Review: Herdling Feels Magical

Urban fantasy is my jam. I’m not kidding. Part of my major in college included focusing on folklore, fairytales, and how we see those sorts of stories adapted in more contemporary literature. We don’t frequently see these kinds of stories in games, titles like Concrete Genie aside. Herdling is one of them, though! Not only that, but it blends urban fantasy with cozy elements like light socialization with unusual animals in a stunning and sometimes even soothing way.

We’re an individual living under a bridge in a town that seems to have some issues. Nothing is clearly explained, but it strikes me as a place that underwent some sort of unpleasant, life-changing event. People are clearly still living there, but I got the distinct impression that something isn’t right. After hearing a sound outside, our avatar happens upon a Calicorn with a box stuck on their head. It’s unlike any type of animal we’re familiar with, but can be tamed. Seeming to instinctively know more than me, the person playing, our character picks up a stick and begins guiding it, and eventually even more Calicorns, through the city and other environments on a journey.

Herdling is a straightforward adventure game where actions matter, not words. After assisting that first Calicorn, we pick up some others that found their way into the city and head for the wider spaces of the wild. Going past the outskirts of civilization, like a still-functioning farm and a train track that still seems engines with cars going by, we head to some unknown place. Where? I don’t know, but I’ll keep walking and see. 

This involves some light puzzles. There will be times when you’ll need to figure out how to get a new Calicorn to join your herd, as an example. Maybe there’ll be a closed door to a space you know they’ll need to get through to progress. Dashing might be necessary to evade other entities or to more quickly get through spaces, and you’ll need to time heading through certain flowers to build up that type of energy for those swift moves. None of this ever felt too trying, but rather were more of a satisfying challenge that made it really feel like I was guiding a group.

Speaking of which, getting around in Herdling works perfectly. That’s great, since I was a bit worried. Pressing a button while faced in a direction will basically “tell” the Calicorns to go there. Holding that down makes it a bit more insistent. If you direct them to stop with a double-tap, there’s really no hesitation too. Now, there are some of these creatures that will have defined “personalities.” This will be noted on the page going over your current herd. But even then, they seem to listen at the more critical moments. Even my “rascal” character kept in line. 

It’s a nice touch, as are efforts to make it feel like you are caring for them and not just constantly directing Calicorns to different spots. When I paused for a moment, I could pet the creatures. If we went through a lot of leaves, I could groom them a bit to clean them off. (This will show as an automatic option and doesn’t involve any specific equipment.) There are little interactions that makes it feel like I do sort of “matter” to them and they aren’t lifeless entities I’m forcing down small roads or through winding areas. The moments when they’ll also help push through blockades or work with my avatar to scale inclines are also fun to watch, since it does offer the impression we’re working “together.”

Now, my early experience with Herdling didn’t end up being 100% perfect. I ended up encountering an odd issue with the camera at times on the Switch. When I’d be guiding the Calicorns, there would sometimes be moments that, depending on my avatar’s positions and movements and the design of the world around me, the position of the camera would slip. By which I mean it would clip through the ground in a way that would make it difficult to even sometimes see the Calicorns or myself and where we all were supposed to go. (I included some screenshots below of it happening in a non-spoiler, early area as an example.) While sometimes it would right itself if I made my character walk forward a bit after directing the creatures to stay put so they wouldn’t get into an awkward spot or dangerous situation, there were some times when actually exiting and restarted proved the best solution.

I also will say that if you prioritize appearances, the Switch version of Herdling might not be the way to go. This is a gorgeous game, and I love the way the environments look. The character designs for both our avatar, the Calicorns, and other creatures we encounter are fantastic. However, based on screenshots for other platforms I’ve seen and the footage on this, it doesn’t seem as sharp. (Even on the Switch 2, the extra power didn’t seem to help much.) However, it does run well on the system and I absolutely enjoyed playing it in Handheld mode while all cozy on a couch.

Almost every concern I had about Herdling vanished after about 15 minutes with this enchanting adventure. While I did experience a few technical hiccups on the Switch, these proved to be minor. The experience of guiding these otherworldly entities while appreciating both them and the world around us is magical, even when moments get harrowing. Since I’m fairly confident patches will fix any issues come launch or just after, I can’t think of any reason not to immediately start settling down with Calicorns. Herdling is a magical game about some really unique creatures, and I loved guiding them.

Herdling will come to the Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on August 21, 2025.