Goat Simulator: Complete Guide

A practical guide to the original Goat Simulator (2014) on Steam: how scoring and mutators work, what each map and DLC adds, how to hunt trophies and achievements, and whether you should play the original or Goat Simulator: Remastered instead.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final state of the original Steam release (last major content: Waste of Space, May 2016). Goat Simulator: Remastered launched as a separate game on November 7, 2024. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

There is no "win". Goat Simulator is a sandbox. You score points for destruction and stunts, complete optional objectives, and hunt collectibles. Do whatever looks fun.
Score like a skating game. Chaining flips, wall runs, headbutts and licks in one combo multiplies your points. The bigger and weirder the chain, the more you earn.
Your tongue is your hands. Licking grabs almost anything (people, props, cars) and drags it along. Most puzzles and achievements involve licking something to somewhere.
Gold goat trophies unlock mutators. Hidden golden goat statues are scattered around each map. Finding them unlocks mutators, which change your goat's abilities and appearance.
Mutators are set before loading in the original. In the 2014 version you choose mutators from the menu and reload the map; the Remastered edition lets you swap from an in-game menu instead.
Ragdoll on purpose. Ragdolling is a mechanic, not a failure. It is how you ride explosions and catapults, and it earns points.
Bugs are features. The store page literally promises "MILLIONS OF BUGS", and several achievements reward glitches (including "Involuntary QA", for a fake crash).
127 achievements across all content. Many live in the DLC maps, so the base game alone will not get you to 100%.
Consider Remastered. If you are buying today, Goat Simulator: Remastered bundles every PC DLC plus the mobile-exclusive Buck to School with updated visuals.

Original vs Remastered vs Goat Simulator 3

Version	Released	What you get	Who it is for
Goat Simulator (original)	April 1, 2014	Goat Ville base map; DLC maps sold separately; Steam Workshop support	Players who already own it, Workshop modders, achievement hunters with the original list
Goat Simulator: Remastered	November 7, 2024	Goat Ville, Goat City Bay, Goat MMO, GoatZ, PAYDAY, Waste of Space, Buck to School; reworked mutators with an in-game selection menu; new textures, lighting and foliage	New players who want everything in one package
Goat Simulator 3	November 2022	A new, larger open world with up to four-player online co-op	Players who want the modern sequel and co-op

This guide covers the original, but most map knowledge carries over to Remastered because it remasters the same content.

Core Mechanics

Action	What it does	Why it matters
Run / sprint	Move fast	Sprinting into objects adds impact
Jump and flips	Air tricks	Flips in the air add to combos; front and back flips count separately
Headbutt	Knock things (and people) flying	Your main destruction tool
Kick	A back-leg kick	Used in some achievements, like kicking a person into a car
Lick	Grab and drag objects and people with your tongue	Carry items, tow cars, collect things
Ragdoll	Go limp	Ride physics, survive falls, earn points
Slow motion	Slows the world	Line up stunts and screenshots
Wall run	Run along walls briefly	Needed for the wallrun quests

Exact keybinds are listed in the in-game controls menu; gamepads are supported.

Scoring

Points come from destruction, tricks and interactions. The combo multiplier rewards variety: flip, headbutt, lick-drag, then land on a trampoline for a much bigger score than repeating one move. Objectives on each map (listed in the pause screen) give extra points and often lead to achievements.

Mutators

Mutators are unlocked by finding gold goat trophies and completing certain secrets. They change your goat's model and give special abilities. Well-known ones include the Angel and Devil goats (tied to the "Angel Goat" and "Devil Goat" achievements), the Queen (from becoming "Queen of Goat Ville"), and the jousting, mermaid, gravity goat, wheel of time and ExcaliGoat mutators that have their own achievements. Mix several at once for absurd combinations.

Maps and DLC

Map	Source	Highlights
Goat Ville	Base game	Suburbs, the goat tower, Goathenge, trampolines, and plenty of hidden rooms
Goat City Bay	Expansion	A seaside town with a carnival, boats, casino games and a much denser city
Goat MMO Simulator	Expansion (November 2014)	Fantasy MMO parody with classes, leveling (an achievement asks for level 101) and zones to visit
GoatZ	DLC	Zombie survival parody with crafting, food and survival days
Goat Simulator: PAYDAY	DLC (with OVERKILL)	Four playable criminals (Valentino Salami, Dolph Spaghetti, Don Pastrami, Humphrey Ciabatta), pranks, cash, masks and PRANKNET contracts
Waste of Space	DLC (May 26, 2016)	The largest map: crowdfund a space colony, fly ships, space combat and asteroids

Trophies and Collectibles

Every map hides gold goat trophies. Collecting them unlocks mutators and several achievements:

Sweet collection! Find 10 trophies.
Wow is that a limited edition? Find 20 trophies.
Try Hard All trophies in Goat Ville.
I freaking love goats All trophies in Goat City Bay.
Love or Hate? All trophies on the MMO level.
Hoarder All trophies in GoatZ.
The Big Score All trophies on the PAYDAY level.
NERD! All trophies in space.

Trophies tend to sit on rooftops, in hidden rooms, and on top of landmarks. Get a vantage point (the goat tower, skyscrapers, cranes) and look for the gold glint. Community trophy maps are worth using for the last few on each level.

Notable Goat Ville Secrets and Achievements

Achievement	Hint
FINALLY	Become master of the goat tower
Goat Queen	Become the Queen of Goat Ville
What is its purpose?	Thrash the Goathenge
Demogoat	Make 10 gas canisters explode at the same time
Alexander Goatstafsson	Win the title bout
Maximum MLG Big Plays	Knock a bucket into a person
Butthurt	Do a lot of hurt with your butt
Here's Johnny!	Wield an axe with your tongue
Cardio kills your gains	Drag a person onto the treadmill with your tongue
A Story about my elevator	Get up the skyscraper without the elevator
I can't believe that worked	Do 10 front flips in one trick
Mattress Madness	Bounce 100 times on mattresses within 30 seconds
Around the World on 5 Trampolines	Visit 5 trampolines in one jump, bouncing on each once
Voluntary QA	Trash the server room
Involuntary QA	Trigger the game's fake "crash"
I Am Goat	Play GoatSimSim for 5 minutes
Stand by for Goatfall	Finish all wallrun quests
Tony Goat	Finish all manual quests

Achievement Strategy (127 total)

Base game first. Many of the most common achievements are in Goat Ville and unlock naturally while exploring.
Collect trophies early. Mutators like jetpacks and tall goats make reaching the remaining trophies and rooftops trivial.
DLC maps each have their own lists. GoatZ wants survival milestones ("Survive for your life": survive 10 days; "Survivalist": craft all items in one game). MMO wants level 101 and all zones visited. PAYDAY wants character-specific tricks. Waste of Space wants you to destroy freighters, pirate ships, police ships and 100 asteroids.
Single-session achievements. Several say "in one game" (craft all weapons, kill 20 zombies, craft all items). Do not quit mid-run.
Use mutators to cheese. Flight and high-jump style mutators make chase and height achievements much easier.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Expecting a story or goal. It is a physics toy; set your own goals.
Ignoring the pause-screen objectives. They point you at most of the best content.
Hunting trophies without mutators. Unlock a movement mutator first.
Buying the original DLC piecemeal in 2026. Remastered includes all of it; compare prices before buying.
Quitting mid-session on "in one game" achievements. Progress resets.
Fighting the physics. When something clips or launches you into orbit, enjoy it (or restart).

Advanced Tips

Combo building: start with a flip off a trampoline, headbutt mid-air, lick something on landing and ragdoll off a ramp. Variety beats repetition for multipliers.
Slow motion for aiming: use slow motion to line up headbutts on people in cars or objects in the air.
Tongue towing: licking a car and running lets you drag it; you can also drag people into hazards for several achievements.
Workshop: the original supports Steam Workshop for custom goats, levels and game modes. This is one reason to keep the original installed even if you own Remastered.
Verify files after crashes. Real crashes (not the joke one) are usually fixed by verifying game files in Steam.

FAQ

Is there an objective in Goat Simulator? Only optional ones: score points, complete listed objectives, find trophies and unlock mutators.

How do I change mutators? In the original, select them before loading a map. In Remastered, you can switch from an in-game menu.

Should I buy Goat Simulator or Goat Simulator: Remastered? Remastered, unless you specifically want Workshop mods or the original achievement list. Remastered includes every PC DLC plus Buck to School.

Is there multiplayer? The original supports local split screen. Goat Simulator 3 is the entry with four-player online co-op.

How many trophies are there? Each map has its own set; achievements exist for finding 10, 20 and all trophies per map. Use a community map for the last ones.

Is Goat Simulator 2 real? No. The sequel skipped straight to Goat Simulator 3 in November 2022 as a joke.

What is Buck to School? Content from the mobile version (a new jock at GoatVille High) that was brought to PC for the first time in Goat Simulator: Remastered.