Sheepo

Sheepo (2020) is a running and jumping game where you explore a vibrant world in a quest to collect an egg from every species in the universe to save them from extinction. You take on bosses like other platforming games, but here you use the surroundings rather than weapons to defeat them. As you defeat different species you can become that creature, allowing you to reach new areas and discover more of the many secrets in the game. With a clear emphasis on climate change and ecological decline, it's an unusual game with an impactful message.

---

You play Sheepo, a strange, sheep-like creature with the ability to transform into a whole host of other varied animals. You are tasked with collecting an egg from each species you find in a decaying, warming world, which allows the DNA of the creature to be preserved in a huge galactic database, preserving the species forever. However, to get to the egg, you must face off against the "Queen" of that species.

You run, jump and transform into lots of animals, each with their own unique set of abilities, such as flight, to progress through the world. You only have a few seconds where you control each animal before you need to traverse on foot again. When facing off against the bosses, which protect each egg, you have no weapons, instead having to rely on the surroundings, like falling boulders, to help you defeat each foe.

Like the Metroid and Castlevania games, the game map is a sprawling expanse of secret rooms, passageways and dangers that you can explore as you unlock more creatures, each allowing you to reach more sections.

With an impactful and ever more relevant story, unique gameplay and lots of secrets to discover, it's a unique and thought-provoking alternative to the many other platforming games out there.

---

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Sheepo 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Ben Kendall and updated 7 weeks ago.