With Palworld and Helldivers 2 2024 already has us a few weeks before Easter two real surprise hits placed in the nest, but there is a game that is still in front of them – although it is much smaller and more inconspicuous. With 99 percent positive reviews is on Steam Sheepy: A Short Adventure currently one of, if not the, best game on the platform in 2024.
You've never heard of Sheepy? Then you're like us: Although the platformer was released on February 6th, it probably didn't even appear on many players' radars. In hindsight we would like to say that this is completely wrong, because on the one hand it is a short adventure completely free and what's more, really good, both in terms of gameplay and audiovisual.
What is Sheepy: A Short Adventure?
We've already mentioned it, Sheepy: A Short Adventure is one 2D platformer with pixel style. It brings back a few memories Celeste, even if the visual presentation seems much more modern in comparison despite the chosen look – the lighting mood in particular is sometimes a real eye-catcher. But more on that in a moment.
Sheepy: A Short Adventure is from, or at least that's what they say Steam product pagepenned by MrSuicideSheep. We weren't really familiar with this term until this game, but with 12.8 million subscribers on YouTube it's not a small name. The channel is entirely dedicated to electronic music, so at first glance it doesn't have much to do with video game development. At this point comes the indie developerThomas Lean who has been working on Sheepy: A Short Adventure for the last three years – it's his debut project, judging by a few small attempts and game jams itch.io abstains.
Sheepy: A Short Adventure is perfected byYo Mase, Hahlweg and Valley (echoes), who composed the soundtrack. And this one is, to quote the all-too-familiar words of our dear colleague Jonas, a “real banger”.
Why is Sheepy so good?
Okay, now you know who Sheepy comes from, but why is it perceived so positively? Well, on the one hand, this is because it doesn't cost a dime: Sheepy: A Short Adventure is completely free. There are no microtransactions either, only the soundtrack can be purchased separately in the near future. It can already be heard on various streaming platforms.
On the other hand, Sheepy is an absolutely convincing platformer high quality You wouldn't expect this from a single developer for a first work. As a fluffy and far too cute sheep, you hop precisely from A to B, from bottom to top, climb smaller ledges and squeeze yourself together to push one or the other elevator down using your body weight. Little by little it will too a little more complex: With double jumps, even high walls become child's play, the Dash lets you become a goat, knocking over everything in its path, and black mini-holes enable jump chains that… Ori and the Blind Forest remember.
Chic lights, practical black holes: Sheepy plays fluffy.
All of this plays mostly smoothly, even if it's a bit slow at the beginning due to the limited movement. But once Sheepy gets going, you can enjoy fancy animations, jumps that gradually become more complex – without really being too demanding – and a detailed graphics be happy. Even though you're underground almost the entire time, Thomas Lean manages to stage some wonderful set pieces.
Of course, the already mentioned soundtrack by the three Seeking Blue artists plays an important role here, which is truly a Rollercoaster of emotions delivers: predominantly calm, melancholic tones are replaced by gloomy sounds and in between there is also a swelling high-speed melody that literally drives the spit river, with which the artists were really allowed to let off steam.
Short pleasure
Perhaps the greatest weakness, if one wants to describe it as such, is this Length of Sheepy: A Short Adventure. After about an hour you have already reached the end. However, if you want to collect all the collectibles and background information for the very cryptic story, you may have to spend half an hour longer – so the short in the title was very deliberately chosen.
However, it has to no end forever be: The success could lead to Sheepy possibly being continued in the future – bigger and perhaps no longer completely free. At least the positive response shows that the players are satisfied with the current product and quite a few comments say that they would have paid a few euros for it.
Anyone who wants to now Sheep: A Short Story To play, you can download the full version directly on Steam or itch.io. Or you can throw instead a look at our idea of Mousewhich also has what it takes to be a surprise hit.