No live service, multiplayer or big budget, the simple but charming indie game Herdling is well received by players.
Developer Okomotive released two popular indie hits in 2018 with Far: Lone Sails and the sequel Far: Changing Tides in 2022. The games are available on Steam at 94 and 92 percent positive user reviews. The studio’s new game, Herdling, is also an emotional single-player experience that has already received positive reactions.
Part of the herd
Herdling is, according to the official description on the Steam page , an “emotional saga about trust, survival and companionship that works without words ”.
As the player, you will guide a herd of Calicorns, creatures reminiscent of large yaks, through an alpine mountain landscape. You will direct the Calicorns through valleys, forests and mountain passes, protecting them from danger and completing smaller environmental puzzles.
In the first trailer, for example, you can see large birds of prey; they attack your herd. But the dangers also include powerful storms and Turkish snow
This time, Panic, which already has a few successful indie games in its portfolio with Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game, is acting as the publisher.
A dig at the industry
On X, formerly Twitter, writes Alice Ruppert: “AAA Games Industry: live service, multiplayer, season passes, billion-dollar budgets, laying off half the staff even when the products are successful”and contrasts it with the linear adventure game from Okomotive.
Rupert is responsible for marketing at Herdling, but he is not alone in his opinion. X-User Rashad Foux writes: “This is the kind of unique concept that the industry needs to support.”
Arien Van Stralen particularly likes the graphic style and HolliLoki comments: “I’m a yak herder, taking care of my yaks? I love it!«
Herdling is currently not scheduled for release, but the plan is to release it in the summer of 2025. The game will be available for PC (Steam, Microsoft Store, Epic Games Store), Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X & S. Herdling will be the third game from the studio, which was founded in Zurich in 2017.
