A Free Demo For Herdling Is Now On Steam If You Feel Like Crying

Herdling, the next game from the Far: Lone Sails team, Okomotive, is coming this summer to consoles and PC, but you don't have to wait any longer to play a portion of it yourself. The free Herdling demo is out now on Steam, as was just announced alongside a new gameplay trailer during the Future Games Show.

In Herdling, players control a nameless child who takes on the responsibility of herding a pack of fantastical mammoth-like creatures, called calicorns, to their home. Players must guide them to safety and will benefit from their help in puzzles. The trick will frequently be getting the calicorns from A to B without losing any to narrow passageways, train tracks, and other (sometimes deadly) obstacles.

I played an early portion of the game at PAX West last year and have since been anticipating it hitting me like a ton of bricks when it arrives in full--in a bittersweet way that I appreciate, mind you. It's going to be sad, no doubt, but if there is a way to play it without losing any furry friends, you can bet I'll be trying to find it. It reminds me of Journey in that the objective is a mountain far off in the distance, and getting there is a road trip of beautiful music to listen to and sights to see.