You know, strange times we live in. On one hand we have a mediocre game with ridiculously high price-tag, justified by being the first 'quadruple'-A title. On the other hand we have a top quality project like this, made by just a couple of dudes. Project, which is completely, entirely, purposefully - free. Yup, exactly. Full original game is free. No catch, no bulls, no nothing. And let me tell ya - this game is AMAZING. So good, in fact, that if you scroll through Steam reviews (with both ratings of total being Overwhelmingly Positive, ofc), you will see that genuine 'how is this free?' question so many times. I don't know what is the biggest crime here: charging money for garbage, or giving away part of your soul for free.

I mean, this game was made with so much love you can almost smell it, from the very moment you hit the main menu screen. Sheepy: A Short Adventure - tiny gem, filled with soul, to make your heart smile. Maybe to cry a little too.

Before dropping my few cents about the gameplay, let me share why this game is so special to me.

One of the creators of this title is behind a huge YouTube channel - MrSuicideSheep - or Sheepy, how many call him. Independent channel, that promotes various talented electronic (and not so) artists and bands to the hungry audience. To us. I don't remember exactly when I discovered Sheepy, but it feels like it's been forever. As a teenager, endlessly browsing the platform for more tunes (after realizing my love for liquid dnb), I inevitably, fatefully, even - found the sheep with the dark name, that resonated with me more than I'm willing to admit. Being good friends with insomnia by that time, I, just like Rust Cohle from True Detective series, didn't sleep. I just dreamed. During those long nights I was dreaming to music I found through Sheepy's channel. Music that stayed with me for years. Owsey, Koda, Tom Day, Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Hammock, ODESZA, Fred V & Grafix. Many more. Music, that kept me going, through my highs and my lows.

Time flew by. Lotta things changed. So did Sheepy. My dude dropped a game. And what A GAME that is.

Sheepy: A Short Adventure is like a younger sibling of Hollow Knight and Ori. You can see the inspiration and references from the very beginnin'. Add Limbo vibes, minus the horror, and you'll have it: a classic platformer, challenging enough to entertain, but not too difficult to lose your mind and quit mid-game. Title ain't lying: the game IS short, as my first run was 2.2 hrs (got stuck for ~40 mins in one place), but the next few sessions were under an hour. Visually it's like a stardust candy: 2D pixel art, so vibrant, so pretty. Charming. Just beautiful to look at. And of course, story, lore, secrets, voice over, and, most importantly - sound. Music, ambient, soundtrack - the atmosphere they all create is of sublime quality.

But, let's drop the fancy words: the game simply feels so complete, so wholesome, so unbelievably good. Very well optimized, with a few patches being already in place, it runs smoothly. I played with Xbox series X controller, that the game struggled to recognize at first, but plugging/unplugging it helped, so honestly? no biggie. There are still some bugs here and there, but I'm sure they will be patched in no time. My personal experience was basically flawless.

For achievements lovers - you will enjoy reading those descriptions. 100% is very doable, but you have to beat the game without dying for that. Tricky but hey, I believe in you. :-)

So, what are you waiting for? Go and play the game. Experience it. Taste it. Feel it. Play it once on your own, blind. Repeat, looking for secrets you missed the first time. Stream it to your friends. Maybe do a speedrun. Or a chill run. Iron Man run?
Just play it.

Oh, and Sheepy - thank you for the wild ride over the years. You turned into a true goat. < 3

[h3]''Falling is sometimes the best way to reach the highest places.'' -- Melad[/h3] You know, strange times we live in. On one hand we have a mediocre game with ridiculously high price-tag, justified by being the first 'quadruple'-A title. On the other hand we have a top quality project like this, made by just a couple of dudes. Project, which is completely, entirely, purposefully - free. Yup, exactly. Full original game is free. No catch, no bulls, no nothing. And let me tell ya - this game is AMAZING. So good, in fact, that if you scroll through Steam reviews (with both ratings of total being Overwhelmingly Positive, ofc), you will see that genuine [i]'how is this free?'[/i] question so many times. I don't know what is the biggest crime here: charging money for garbage, or giving away part of your soul for free. I mean, this game was made with so much love you can almost smell it, from the very moment you hit the main menu screen. [b]Sheepy: A Short Adventure[/b] - tiny gem, filled with soul, to make your heart smile. Maybe to cry a little too. Before dropping my few cents about the gameplay, let me share why this game is so special to me. One of the creators of this title is behind a huge YouTube channel - MrSuicideSheep - or Sheepy, how many call him. Independent channel, that promotes various talented electronic (and not so) artists and bands to the hungry audience. To us. I don't remember exactly when I discovered Sheepy, but it feels like it's been forever. As a teenager, endlessly browsing the platform for more tunes (after realizing my love for liquid dnb), I inevitably, fatefully, even - found the sheep with the dark name, that resonated with me more than I'm willing to admit. Being good friends with insomnia by that time, I, just like Rust Cohle from True Detective series, didn't sleep. I just dreamed. During those long nights I was dreaming to music I found through Sheepy's channel. Music that stayed with me for years. Owsey, Koda, Tom Day, Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Hammock, ODESZA, Fred V & Grafix. Many more. Music, that kept me going, through my highs and my lows. Time flew by. Lotta things changed. So did Sheepy. My dude dropped a game. And what A GAME that is. [b]Sheepy: A Short Adventure[/b] is like a younger sibling of Hollow Knight and Ori. You can see the inspiration and references from the very beginnin'. Add Limbo vibes, minus the horror, and you'll have it: a classic platformer, challenging enough to entertain, but not too difficult to lose your mind and quit mid-game. Title ain't lying: the game IS short, as my first run was 2.2 hrs ([strike]got stuck for ~40 mins in one place[/strike]), but the next few sessions were under an hour. Visually it's like a stardust candy: 2D pixel art, so vibrant, so pretty. Charming. Just beautiful to look at. And of course, story, lore, secrets, voice over, and, most importantly - [b]sound.[/b] Music, ambient, soundtrack - the atmosphere they all create is of sublime quality. But, let's drop the fancy words: the game simply feels so complete, so wholesome, so unbelievably good. Very well optimized, with a few patches being already in place, it runs smoothly. I played with Xbox series X controller, that the game struggled to recognize at first, but plugging/unplugging it helped, so honestly? no biggie. There are still some bugs here and there, but I'm sure they will be patched in no time. My personal experience was basically flawless. For achievements lovers - you will enjoy reading those descriptions. 100% is very doable, but you have to beat the game without dying for that. Tricky but hey, I believe in you. :-) So, what are you waiting for? Go and play the game. Experience it. Taste it. Feel it. Play it once on your own, blind. Repeat, looking for secrets you missed the first time. Stream it to your friends. Maybe do a speedrun. Or a chill run. Iron Man run? Just play it. Oh, and Sheepy - thank you for the wild ride over the years. You turned into a true goat. < 3