 = The Goat Puzzle = 
 
 The Goat Puzzle , also known as The Infamous Goat Puzzle , The Infamous Goat , The Wretched Goat , The Goat of Lochmarne , or simply The Goat , is a puzzle featured in Revolution Software 's 1996 classic point and click adventure game Broken Sword : The Shadow of the Templars . In the puzzle , protagonist George Stobbart must gain access to an underground dig located in a castle in Lochmarne , Ireland , by avoiding getting butted by a fierce goat . It is often explained to be difficult due to challenging the player in a way different from previous puzzles in the game . It is also noted by many gamers and various publications as one of the hardest video game puzzles of all time . The puzzle was simplified in The Shadow of the Templars ' 2009 director 's cut . 
 
 = = Puzzle and solution = = 
 
 Revolution Software 's point and click adventure game Broken Sword : The Shadow of the Templars was first released in 1996 . While investigating a murder , protagonist and player character George Stobbart finds himself uncovering a dark mystery regarding the Knights Templar . A medieval manuscript which he obtained during the investigation leads him to a castle located in Lochmarne , Ireland . As he cannot enter the castle through the main entrance door , he climbs a haystack , which stops short of the top of the wall . He puts a sewer key which he obtained at the beginning of the game in a crack in the wall , which forms a step , allowing him to climb over the wall . Inside the castle , an entrance to an underground dig is located . A tied @-@ up goat is sitting near the entrance ; however , the chain to which it is tied is long enough to allow it to prevent George from reaching the entrance by butting him . An old piece of farming machinery is located at the left side of the screen , but George is unable to interact with it , as the goat continues to butt him . George must allow the goat to butt him when trying to reach the entrance , but while the goat is returning to its original position , the player must click on the farming machinery , which causes George to quickly jump up and run to the machinery and slightly reposition it . When returned to its original position , the goat again charges and butts George , but while doing so , gets its chain entangled with the machinery , due to its repositioning . This allows George to move freely and enter the dig . 
 
 = = Legacy = = 
 
 The puzzle is considered by many gamers and publications to be one of the most challenging video game puzzles of all time . Broken Sword creator and Revolution CEO Charles Cecil and Broken Sword designer Steve Ince , as well as publications which have covered it , explain that the puzzle was challenging because the player was not met with any " time critical " puzzle prior to this point in the game , which would mean they " would not necessarily make the connection that clicking on the machinery at a key moment would make this happen . " 
 Chris Csullion of Official Nintendo Magazine said that " if you 've played [ Broken Sword ] , the words ' the goat puzzle ' will probably make you break out in a cold sweat . " Geoff Thew of Hardcore Gamer wrote that Broken Sword was known for " intricate , challenging puzzles ( some infamously so ) . " The puzzle appeared on Computer and Video Games ' 2011 feature , " Gaming 's hardest puzzles " . In 2012 , it was listed on GameFront 's " 5 Crazy Difficult and Intricate Video Game Puzzles " . During a classic postmortem for The Shadow of the Templars at the European Game Developers Conference in August 2014 , when Cecil brought up the topic of difficult puzzles , a member of the audience shouted " That fucking goat ! " ; laughter ensued , and Cecil added : " It was very unfair , and it was absolutely bewildering . " He also continued , claiming he knew he had " made it " when a taxi driver once questioned him about his occupation : upon finding out he had written Broken Sword the driver exclaimed , " Ah , so you 're the one responsible for the goat puzzle ! " 
 The puzzle was simplified in The Shadow of the Templars ' 2009 director 's cut by , according to Cecil , adding a more logical solution . This version of the game includes a diary , in which the character takes notes ; After completing the goat puzzle , George 's diary reads : " So the ' ghost of Lochmarne ' is no more than a fierce Billy goat . For a moment I thought it was going to be incredibly awkward to get past , but in the end it was surprisingly simple . Who would have known ? " , as a reference to the original puzzle 's reputation . An easter egg involving a talking goat was included in The Shadow of the Templars ' sequel , Broken Sword II : The Smoking Mirror ( 1997 ) . A goat puzzle was featured in Broken Sword 5 : The Serpent 's Curse , in the beginning and ending of 2014 second and final episode of the title , as part of the achieved $ 800 @,@ 000 Kickstarter " stretch goal " . 
 
 