Despite the fact that 2K Play sent me a plush cow stuffed with a whoopie cushion to promote it, I wasn't finding Herd Herd Herd nearly as charming as I thought I would. Then the sheep showed up.
First demoed at E3 2012, Herd Herd Herd transforms your finger into a sheep dog. Nowhere in the game's description does it say this; that's just how it is in my head. Woof.
The game involves herding various animals, starting with chickens, into color-coded pens, avoiding obstacles and predators while collecting stars. Starting with chickens might have been a misstep. Chickens are boring. Delicious, but boring. So urging the little feathered bastards about the board ahead of my finger fell a little flat. Eventually the solo chickens gave way to groups of chickens (collectively, a bucket). This was slightly more interesting and challenging, but I still wasn't quite feeling it.
It wasn't until the fourth of eight barns (each contains eight levels and one bonus mini-game) that I started genuinely having fun. That's when the sheep showed up. Sheep are cool. Sheep can jump. Sheep can double-jump. Sheep have to avoid electric fences. Sheep are especially delicious.
Looking at the trailer, eventually I will unlock cows. Cows being chased by bears. At that point I feel 2K and developer Cat Daddy Games are just showing off. For $.99 on iTunes (Android coming soon), they should have stopped at sheep.