Check off Goat Simulator’s to-goat list, and your score will skyrocket in a Tony Hawk-meets-Jackass point system. Loud, chunky sound effects, jacked-up physics reactions, and entertaining glitches round out every burst of the game’s activity.

With bonuses like optional modifiers (a jetpack!) and Steam Workshop functionality (which should guarantee more user-made worlds and tweaks), Goat Simulator’s $10 asking price might actually deliver the most stupid fun of the year. The important takeaway, honestly, is that a great comedian knows his or her own limits, and Goat Simulator’s narrow, single-minded focus on silly mayhem is its ultimate trump card.

Escape Goat 2: Gotta goat away

Does the gaming world need another puzzle platformer? Escape Goat 2 kicks its way into the indie world’s most crowded genre with a crucial tweak: a mouse.

Game Details Developer: Magical Time Bean

Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux

Release Date: March 24, 2014

Price: $10

Links: Steam Magical Time Bean: Windows, Mac, LinuxMarch 24, 2014: $10

As the game’s title implies, you are a goat, and you are trying to escape a series of retro, 2D puzzle rooms by jumping and dashing around. Push blocks, set triggers, avoid baddies, and find the exit. Games like this have existed since the Game Boy era.

What makes this take different is that even though you only control the goat—a noble, purple little thing—you are largely controlled by a little mouse with magic powers.

The first Escape Goat explored the idea that you could loose a mouse in the 2D levels, have it run around the walls, and then tap a button to swap places with it, which made for some cool, puzzle-y moments. Escape Goat 2 doubles down on your helper’s abilities.

A “hammer” power turns the mouse into a solid block. A “boost” power sends your mouse blasting across the screen in a direction perpendicular to its scurry. A fiery totem lets you spawn four mice around the room, and you must be mindful of what order you created them in to get through the puzzle at hand.

Escape Goat 2 succeeds because its little escape puzzles are quick, smart, and brief. The game not only delivers countless a-ha moments but also ensures that players rarely get stuck banging their heads against a level. The game’s flow from challenge to discovery is a masterwork for the genre, especially when a room’s solution requires a flow of, say, six perfect maneuvers between goat and mouse, between simple jumps and magical flashes.

There’s a certain mystical MIDI-ness to how Escape Goat 2 presents itself, from its calligraphy-stricken font to its cheesy, ‘90s RPG tunes, but lighting and color make the most important part—the happy-go-lucky puzzling—look fine at all times. This is more Gauntlet than Modern Farmer—truly, a minimalist entry in the goat œuvre—but such a quality slice of smart, retro platforming should be proud of its hairy heritage all the same.

Verdict: Goats are responsible for two of 2014’s dumbest and smartest games thus far. Therefore, we rule that gaming goats are great, and designers should employ them more often.