I downloaded Herdling during Steam Next Fest because, frankly, it looked gorgeous. Which means when the camera pans down to reveal my character sleeping rough in an underpass it's a bit of a reality check. Herdling has plenty of beauty within it, but it's also one where that's contrasted with some of the grimier flavors of the modern day. It all makes Herdling, in its opening hours, really feel like a journey.
And Journey is the game that Herdling immediately jumps to mind when I play through this introduction. I'm well aware developer Okomotive is a master at games about moving forward – they also developed Far: Lone Sails, after all. But this shift into explorable 3D environments, away from side-on, reminds me of the atmospheric PS3 must-play. You can see what you think for yourself with the demo as well – and can find out more about this season's demos in our Steam Next Fest guide.
With the herd
The opening of Herdling has me stumbling upon my first calicorn – the creatures you titularly herd – near where I'm sleeping, scooping up a stick to help remove a bucket that's stuck to its head. Instantly befriended and named (you can pick names for each herd member yourself), the stick turns into a shepherding stick and we move through urban backstreets, sometimes having to push obstacles out of the way, and pick up some more lost calicorn. Near the outskirts, they gaze upon a poster showing a snowy mountain. The mission becomes immediately clear. Get! Them! Home!
You can pet the calicorn and even clean them up when they get dirty. The process of growing familiar with each herdling reminds me of The Last Guardian – though their AI is far less punishing. They know to stick close, and when to shuffle over to help push heavy objects. Tapping the right trigger or holding it down to set a herd point ahead of the group is simple and they follow it easily enough. You'll love them without growing frustrated. (Though for The Last Guardian haters out there I still think it's a skill issue – Trico did nothing wrong!).
Quickly exiting the city, we enter nearby fields. Herding them across blue flowers causes each calicorn to glow with energy – their moods change the color of their fur. Able to charge up the shepherd gesture, you can command them to stampede (sort of an oxymoron but go with it) to hit higher speeds, skipping along behind them. Moving through more fields of blue keeps it going. The music kicks in, swelling to fit the faster movement – it's such a great feeling.
But it's not all rushing through fields with abandon. Thicker bushes can make it tougher to progress – and you command them to bash their way through (though you may need to help clean up twigs and such that get stuck to their coat). You may also need to ask them to stop, or slow down, to avoid getting hurt. Outside the city doesn't mean there's no human presence at all. Though the spaces are wide, you're still funnelled forward linearly, meaning you need to at times navigate human structures. A train yard, for instance, has plenty of carriages to push and nasty rusty metal spikes you want to avoid running into. Later, darting through a forest, we need to pick across an abandoned motorway.
I love the vibes and the rhythm of play so far, and I'm already loving the herd I've assembled. I just want to get them to where they deserve to be. When the chance to get them up that mountain comes, you know I'll be leading the way. Herdling releases on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S later in 2025.
