Herdling Switch Review

Herdling Switch Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch

Revealed at the most recent Nintendo Direct, Herdling immediately caught people’s attention with its striking visuals and mysterious concept. The trailer showed players guiding a herd of fantastical creatures across vast, dreamlike landscapes, but offered little explanation of what the journey would mean. That sense of intrigue carries through into the full release, where Herdling trades traditional storytelling for atmosphere, interpretation, and emotional weight. What’s it Like? Put on some warm clothes, grab a stick, and follow the herd as we review Herdling for Nintendo Switch.

Herdling simply tasks you with herding a group of Calicorns, a sheep/yak hybrid animal that needs your help to get them out of the city and lead them to the top of a mysterious mountain. You do this by simply walking behind them and herding them with your stick, moving in the opposite direction of where you want them to go to steer the herd from behind. You’ll also be able to encourage your herd to run through fields, slowly creep past predators, and even use some mystical powers to paint pictures and solve puzzles. Herdling doesn’t really have a narrative, so to speak… but bear with me, because I feel like the lack of any “official” narrative is intentional and therefore makes Herdling’s story up to interpretation. Instead of spoken words and objectives, the narrative is pushed forward with world-building and a sense of progression through your journey. I read a few theories about the story or purpose of the game online. Some people felt like it was a journey of grief, others said they felt it was like finding purpose, and personally, I felt almost like it was telling the story of someone passing. I don’t think any of these answers are wrong, and I think that something that makes Herdling such a unique and wonderful experience for the most part, as it is left to you to interpret and most likely connect to what you are going through in your life.

Graphically, Herdling aims for a lush, minimalist vibe. At times, it felt like the graphics engine was mimicking Disco Elysium, with an intentional low-poly look, whilst also filling out details with lush vegetation, vibrant colours, and varied environments. Each area had something new to offer, whether carefully navigating through a railyard to avoid dangerous debris or hiking your way up snow-capped peaks while huddling together to shelter from the wind. You will never stay in one place for too long, and that helps keep the adventure rolling. What really makes the journey so special is the outstanding sound design and stellar orchestral score. The game expertly builds both tension and moments of elation by suddenly going deathly quiet while trying to sneak through the raptor nests, suddenly jolting the player with a sudden jolt of a violin. Other times, there’s a celebration of strings and woodwinds as you run freely through a field with your Calicorns. It’s both daunting and beautiful, and helps draw the player into this world.

Unfortunately, this journey repeatedly stumbles with woeful performance issues on both Switch 1 and 2. On Switch 1, the game runs around 30 fps and occasionally slows and stutters, and on Switch 2, the game runs at 60 fps, but janks and stutters as you progress through the landscape. These issues appear to be something similar to a memory leak, as resting or exiting the game seems to temporarily fix performance, but by the time I had reached my final destination, the performance had tarnished what is otherwise a beautiful and moving journey. It’s such a shame that the performance regularly pulls you out of the game, because when it has you in its grip, it really has you. I have no doubt we will see further optimisation patches in the future, and I’m looking forward to revisiting this one when they do.

At $37 AUD, Herdling on Nintendo Switch can be a tough sell on a few fronts. The first is the aforementioned performance issues, and the second is the length. I managed to roll credits in just two and a half hours, which makes this one of the shorter indie titles I’ve played this year. For me, Herdling was an engrossing experience, the kind of game that pulled me in quickly and held my attention until the credits rolled, but I know many players will look at that playtime and feel short-changed. There’s no real incentive to replay it once you’ve seen everything, so for a lot of people this is going to be a “one and done” kind of experience. It’s the kind of game where you’ll either see the price as fair for the experience and creativity, or you’ll walk away wishing there was more to it.

For my sheppards looking into accessibility, I’m pleased to report Herdling has a few options here to make your time with the herd more enjoyable. From toggling or holding run buttons, making your Calicorns immortal, removing the HUD, and toggling button holds, these options will allow players of all abilities to experience the game. As always, I recommend further research to see if herdling is for you.

Herdling won’t be for everyone, but for those willing to embrace it, this is a game that lingers well beyond its short runtime. Its beauty lies not in a clearly defined story, but in the space it gives you to project your own meaning onto the journey. Whether you see it as a meditation on grief, a search for purpose, or simply a fleeting adventure through a strange and beautiful world, Herdling resonates differently for everyone who picks it up. For me, it felt like a quiet reflection on passing, and despite its performance issues and brief length, I found the experience deeply moving. It’s a flawed game, but also a rare one, because it makes you stop, think, and feel in ways few titles attempt. It may not be perfect, but Herdling is the kind of game that makes the journey matter more than the destination.

So, What’s it Like? Herdling is like the PS3 game, Flower, crossed with Journey.

In the interest of full disclosure, a review copy was provided by the publisher, but this doesn’t influence my score.

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