Herdling, a charming new indie game where players have to guide creatures up a mountain, was revealed atGamescom Opening Night Live. It’s developed by Okomotive, the game developer behindFar: Changing TidesandFar: Lone Sails, and published by Panic, the publisher behindUntitled Goose Game, Firewatch, and thePlaydate handheld.
InHerdling, players guide a variety of unique-looking fantasy creatures called Calicorns up a mountain. It’s a single-player game in which the main challenge is herding and protecting the Calicorns players encounter as they solve puzzles and ascend the mountain. We see some of that in the game’s reveal trailer, in addition to stampede sequences with a greater sense of speed that will pop up throughout the adventure.
While it certainly looks atmospheric like the Far games, Okomotive co-founders admit in a press release that they wanted “to start a new kind of adventure, not only for the players, but also for us.” Game designer Fabio Baumgartner says the centerpiece ofHerdling’sdesign was “this idea of moving as part of a herd of large, lovable, mystical creatures.” Meanwhile, Panic director of publishing Nick Suttner likened Herdling toFirewatch, Inside, andThe Last Guardianin his comment, suggesting the publisher certainly has high hopes for the title.
“Herdlingfeels like a return to the scale and fidelity of something likeFirewatchfor us, so it’s really exciting to have it in our lineup,” Suttner said. “We’re huge fans of games likeInsideandThe Last Guardian— stirring solo adventures that really communicate a sense of awe, loneliness, and a particular brand of companionship. It feels like a bit of a lost art in the current games culture, so we were all-in on what Okomotive are doing withHerdling.”
Herdlingis in development for PC and consoles and will be released sometime in 2025. Panic will also offer up a deeper look at the game during its showcase on August 27.
