Milkmaid of the Milky Way is an independent adventure game for iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. It was developed by Mattis "machineboy" Folkestad and released on January 5, 2017.[1] The game's plot features a Scandinavian milkmaid, Ruth, who loses her cows to a spacecraft, and has to jump aboard to save them.
| Milkmaid of the Milky Way | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Mattis Folkestad |
| Designer(s) | Mattis Folkestad |
| Programmer(s) | Mattis Folkestad |
| Artist(s) | Mattis Folkestad |
| Writer(s) | Mattis Folkestad |
| Platform(s) | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS |
| Release | January 5, 2017 |
| Genre(s) | Adventure |
Plot
editThe puzzle adventure game takes place in space and in 1920s Norway.[2] The main character is Ruth, a milkmaid living alone with her cows on a farm in a Nordic fjord in the 1920s.[3] The game's story begins with Ruth doing tasks and chores on her farm, longing for a different life after the mysterious disappearance of her mother and death of her father.[4] Then a spaceship flies overhead and abducts her cows from a field. Ruth has to get on the wing of the ship as it flies away, and figures out how to get inside to rescue her friends the cows.[5] Later gameplay involves an intergalactic feud involving an oppressive monarch, and other characters such as an oracle, and space cows.[6][7]
Gameplay
editThe game is a point-and-click adventure game.”[3] Players start by exploring the farm and surrounding area, encountering various challenges and puzzles.[4] The game allows both running and walking speed.[7][8] Early tasks include milking cows, patching the roof, making cheese, and also rescuing a lost cow.[4] Puzzle solving is used to get through obstacles, not leveling up, and the skills learned in the first day are useful later on in the game.[9] In between gameplay, there are also animated video clips to move the story along.[4] On day two, the game becomes a science fiction venture concerning alien situations.[4] When a spaceship abducts Ruth’s cows, Ruth has to get on the wing of the ship as it flies away and figure out how to get inside.[5]
Development
editThe game was independently developed by Mattis "machineboy" Folkestad, a developer in Oslo, Norway. He got illustrator Natalie Foss to make the cover.[10] He worked on the project over two years, in his free time while also working a full-time job.[4] The game was initially released for iOS.[4] In January 2017, this was followed by a release for Steam (for Windows and Mac) and Apple’s Mac App Store.[4] It only came out for Android on May 18, 2017.[11] The soundtrack is available on iTunes.[10]
While the images are done in a pixelated style, the backgrounds are hand-painted with a pastel color palette.[8] The game is completely written in rhyme, and is available in English, French, and Norwegian.[10][8]
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | iOS: 77/100[12] PC: 74/100[1] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Adventure Gamers |    [13] |
| Pocket Gamer | [14] |
| TouchArcade | [15] |
The Microsoft Windows version of the game was given a score of 74 out of 100 by Metacritic, a review aggregation website.[1] Adventure Gamers praised its story, but complained about the rhyming and lack of hints, giving it 3.5 out of 5 stars overall.[13] Stuff.tv gave it 4/5 stars, stating the script had moments like a Douglas Adams story, and the “entire project feels like a concise, modern take on a classic Lucasfilm game.”[6] Gamezebo thought it was “charmingly retro.”[9]
iDigitalTimes gave it 5/5,[10][4] saying that it was “already a strong contender for one of the best mobile games of 2017,” because of its “engaging storyline, beautiful graphics and clever gameplay.”[4] Macworld thought that “everything about Milkmaid of the Milky Way has clearly been carefully designed, and the result is gorgeous.”[7] Also, Pocket Gamer gave the game the “Pocket Game Silver Award."[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Milkmaid of the Milky Way for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- ^ Sykes, Tom (January 8, 2017). "Milmaid of the Milky Way a Rhyming Adventure is Out Now". PC Gamer.
- ^ a b c Press for machineboy at the Machineboy.com website
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harbison, Cammy (January 6, 2017). "'Milkmaid Of The Milky Way' Review: The Best Mobile Adventure Game You'll Play This Year". iDigitalTimes. Archived from the original on July 13, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ a b Harbison, Cammy (January 9, 2017). "'Milkmaid Of The Milky Way' Walkthrough & Guide: How To Dry Wood, Rescue Cow, Open Spaceship Panels And More". iDigitalTimes. Archived from the original on July 6, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ a b Grannel, Craig (21 January 2017). "App of the week: Milkmaid of the Milky Way review". Stuff.tv.
- ^ a b c Purewal, Sarah Jacobsson (February 24, 2017). "Milkmaid of the Milky Way Review". Macworld.
- ^ a b c Harbison, Cammy (January 6, 2017). "Milkmaid of the Milky Way is Arcade Game of the Week". TouchArcade.
- ^ a b Allen, Jennifer (January 10, 2017). "Milkmaid of the Milky Way Review: Charmingly Retro". GameZebo. Archived from the original on July 8, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Milkmaid of the Milky Way at Machinery’s website
- ^ Renaudin, Clement (18 May 2017). "Pixely adventure game Milkmaid of the Milky Way points its way to Android". PocketGamer.
- ^ "Milkmaid of the Milky Way for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- ^ a b Tekaia, Pascal (March 6, 2017). "Milkmaid of the Milky Way Review". Adventure Gamers. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- ^ Valentin, Christian (January 5, 2017). "Milkmaid of the Milky Way review - A charming sci-fi adventure". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ Dotson, Carter (March 7, 2017). "'Milkmaid of the Milky Way' Review – A Melancholy Game of Saving Cows". TouchArcade. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
