Hi there!
We’re Land & Sea, the small UK-based development team best known for our previous titles Alto’s Adventure and Alto’s Odyssey. If you’re reading this, there’s a fair chance that you’ve ended up here because of our recent announcement included in the Day of the Devs Summer Game Fest showcase – during which we announced our next project, a sheep herding puzzle-adventure game called Summerhill!
If you didn’t happen to catch the Summer Game Fest livestream last Thursday, you can check out our 4k teaser trailer below, or watch our full feature here – in which our Creative Director Harry Nesbitt covers the history of our studio and inspiration behind Summerhill itself – hosted on The Game Awards YouTube channel.
After many years of preparation, we’re excited to be able to tell you more about the world we are constructing. In short, Summerhill is a story-driven puzzle adventure in which you will play as a young shepherd and their dog. Together you’ll be tasked with rescuing your lost sheep and uncovering the long-forgotten mysteries of an ancient landscape.
The gameplay of Summerhill is primarily centred around seeking out and herding your sheep to safety through vibrant lands scattered with ruined contraptions that stand in your way. As the journey continues, you will forge a deep bond with your sheepdog, working together to solve increasingly challenging puzzles and find the path ahead.
The idea for Summerhill was first conceived back in 2017. At the time, the team was searching for a playful and satisfying game mechanic with a grounded “folk” sensibility. We were particularly drawn to the rich history and cultural impact of sheep herding – a theme we touched on lightly in Alto’s Adventure (Alto himself being a humble llama shepherd) but that we always felt had more unexplored potential.
We realised there had never been a game that really tapped into what it means to be a shepherd, as sheep are often used as a throwaway gag, or depicted in a cutesy, cartoonish way. We felt that this kind of levity tended to undermine the benevolent, enigmatic nature and deep historic relationship sheep share with humankind, so we set out to put our own grounded spin on this dynamic.
During early investigations, we quickly realised that we wanted to explore the intrinsic ‘flow’ that is present in the movement of a flock of sheep. Using our experience creating balletic gameplay through the snowboarding mechanics of the Alto titles, we set about aiming to capture the grace and fluidity of sheep flocking from one space to another, which has now solidified as a central pillar of the game.
While there’s much more we hope to share in future, we hope this glimpse into the origins and themes of Summerhill gives you some idea of what to expect from the game down the track!
Lastly, we want to say a hearty thank you to anyone who has joined us on our journey! Our announcement has been a long time coming and truly is a huge milestone for us, but there’s still a long road ahead. If you like what you have seen of Summerhill so far, Wishlisting the game here on Steam is by far the most impactful way you can support our little indie team. It really helps us reach more people who might be interested in the world we are crafting!
We’ll be posting more updates of our progress over the coming months, so be sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram or TikTok, and join our mailing list to be the first to learn more.
Kind regards,
The Land & Sea Team