When you first launch Okomotive`s game, Herdling, its mystical vistas might seem like pure fantasy. However, that`s not the case. The development team drew inspiration from actual hikes undertaken while creating the game.
“We went on several hikes in the Swiss mountains before and during Herdling`s development,” Don Schmocker, creative director of Herdling, told GameSpot via email. “From Medels to the Suretta Lakes, three picturesque mountain lakes near the Swiss-Italian border, or up one of the well-known Swiss mountains, Mount Rigi. They were always inspiring and allowed us to step away from our computers for a bit.”
Hikes around the Suretta Lakes and up Mount Rigi inspired Herdling – a magical adventure where players guide strange, mythical creatures across enchanting mountain landscapes. The team`s goal was to convey the feeling of wandering and exploration while herding, making it feel natural rather than mechanical.
“When we decided to develop Herdling, we were intrigued by the idea of guiding strange animals through the mountains,” Schmocker added. “But we knew the first thing we had to figure out was the core herding gameplay. We created several prototypes to try different approaches. Some were more direct but felt too mechanical, while others were too unintuitive. Another problem we needed to solve was making the animals feel natural and animal-like without interfering with players` intentions.”
Ultimately, Okomotive found a gameplay style that felt fluid and intuitive. To maintain smooth movement, the team drew inspiration from games like The Pathless, Journey, and even racing games such as SSX, ensuring herding never felt like an escort mission or a puzzle.
The game`s visuals also blend fantastical and real-world influences. The Calicorn creatures are inspired by Bulgarian Kukeri costumes, while films like Pan`s Labyrinth, Spirited Away, and The Last Guardian shaped the magical tone of the world.
“In the FAR series games, we use environmental storytelling to tell grand narratives about the world and past events,” Schmocker explained. “In Herdling, we tell a more personal story centered around protagonist Via and her herd.”
The game can be completed in a few afternoons – roughly three to five hours – but you might spend a little more time exploring its mountain landscapes, which combine reality and fantasy. The journey within Herdling resonated with GameSpot`s Mark Delaney. He described it as a game about finding one`s purpose.
“It`s a journey I`ll remember for a long time thanks to its portrayal of animals as unique individuals who, much like us, are primarily seeking love and safety,” he wrote in his GameSpot review. “Helping them find that safety and feel that love was one of my favorite experiences in video games.”