Home Sheep Home

Okay come on, who doesn't like adorable little sheepsies? Especially ones that are created by Aardman!

Synopsis:
Based on his animation series Shaun the Sheep, Home Sheep Home allows you to control a flock of sheep; Shaun, Timmy and Shirley. Just like the cartoon, Shirley is the sheep that's built like a tank, Shaun is nice and averaged-sized, and Timmy is the itty bitty baby. Your goal is to get the 3 sheep to the signboard at the end of the puzzle to proceed to the next level, using their different sizes, weights and capabilities to manipulate various objects in each level.


Gameplay:
You control the sheep using either the [WASD] or [arrow] keys. Since you can only move one sheep at a time, you can switch from sheep to sheep by either clicking on them using the mouse or by using the number keys (1 to activate Shirley, 2 for Shaun and 3 for Timmy) to switch sheep. What makes this game interesting is that the various sizes of the sheep make them more suited to do certain tasks than the others. For example, Shirley is tremendously strong and can be used to move heavy objects, Shaun is fast and a good jumper, and Timmy can be used to squeeze through small spaces. The levels are varied, but simple. If you ever get stuck, or lose a sheep by making it fall off the edge, you need to restart again.

Review:
This game is undeniably cute. The scratchy style reminds you of primary school watercolour paintings, and the sheep are packed with individual personality. The timer gives you an incentive to come back and try and beat your previous score. The puzzles are not too difficult, and are suitable for kids of all ages.

The downside is, some of the puzzles are a little too easy, while some seem to depend almost on pure luck and bumbling. There are 15 levels, and since most levels take an average of less than a minute to complete, you'd be done with the game in about 15 minutes; so while this is a fun game, it's just a small snack in terms of gaming pleasure.

Play Home Sheep Home