Sheepherds! Preview

It is no secret that I love dogs. Having lived with the insufferable creatures my whole life, I have a tough time being anywhere without them; it’s just too quiet. As such, any game featuring one of these furry friends will have an easy time roping me in to giving it a try, which is why I eagerly booted up Sheepherds!, taking on the time-honoured role of a livestock dog.

The setting is on the simpler side: we (you and up to three friends) play as animals in charge of herding sheep into a shearing station. The intrepid party of workers go through varying stages to reach this goal while also attempting to complete challenges for rewards, and that's it!

As the levels progress, the optional tasks will become harder apace; some levels require the players to guide the sheep through fields of coloured flowers to dye the wool to a desired hue and others have obstacles, such as a river and bridges, that make the experience feel fresh.

Sheepherds! continues its streak of simplicity in the controls, as it is very easy to pick up and play: you can trot around, sprint down stragglers, and unleash a powerful BORK to both speed up the herd and make sure they take that sharp turn. You also have a button to, uh, relieve yourself while doing a handstand. I do not know why, but it is amazing.

Being skittish balls of wool, the sheep will try their best to get away from any predator-esque creature stalking near them, leading to the natural gameplay of corralling the group by stationing good boys and girls in key positions to keep everything going smoothly.

The simplicity of the core mechanics does not mean the game is easy, however, as the sheepies do tend to do what they want and when they want at times. For example, there were countless situations where our beautifully dyed sheep would decide they needed a dip on the shore at the last minute, slip out of the group, and ruin a perfect red-lamb combo.

Thankfully, the game has such a joyful energy and generally happy vibe that small setbacks like these felt minor at worst. Managing to perfectly tunnel the fluffballs through a maze of wrong-coloured flowers always felt satisfying, and we never felt like our role was redundant.

The greatest draw of Sheepherds! for me was the cosmetics. You see, while you have a few options on both breed, coat colour, and costume, completing levels and challenges will net you golden biscuits that will unlock even more! I cannot describe the fervour I felt to do my best when the Chow Chow was within reach! The term machine-gun-woofs may be descriptive.

Sheepherds! seems like a fun, cosy, and happy game to enjoy with friends. The simple controls make it easy to pick up and play, and the easily understandable objective makes it approachable for a wide array of eager herders! If you’re looking for a fun party game to play with your group or maybe something for a family night, this is definitely one to watch!