The dichotomy between city life and navigating the wilderness would have been enough on its own. One such moment saw my herd moving alongside a train; another involved watching a lone car making its way across a bridge overhead, almost an analogy to how the protagonist started. And yet, Herdling goes beyond that, delivering a story about bonding and caring for your herd. This is despite knowing the bare minimum about them, but it fits surprisingly well with the protagonist’s own story.

We don’t know where they came from, how they ended up as such at the start, which makes it all the more endearing when they rescue and bring other Calicorns into the herd. Each of the creature’s predicaments offers enough context to help fill in the blanks. Did this Calicorn seek shelter and end up injured by something, causing it to retreat under a train car whenever I get too close? What about this other Calicorn who was left behind on the ferry in the middle of a lake?

"Each Calicorn stands out, some in extremely subtle ways and others more overtly. While I would have liked to see more distinguished personalities and moods develop at a quicker pace, their different movements, horns, and reactions upon being petted offer enough."

Of course, as time goes on, they evolve past “This and that Calicorn,” and even the names bestowed on them. Zoe, the first Calicorn I tamed, is big but also affectionate. It would be enough for the menu to indicate as much, but at times, it feels like she’s softly nudging towards me, as if wanting affection. Then there’s Gian, whom I saved from falling down a cliff, which he stood on before hanging on for dear life a second later. His bravery is reflected in his stoicism, but in a way, it reminds me of the trauma he overcame to keep going. Shinyuu is a rascal, and I still don’t understand why, but their happy-go-lucky, mischievous nature has grown on me.

Each Calicorn stands out, some in extremely subtle ways and others more overtly. While I would have liked to see more distinguished personalities and moods develop at a quicker pace, their different movements, horns, and reactions upon being petted offer enough. It’s something that stands out as you feed, pet, nurse them back to full health and even decorate them with various knick-knacks discovered on your travels. Outside of some odd antialiasing with the fur, the Calicorns come across as cute and endearing, but still very much like herd beasts. It makes more sense in-game, I swear.

There is a deeper narrative, one of a mysterious shepherd before the protagonist seemingly journeying on the same path, as depicted in paintings that only the Calicorns can activate and in different dreams. It makes you wonder whether this entire odyssey is pre-ordained, perhaps an ordeal of sorts that the herd and their shepherd must overcome.

The world-building doesn’t really factor the city in too much, but you will see different totems and monuments, indicating past journeys and those who came before. The sheer number of rundown buildings and abandoned infrastructure, coupled with the lack of other people, is another hint that something isn’t quite right with the world, but again, it’s not the core focus.

By now, you’re probably wondering: What even is the gameplay loop of Herdling? The title, as it turns out, is another clue. As the herd’s shepherd, it’s your job to direct them from one place to another. By pressing the Right Trigger, you motion the herd to a specific point. Holding it down allows for placing a continuously moving mark that they’ll follow, but it’s not a matter of just standing at one point and hitting RT. You need to remain behind the herd, carefully repositioning yourself to move the guiding mark, thus ensuring the herd has a clear path. Eventually, you’ll gain the option to hold down RT and press it again for a boost, which makes for some pretty incredible moments when you’re let loose in wider areas.

"What feels incredibly consistent throughout, however, is Herdling’s stunning art direction. At times, it’s vibrant, as dusk illuminates the seemingly endless fields of flowers and the clouds swirl above the mountains ahead."

There are light puzzles to solve along the way, usually moving heavy objects with the assistance of the herd, jumping across small gaps and flipping switches. However, things quickly become perilous when you must move the herd slowly to ensure they don’t touch any sharp environmental objects. One sequence involves slowly guiding them around pine cone-like structures in a forest, which crumble and provoke the giant birds within.

Slow movement and even outright stopping the herd at points to get into position to set the next marker is key in these instances, and downright intense, as is the pain felt when a Calicorn hurts itself, and you have no choice but to soldier on. As linear as the progression through the game’s various environments can be, I appreciated the alternate routes. Do I attempt to take the clearer path or have the herd gun it through some pine cones, picking up the flowers that lay after and just boosting out? It’s a small choice but offers some welcome alternatives for those who fancy their chances.

Similar challenges await, and at times, it can get a little awkward to maneuver the herd in tighter spaces, especially when they suddenly double back. Maneuvering the protagonist to ensure the guiding mark remained on the most straightforward path could also be a little tricky, especially since you end up bumping into other Calicorns at times. Holding down the sprint button helps for quick repositioning, and overall, these annoyances felt few and far between.

What feels incredibly consistent throughout, however, is Herdling’s stunning art direction. At times, it’s vibrant, as dusk illuminates the seemingly endless fields of flowers and the clouds swirl above the mountains ahead. Things can turn somber quickly, especially when crossing the giant lake on the ferry, as fog noticeably creeps in. Regardless, the lighting, shadows, and texture work stand out, while the aesthetic is a fine balance between animated and realistic.

"As much as it differs from FAR, especially in its lack of survival elements or machine management, Herdling carries a certain charm that’s unique to Okamotive, and makes for an experience that’s equal parts calming and emotionally harrowing."

The only real qualm during a few moments is the performance, as the frame rate can noticeably drop. It isn’t enough to render the experience unplayable, but it can slightly blemish some moments. Thankfully, the music suffers no such issues, transitioning from quiet to a catchy upbeat tune at a moment’s notice, even if it highly depends on the moments in question.

Aside from its controls and core mechanics, Herdling isn’t the most unorthodox adventure experience. The puzzles are far from head-scratchers, and the level design, well-paced and nuanced as it can be, is pretty straightforward. Nevertheless, as part mood piece, part atmospheric mystery and part animal bonding simulator, its presentation and emotions come together in a memorable package.

It certainly won’t demand too much of your time, but it feels like the appropriate length for what’s offered. As much as it differs from FAR, especially in its lack of survival elements or machine management, Herdling carries a certain charm that’s unique to Okamotive, and makes for an experience that’s equal parts calming and emotionally harrowing.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Herdling focuses on an expedition to a mysterious summit, ensuring that your herd survives against all kinds of dangers. There are puzzles to overcome and stampede sequences, where you’ll rush through the land. While the mountain peak is your ultimate goal, there are also plateaus, valleys, and forests to navigate throughout.

As with FAR: Lone Sails and Changing Tides, the narrative is wordless as players learn more about the world and bond with their Calicorns. How did things end up this way, and what secrets lay on the summit?

We’ll find out when Herdling launches on August 21st for Nintendo Switch. It’s also coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Herdling revolves around the player setting out on a grand expedition with a herd of what the studio refers to as loveable beasts – Calicorns. Throughout the game, the player is tasked with ascending a mountain path and taking on strange, eerie challenges and obstacles. Over the course of the game, along with herding the animals, players will also have to help them through dangerous situations.

Herdling’s story will revolve around a tale of trust, survival and companionship, albeit without the use of any words, as the player’s character will be the only one that can talk throughout the title. A demo for Herdling is also available on Steam.

https://youtu.be/qRvDPGYH6bQs

Compared to the FAR titles, which focus on traversing sandy and flooded worlds with ships, this title is seemingly set in a mountainous region. It appears to be Autumn, with the leaves falling and a lone figure admiring the mountains in the distance. The aesthetic reminds us of the developer’s other games but still looks pretty good while maintaining a peaceful atmosphere.

No release date or platforms were revealed. FAR: Changing Tides is available for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch, so Okomotive’s next game may be released for the same. We’ll need more details, so sit tight and stay tuned in the meantime.

In an email sent out to buyers, it was confirmed that the system would not be making its 2021 date. While many buyers were already in line for 2022, initial buyers who got in early were scheduled to get the Playdate in “late 2021.” Considering how little information had been out there since pre-orders went live, it’s not a huge surprise. According to Panic, the issue stemmed from a battery issue that saw a lot of units unable to power on and charge, thus making them decide to replace the battery in all the units. They also point to the global chip shortage, which is impacting other platform holders, as another issue.

The Playdate 2021 pre-orders sold out in just the span of a few minutes, but now they will have to wait to see how the little handheld fares in early 2022. Pre-orders that happened afterward are still slated for the second half of 2022 and groups after 50,000 units in 2023.

Panic did continue taking up pre-orders for the next batch of stocks, which will be delivered next year. The Firewatch publisher will be providing free software development kits for the Playdate, and a number of developers are already onboard for developing games for Playdate – including Return of the Obra Dinn’s Lucas Pope.

Playdate will be doling out these games as a part of its seasons, wherein fans will get a title for free every week for 12 weeks during the first season. Given that fans have flocked to the handheld in an unprecedented manner, it’s quite possible that many more developers start developing games for it.

Valve’s latest Steam Deck also sold out in a similar manner, and Valve has already extended pre-order periods for the handheld.

Panic announced that preorders for the system will go live next week according to an e-mail newsletter sent out by the company. The first batch will be a relatively small one, consisting of 20,000 units, but the developer assures that the preorder will not sell out in the manner as has been common with new systems over the last year, and will remain open. The first batch of preorders is planned to go out at the end of 2021, with others after that initial batch coming at the beginning of 2022.

The Playdate preorder will go live on July 29th and will retail for $179.99 USD. The system is set to have seasons of various titles, with the first season of 24 titles coming with the handheld itself, and you can read more details about that at the official site through here.

House House’s Untitled Goose Game has gone from a potentially niche indie release to a fairly recognizable name in the past few months. Its popularity, coupled with a major segment at The Game Awards 2019 with the Muppets, are a testament to that. However, it’s also doing incredibly well sales-wise.

According to publisher Panic’s co-founder Cabel Sasser on Twitter, Untitled Goose Game has surpassed one million units sold. He further followed it up by stating, “The reaction was beyond anything we could have imagined. The fan art, the writing, yes the memes, protest signs, Chrissy Teigen, Muppets?! It feels once-in-a-lifetime. We hope we brought some joy into your life, because you brought so much into ours. And we’ll never forget it.”

Untitled Goose Game’s sandbox combined with the simple gameplay mechanics make it easy to get into. There’s nothing simple about your tasks though – you’re essentially a goose that goes around causing havoc. Steal someone’s glasses, dump stuff in the river, infiltrate backyards…essentially, the goose is loose and everyone should be terrified.

The title is currently available for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch. It’s playable on Xbox Game Pass as well. Though currently exclusive to the Epic Games Store on PC, it will also be coming to Steam in late 2020. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

It seems impossible, but last week, three months after launch, Untitled Goose Game passed one million copies sold.

From the bottom of our hearts: thank you for playing our videogame.

— Cabel (@cabel) December 30, 2019

The reaction was beyond anything we could have imagined. The fan art, the writing, yes the memes, protest signs, Chrissy Teigen, Muppets?! It feels once-in-a-lifetime.

We hope we brought some joy into your life, because you brought so much into ours.

And we'll never forget it.

— Cabel (@cabel) December 30, 2019

Last week came the incredibly unexpected news of a new handheld being announced. It didn’t come from any of the current platform holders, or any of the major third parties, instead coming from publisher/developer Panic, known for several iOS apps and the game Firewatch. Regardless of anything, it certainly is interesting, but one question lingered on many lips: who exactly wants this? Some even speculated that the whole thing was viral marketing, it was so bizarre. Well, it’s very real, and the developer has answered that question, and even though some may just see it as a head scratcher, they see an audience for it.

Panic co-founder Cabel Sasser sat down with EDGE magazine (Issue #333) and talked extensively about the little machine and was open about how off the wall the concept was, and that he, himself, is still kind of surprised at its existence. As far as who it’s for, well, he thinks it’s simply out there for players who are looking for new experiences.

“We’re building this for people who love video games,” he said. “People who will never forget burning the bush in Zelda and uncovering the stairs to a dungeon, or people who remember laughing uproariously as they roll the ball of stuff in Katamari, or even people who got chills when they were riding their horse in Red Dead Redemption towards Mexico and that song started playing.

“People who play Firewatch one week or Uncharted the next, they don’t care about the platform, and they don’t care about the genre or the number of ‘A’s, they just care about that indescribably electric feeling of experiencing something new that games give us. That’s been my whole life as I played videogames. So Playdate, in a way, is a shrine to that feeling.”

The Playdate is scheduled to come out some time next year. Time will tell if any success will come of the thing, but one thing is for sure- you can’t knock it for being the same ol’, same ol’.

Talk about unexpected. A lot of focus is on next generation hardware, from the PS5 and next Xbox, to potential Switch revisions. But seemingly out of nowhere, a new piece of hardware has been announced, something that I can honestly say I doubt anyone expected. It is a new dedicated handheld device called the Playdate, and it’s… interesting.

The new device comes by way of Panic, the publisher behind 2016’s Firewatch. You won’t be playing the newest Call of Duty on the Playdate, however. It’s aiming to do something entirely different from other systems on the market. It will come with 12 as of now undetailed games in a ‘season.’ You will automatically download one game per week after release. The company says they want it to simulate waking up to discover a new game every week, and will also open the possibly of more games down the line.

It’s not the only thing unique about the system. There’s no analog stick, only a d-pad, two buttons and… a crank. Apparently not all the games will use the crank, but some will in some way that isn’t made clear (since all the games are a secret as of now). You can find out more details on the website and look at the video below to see how small the system is, and what the crank is like in action.

The Playdate will release sometime in 2020 for a suggested retail price of $149. Panic also assures this isn’t part of a viral marketing campaign, it’s a legitimate device.

Oh yeah, the crank! No, it doesn't power the device. It's a flip-out rotational controller that puts a fresh spin on fun. Some games use it exclusively, some use it with the d-pad, and some not at all. pic.twitter.com/XYW97nLZKK

— Playdate (@playdate) May 22, 2019