Unexpectedly to Bogost , '' Cow Clicker '' became a viral phenomenon , amassing over 50,000 players by September 2010 . In response to its sudden popularity , he committed to improving the game with new features . Updates to the game added awards for reaching certain milestones ( such as the Golden Cowbell for 100,000 clicks ) , the ability to earn Mooney by clicking on other users ' '' Cow Clicker '' news feed posts , and the chance to randomly gain or lose Mooney on every click . New cow designs were also introduced , such as an oil-coated cow to commemorate the BP oil spill , and the " Stargrazer Cow " , which was only a mirror image of the original cow that cost around $ 20 's worth of Mooney
BP oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Cow Clicker