Milkmaid of the Milky Way follows the story of Ruth, a young girl who has lost her parents and lives alone in a remote cabin sitting high on a peak, upon a mountain’s edge in Norway.
With a set up like that, it’s easy to assume Ruth is some kind of hermit. But our heroine is in the constant company of her cows, who solely depend on her, after her mother disappeared and her father suddenly passed away. But tending a farm on your own is hard work, and business hasn’t been booming recently either...
Just when you think it can't get any worse, one day, Ruth and her bovine companions are attacked by a golden spaceship which descends upon them, shaking the sky above, and abducts her cows!
Rather than sitting idle, Ruth jumps from the cliff onto the UFO, screaming “Let go of my cow!” and thus begins Milkmaid of the Milky Way.
As you explore the ship playing as Ruth, you'll encounter creatures of all shapes and sizes – but no matter whether they’re making serious threats or simple chitchat, all the dialogue is delivered in rhyme. A characteristic which continues throughout the game and, when combined with the absurd plot, makes for an extremely fun adventure game.
The game's retro style is reflected in the pixelated character graphics which are layered on top of hand painted backgrounds that depict Nordic blue skies and the vast expanse of the Milky Way which glistens above. Beautiful.
Solve puzzles in order to advance in the game, following Ruth on her intergalactic search and rescue mission. The game soon turns from a simple puzzle adventure into a larger science fiction story, complete with cow-stealing aliens, whimsical rhymes and animated cutscenes which help progress the story.
It may be short, but Milkmaid of the Milky Way is filled with adventure and charm.