Little Sheep Valley is making a surprisingly strong case for becoming a shepherd
If there's one thing I can safely say I've never imagined doing with my life, it's running away to the wilderness, becoming a shepherd, and tending to a flock of sheep. Don’t get me wrong, the whole “running away to the wilderness” part has a certain appeal, but bringing a bunch of sheep with me has never been part of that particular dream.
But a new, impossibly cozy game called Little Sheep Valley has me thinking about making some significant changes to my life, like changing my name to Miriam.
Currently in development by Redknot Games, Little Sheep Valley is a ranch-building game that gives you an empty valley, a few sheep to care for, and seemingly endless scope for decorations and creativity. With no big quests to complete and plenty of upgrades to unlock, you can really make the valley a haven for you and your flock.
Keeping the flock happy
When I first sat down to play the Little Sheep Valley demo, I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with it quite as much as I did. I’m a cozy game fan, so I suppose I should have seen it coming, but I’ve also been craving games that heavily focus on a narrative lately. But just because Little Sheep Valley doesn't have a story to go with the gameplay doesn't mean you can't come up with one of your own.
For me, the story is one of escaping the rat race and seeking a slower pace of life, or at least that’s how it started. Six sheep later, I actually started to feel pretty busy in the valley. My roster of ovine companions consists of Prepotente and Bianca (if you know, you know), Cloud, Thunder, Fuzzy, and Claudia. And weirdly, I know exactly which is which just by looking at them from afar. I always wondered how farmers did that, and now I know.
Each sheep needs enough to eat to stay happy, whether that's grazing in the meadows or enjoying a hand-fed apple. On top of that, you have to keep them all sheared so they don’t turn into balls of wool with tiny legs poking out, and pet them regularly to make sure they feel loved. Once they’re settled into their valley home, the sheep start requesting certain decorations, and they really do inspect your work to make sure it’s up to par.
I am now obsessed with my six sheep, and I will be sad to leave them behind now I’m done with the demo. I'll absolutely be back to visit them in the demo, and I can't wait to (hopefully) bring them back when the full game is released. Maybe they won’t be exactly the same, but their spirits will live on. Especially Prepotente, the design diva.
Wool is a remarkably valuable currency
There isn't any money in Little Sheep Valley, which is honestly a breath of fresh air in a world that seems to revolve around it. Instead, everything is purchased using wool. From decorations to buildings, you need wool to expand your sheep ranch, and it’s not in short supply. The sheep need shearing almost daily, and once you’ve got four or five, you’ll always have some wool on hand to get whatever you want.
As you look after the sheep and build your ranch, you also earn research points that can be used to unlock new buildings or decoration sets, which really helps make the valley somewhere to call home. One thing I don’t understand, though, is the ranch house. It’s a lovely house that you can upgrade to be bigger, but you can’t actually go inside. It’s purely decorative as far as I can tell.
I'm hoping the full game lets me go inside and perhaps decorate the place. It’s not as if there isn’t already plenty of opportunity to get creative outside, but you can never have too much creative freedom. I’m very glad to see that character customization options are on the horizon, according to the Steam page, so I really will be able to insert myself into this cozy and sheep-filled world.
Still, even if absolutely nothing changes from the demo except the ability to expand my flock, Little Sheep Valley feels like it will be the perfect form of escapism when the real world gets to be too much.
Edit: Right after writing this, as Next Fest went live, an updated demo of the game was released that includes customization for sheep and the ability to sleep inside the ranch house to skip the night.
There’s no release date for Little Sheep Valley just yet, but the demo is available as part of Steam Next Fest. I highly recommend checking this one out if you’re a fan of cozy vibes and relaxed, creative gameplay. Just try not to get too attached to the sheep!
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