Sheepy/Froggo’s Adventure
Developer: MrSuicideSheep; SmellyFrog
Whilst many indie games are personal stories explored through interactive media, experimental ideas, or even epic tales, there are still some that are just fun adventures that don’t need to be big to feel big.
The first in this double feature is Sheepy: A Short Adventure. In a post-apocalyptic world nearly devoid of life (except some rabbits, because of reasons), our protagonist awakens - a stuffed toy sheep. And off he jumps, accompanied by a mysterious voice. Along the way, Sheepy comes across some ancient artefacts that bestow magical powers, like double jump and hyper speed. They also encounter a stuffed bear possessed by an evil entity. Our new buddy quickly turns into a recurring antagonist.
Sheepy is a quick platformer, clocking in at a realistic hour of actual play. There are audio logs and documents scattered around the world for some lore-building, and even a few hidden collectables to extend the time, but ultimately this is a ‘short adventure’.
Despite the relatively small size of the games, it feels much bigger. The environments range from confined, tight corridors to ancient and expansive structures. You have to use all of Sheepy’s new powers in quick turn to get around, often with minimal direction or guidance. It’s not exactly open-world, but you’re really not given much context for your existence.
There are elements from lots of games here, from the epic climbing reminiscent of Celeste, to the speed of Sonic, and the music and mystery of Fez. To say this is the dev’s first game, it’s exceptionally well polished. The soundtrack is beautiful, and all the artwork is really well put together.
Sheepy is currently free to play, which is absurd given the production. There’s absolutely no excuse to not play it.
The second game to look at is Froggo’s Adventure: Verdant Venture - another 2D platformer that feels so much bigger than it is or has any right to feel.
Froggo’s Adventure is another very quick game to storm through, with only a handful of levels. But, like Sheepy, it’s deceptive. There are collectables and hidden paths that offer just that bit more for those willing to look. For the most part, it’s a simple platformer featuring a character that conjures up memories of a certain plumber’s dinosaur friend. The flat colours and simple sound effects recall memories of the 16-bit era, lovingly showing off the inspiration. Even the enemies have a similar Mario feel, with some choosing to actively fight you by throwing things or dive-bombing.
The story, such as it is, is about Froggo trying to find his lost pet rock. Epic fantasy it isn’t, but it’s cute and charming, like the rest of the game.
Verdant Venture also isn’t the first game the young frog has starred in - the original being Froggo: Swing and Grapple, a similar puzzle-platformer (and where Froggo found his pet rock). What’s more, there’s a sequel to Verdant Venture in the works. So many games for one little frog.
Whilst games like these may never top even the indie charts, they’re a great reminder that not every story needs to be big for it to be good. It’s okay to appreciate the simple things that bring you a little joy. It’s also worth remembering that whilst some developers seemingly stormed onto the scene with huge hits, they all started somewhere small. Very often we don’t see the little projects they worked on along the way, but we can appreciate the stepping stones they’re taking, and use that as inspiration for our own work.