For a dose of tranquility and calm surrender, there’s no question about getting exactly that when you’re out on the country side. With the sound of nature turning into a sleepy lullaby, people in the suburbs usually are the happy ones–well, unless you get to harass yourself daily with the thought of grouping together your notorious herd of sheep. Getting in touch with your inner herder self alongside your trusty canine is far easier than before with the help of an Android application! In the comfort and safety of your own home, you can now successfully lead a couple of disorderly sheep to their plot.

Read more of this Android app review of after the cut.

Making use of an on-screen controller to guide Rover (the sheep dog), players will get to fit in the shoes of a farm master or a shepherd, if I may say so. No need of your real-life whistling, though, because you can play this game as silently as you want it to be. With comical twists here and there, Sheep Dog Pro does overturn our usual thought that only graphically advanced applications would catch the app addict’s attention.

is the brainchild of R.A.I that centers on controlling a Border Collie herd a couple of sheep towards their enclosure. The main control is a joystick that corresponds to Rover’s direction and speed. With 120 levels divided into three sets of difficulty, all sorts of obstacles and surprises like Fenton the dog and land mines will try and slow your herding phase. Sheep Dog Pro is only available for Android devices and it’s a free-to-play app!

The game play is very simple although in some levels, executing it gracefully is a challenge unto itself. Basically, the players’ only goal is to reach the end of a puzzle by following the arrows on the screen which indicates where the sheep’s cage is located. By the use of the joystick, you can control the dog as he runs towards the herd. Making him circle around the group would make the fluffy white creatures huddle closely but if you run straight at ‘em, they’ll fall farther apart. The trick here is to keep your distance because the sheep’s movement are relative to yours.

There might be more than one gate to pass through before finishing a level and along the way, funny surprises may pop out like Fenton, the YouTube famous dog which openly distressed his master by chasing red deers. Although the app may not provide stellar illustrations and graphics, the game play and thought per se behind it is enough to gather a solid amount of Android users to download Sheep Dog Pro.

In the easy level, players must guide a total of five of the domicile creatures, six for the medium, and seven for the hard levels. The number of sheep can also be a challenge since the possibility of having them scattered around the yard presents such a big trouble especially when faced with the land mines.

The controller can be flipped into the left side of the screen, which would appeal to our left-handed friends out there. Be wary of handling the joystick because it’s pretty much sensitive. After a couple of practice, I’m sure you can proudly guide the flock through the highway, across bridges, and even through a loop around an object.

In-app purchases of additional characters are available. Just tap on the store icon on the app’s home page.

Harrie the Faux-shepherd

For me, the main appeal of Sheep Dog Pro is its simplicity. It might not be the prettiest application you’d see on the app market but it’s definitely one of those that can get you hooked for hours on end! The sound scoring is amazing, though. With all the whistling and the proper noises, it doesn’t lack any of the right feels. The challenges gradually increases which is another good point.

Sheep Dog Pro is download-worthy application that’s uncannily addicting. I’ve never thought that shepherding would be as enjoyable—or maybe because I’m just sitting comfortably while I let Rover dash off. Nonetheless, I do suggest the app for those who are looking for a different sort of game that doesn’t involve gore and mind teasers.

now and get all those sheep safe and unscathed!