A couple of months ago, I stayed over at a friend’s house who had two cats. In the morning, to my surprise, I discovered one of them had decided to cuddle with me. Emboldened by this experience, I posted that I was “touched by the gods.” While people’s mileage may vary regarding their experience with animals, the essence remains the same. What is it that allures the wonder to tame animals? To control nature, as it were, to the point of them allowing us to befriend them and look forward to hanging out with us? Their unpredictable behavior, I assume, is what makes it feel so special, taking a liking to us. Herdling, in its noble goal to represent such a transient experience, intentionally created a powerful reminder of our connection to the world.
Developed by Okomotive, the studio behind the FAR series, there is a shared DNA that fits well in this natural evolution of their work. A sense of introspection permeates Herdling since the first few moments of playing as a homeless young man on the side of the road. Picking up a mystical staff that can guide animals, you carry on, guided by the wind, towards an injured beast. From then on, the true game begins.
Tend Your Flock
Herding your beautiful bison-esque beasts, called Calicorns, is the main focus of Herdling. As it only lasts about 5 hours, it is just more than enough time not to feel trite. Thanks to its curious gameplay of trying to control unwieldy beasts, they do pay attention, for the most part. Outside influences like thunder, cliffs, and other hazards, such as predators, will naturally scare your herd and hinder your progress. Taking care of your herd becomes a job of its own as you can pet, feed, and clean them, making them grow affectionate towards you in the process.
What may come off as a surprise, as it very much did for me, is that if you’re not careful, your herd can and will die. There is no rewind button if one of your dear Calicorns falls off a cliff, no matter how attached you may be to the long-gone creature. This puts a stark contrast to the otherwise stimulatory experience. An element of danger always raises the stakes to the point of being careful. If your herder does not want to have a remorseful conscience, then you will have to look out at your environment and handle the beasts dexterously.
Man Vs. Nature
While you can feed some Calicorns directly and befriend them right then and there, some others will be a bit more shy and require a lighter touch. Placing a fruit as a trap of sorts and slowly approaching the wild beast to tame it is one of the possible scripted sequences you can engage in. You can also just miss some of them entirely if you wish to do so. Herdling is surprisingly light in terms of hand-holding. There is no objective marker at any time, but the environmental clues are quite generous as to never feel entirely clueless, either.
If a game does not have a single line of dialogue and just sparse instructions, the other elements in it must cover their absence. With a need to go into Herdling patiently and attentively, only those willing to engage in a primal manner will understand its goal. The structure of predictable open prairies to tighter spaces gives way to scripted moments of tension. Dangers like hazards and predators roam these lands, and surviving with your whole herd intact allows for well-earned moments of respite.
Conclusion
When art direction, music, and gameplay come together, Herdling is an exercise of mindful stimulation. The wind and uplifting tribal music as you run down a hill overlooking Himalayan-esque mountains is a rush. Roaming through spacious fields to find new trinkets, animals to recruit, or fruits to feed your herd connects you with them like a mother to their children. Although it has some detractions, like less-than-tight controls, the result is worth playing. The greatest achievement Herdling pulls off is making you care about these wondrous, hapless beasts that will love you back, as long as you put in the effort.
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