Game hung on the "Saving Private Sheep" splash screen with the theme music playing repeatedly in a loop (on Windows XP 32-bit).

Couldn't ctrl-alt-delete out of it, but alt-tab worked, could then kill it with Task Manager.

Worked fine though on Win7-64, Win8.1-64 and Win10-64. (All of the above in a VMware VM.)

Saving Private Sheep
A physics type game from MPC that downloaded a bit slow but installed well on Win 10 Pro
A fun somewhat zany game of Save the Sheep that my daughter has been playing and loving most of the evening. While you can tell it's a ported from Android game, it plays well so far, and is a nice fun game ;)
If you like these type of games make sure to get this one too! Busy holiday weekend but wanted to leave a review, and thank GGAOTD and MPC for another fun game!

Installation squashed by Norton.
Since not all GAOTD programs have this happen, it is likely something that does not have to happen.

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Hi BobbyA

All giveaways are checked thoroughly using several different security suites. The wrapper is usually responsible for security alerts due to the Thmidia code, that can also be used to hide malware. White-listing the wrapper should stop this from happening.

Thank you thank you thank you GOTD and MPC! Simple- ly awesome in every aspect! Downloaded easily to my HP 23 All in One Windows 10 64 bit opened to a wonderful game :) I love this kind of game a lot but this is the first one like it I put on my computer, always played on a tablet. You did an awesome job of converting it :) Fun to play and so accurate. You must beat the clock per say, yet you must have patience...have fun folks, I sure am!

Windows 10 x64 Pro. Fun for semi-physics style fans. Bust boxes & such rather than the swinging or launching style. Did about 20 levels. Started to introduce some clever twists I won't mention. Fun game. 9/10 Thanks guys.

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Retiring for the night. Will continue to moderate in the morning.

There will be two Steam giveaways Monday morning, one is a global giveaway with thousands of keys. The other is a limited giveaway of 150 keys. Really pleased about the global giveaway as 'unusually' I don't have the game on Steam, and the bonus is I was actually going to purchase it. becasue it's one of my favorite genres. :)

I play it on Win 7/64 bit home premium - full screen - without any problems (that mentioned below).

Hi WR!!!
Cute physics game!!! Fun time-waster that works well on my tablet!!!! ;)
I'd like to see more game programmers check to make sure their games are tablet friendly!!!! Good Job GGAOTD!!! And of course, all the best from across the pond WR!!! :D

Fun physics-type game. My configuration (Win7Pro, 12G RAM, etc.) has almost never caused problems with the giveaway games - but this time there was a small hiccup. The system cursor and the game cursor refused to sync and Options had no option to use only system cursor. Using the right mouse button held down I could get it to work but firing (left-clicking) was hit or miss -until about the 3rd or 4th scenario - and then it magically synced and continued to work. Even when I went back and replayed those first 3 or 4 scenarios, there was no problem. So I encourage you to persevere and keep hitting Next until your system cursor disappears and only the game cursor appears and works. It's nice to have a different gamer occasionally and this one has a cute storyline.

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Thank you for your feedback Elkyn

Sorry about giving negative feedback, but this game is totally unplayable on Windows 7. I have tried various compatibility settings without success. The title screen and the video intro works well, but the actual game is slow and unresponsive. Also the graphics are nothing like the screen shots, just a stack of white and grey squares.

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Thank you for your feedback David. Not been able to test on win 7 for a while. Only got one computer using win 7 at the moment and my daughter is using it to do her revision. Hopefully someone else with win 7 can confirm whether it's a Win 7 issue or not. Have you tried playing on compatibility mode?

Greetings Whiterabbit -- There's one detail I can't find: Is this playable on a non-touchscreen computer? I see references to taps and touches, but not clicks. Thanks, Dan

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Some of the referenced reviews I posted were from Android versions, but the one we have been given is a ported to Windows version. All you need is a mouse to play the game, and as Mike said, the touch screen is effectively your mouse. Been thinking of getting one of those stick on screens for my middle monitor as I have several flight sim games that can be controlled using touch screens. There are over 300 key board controls if you want to play the games as though you were flying a real aircraft. I barely remember about 20 of the commands, so usually fail, but a touch screen would enable me to flip switches and turn dials using my fingers. :)

If you like angry birds, or the older professor tim's incredible machine style games, you may want to check this one out too. Installed on VM machine and works well. In case you miss out here's the freeware version from: http://www.allgameshome.com/sheep/ clean install, just some extra links on your desktop...

...........................................Moderator comment...................................

Thank you.

Please only post comments about today's game giveaway; other comments either inappropriate, or comments with only a single or a few words; for example, good, thank you, TY, bad, rubbish, this game is .... etc , or if the comment has nothing to do with today's game they may be deleted at the moderator or administrators discretion; however, a little light banter among community members and with the moderator to keep this a friendly place to visit is acceptable and welcomed. All comments not specifically about today's game giveaway will be judged by the moderator and if deemed inappropriate, will be deleted and usually with no explanation. Please see the moderation policy HERE for details about posting comments. If you are having problems installing the game check the FAQ's thread HERE and read through the communities comments becasue sometimes fixes have already been posted; and if for any reason you want to contact the giveaway team, for example, you have a game to offer the community, or are unable to download the latest game or other issues that the FAQ's thread or these comments don't solve you can do so HERE.

Saving Private Sheep

In Brief

Save Private Sheep with as few moves as possible to earn gold awards and unlock power ups. The game is a physics based android port with over a hundred 'challenging' levels.

Suggestions:

Please take a few moments to give some positive or negative feedback about your opinion of todays game giveaway; for example, what you liked or disliked about the game, or how it could be improved from your point of view. If you don't like the genre at all, please explain why and if any, what improvements would change your mind? There are thousands of subscribers to the game giveaway of the day every weekend which makes this an ideal forum for giving developers new or fresh ideas as to what their consumers (i.e you) would like to see in a game. For example, you could suggest extra content such as better or more original mini games, or a level editor that you would like to see that would make it more appealing to you. Maybe you think the graphics are a little dated and are in need of re skinning, or maybe you've just had enough of the genre and want to see something different or something with more originality?

Giving such feedback instead of saying nothing or just saying this game is rubbish or good may bring more developers to the site, which could mean more and better games. Would you give away thousands of copies of a game (or extra content for a game) away to a community that complains all the time instead of giving useful feedback? It only takes a few moments of your time. This site could be transformed if only the community would be more forthcoming in their opinions of the games they are getting for free instead of complaining about the way this site has changed, they don't like MPC games, they hate HOG, have had enough of Match Three and Time Management games, they want to see the latest version of Call of duty or some other big name AAA game given away or that they don't like Steam games. If something isn't for you then please move on to the next giveaway, or check out the forums HERE, HERE and HERE, where a few members of the community post details of various free games and free game sites as well as links to various indie bundle sites etc; you never know, you may find something that really interests you.

If you miss today's game giveaway you can always get the game via MyPlayCity 24/7 HERE. If you prefer to purchase the game you can get it via Big Fish games HERE. It usually costs £7.70; but, if you are a new subscriber to BFG you can get it at a discounted price of £2.99/$2.99.

Installation:

Saving Private Sheep downloads to a 53.3 MB zip file that unzips to three files, (a setup.gcd security wrapper, the set up file and a read me). Those with multiple hard drives are able to save games on any drive they wish. The newly installed game is 78.5 MB in size. The game installs to the following path by default, but can be changed by the user if you prefer:

C:\Program Files (x86)\MyPlayCity.com\Saving private sheep

Four shortcuts are installed to the desktop. three of which can be safely deleted (Play Online Games, MyPlayCity Games and shortcuts to a free online game which vary each week). Also, if you don't like icons installed to the quick launch task bar, make sure you uncheck the box when the additional tasks window appears (after the Select Start Menu Folder window)

Introduction:

Save Private Sheep in this challenging physics based puzzle game! Successfully avoid the hungry wolf and make it home? Find powerups and transform Private Sheep into the power Super Mouton to make your travels easier. Earn loads of awards and unlock bonus levels to push your skills to the limit in Saving Private Sheep!

Edited reference accessed HERE. 28th May 2017

If you have a problem installing or activating or getting Saving Private Sheep to work please visit the problems section, which I've now incorporated into the FAQ's thread, and which you can find HERE

The Game:

Have some goofy fun solving head-scratching physics puzzles with this port of a physics based game originally designed for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

You are serving under General Fleece, who orders you to help get his soldiers, condensed into pentagon-shaped operatives, onto dry land by removing obstacles with finger taps. Traps include boxes that will explode, sending your livestock soldier into the stratosphere, complex pulleys and ropes, unbreakable metal objects and even blocks of ice. If your sheep lands comfortably he will pop out and give you a salute. If he falls off the ledge, then the evil wolves get lamb chops for dinner. But be careful! You might have a literal wolf in sheep’s clothing (indicated by their pointy ears). In this case, you must send them careening off the ledge.

The graphics in Saving Private Sheep are cartoon style at its best. Everything is detailed and easy to see. The sheep and wolves have definite personalities, and small touches – like a wolf popping up from the bottom with a toothy grin or UFO abductions in the background – make the game feel vibrant. The sound is pretty quiet for the most part, outside of some distant guns firing and some nice military tunes every now and then – but you’ll need the quiet to concentrate on the puzzles.

There are over 100 levels in Saving Private Sheep, varying in difficulty from easy to hard. The physics that govern the gameplay are solid. You’ll never question if the object should have landed differently or if it behaved like you imagined it should. It makes solving puzzles a real treat. After each level you receive a score based on your time and how many taps you had to perform to win the level, and receive a medal based on this score.

The enormous variation in difficulty from easy puzzles to hard puzzles is night and day. Most easy puzzles will be solved without breaking too much of a sweat, but some of those hard ones will give you a tough time. During the first part of the game they are optional, but as you progress they are unavoidable. Coupled with the fact that you can’t skip puzzles (or even get a hint) this can make for some serious hair-pulling.

The weirdest part is the way Saving Private Sheep feels. For some reason the gameplay feels like it’s running in slow motion at times. Granted, it’s nice when there are timed/reflex solutions to a puzzle, but for the most part it feels sluggish. Though not game-breaking, it is odd.

In the end, though, Saving Private Sheep is a great pocket puzzler. With Open Feint online leader boards, un-lockable achievements and lots of levels, Saving Private Sheep is one war worth fighting. And don’t worry about those difficult levels; they’re not that baaaa-d.

Edited reference accessed HERE. Original review written by David Stone on Apr 20, 2010 Edited by Whiterabbit-uk 28th May 2017

Other Reviews and Videos of Saving Private Sheep:

You can see community reviews of Saving Private Sheep HERE and more information in the Big Fish forums HERE. and here are a couple more reviews:

It's World War X and the shepherds have abandoned their flocks of sheep to fight the good fight. But who will protect the sheep from those pesky wolves? Why, you will! Saving Private Sheep is a physics-based puzzler from Bulkypix that will have you bending your mind to save each sheep, while keeping the wolves at bay.

Similar to games like Tumbledrop, each level will present you with a puzzle that requires you to eliminate obstacles from the field in order to get each sheep down to the dry ground safely. Some puzzles will require some trial-and-error thanks to the physics engine, but most levels are designed with a logical solution and will take a few attempts to work out. Tapping the screen eliminates certain blocks from the field, allowing the tenuously balanced structures (and your sheep) to fall down.

The puzzles in Saving Private Sheep start off simply enough, but quickly introduce interesting new twists that make use of the game's robust physics engine. The graphics are simple and use a hand-drawn cartoon style and a few animations that keep the game lighthearted. Progression is simple and even difficult puzzles provide enough leniency for casual gamers to breeze through the game.

Whether you're saving sheep or dropping wolves off a cliff, Saving Private Sheep is an amusing puzzler that's as fun to get right as it is to get wrong. Worth checking out for any puzzle fan.

Reference accessed HERE. Original review written by Andrew Nesvadba, on April 16, 2010

Gameplay Tips:

⦁ It’s best to complete a level once to gauge how few touches you should be aiming for to get that gold medal.
⦁ You can hit two blocks simultaneously, which is necessary for some levels.
⦁ Use the physics to your advantage – weight and momentum can all be used to affect the course of Private Ryan.

Many pacifists would say that war shows men to be nothing but animals. Such people really should be more specific. They no doubt mean to liken mankind’s militaristic pursuits to the behaviour of savage beasts such as wolves or lions. Bulkypix has interpreted it a different way. As the title of Saving Private Sheep suggests, you’re responsible for rescuing a beleaguered woolly grunt from the ravenous jaws of a pack of wolves.

Despite the suggestion of violence, though, the game is anything but. It’s cartoonish with a comically rendered sheep sergeant barking (or should that be bleeting?) out orders in between levels. These levels have absolutely nothing to do with warfare either, aside from the odd exploding barrel. This is a 2D physics-based puzzler, requiring you to land Private S.Ryan (who handily shrinks into a pentagonal block) on terra firma from atop various block configurations. Most of said blocks are easily removed by a simple tap, though your score is judged by the number of taps used (the fewer the better), as well as time spent. Blocks are made of such materials as metal or pure explosives, meaning you have to work around – and make use of – their unique properties.

It’s hardly an original concept, but the appeal of Saving Private Sheep comes from the sheer charm of its execution, as well as some occasionally inspired level design. Certain puzzles surprise you by requiring perfect timing and razor sharp reactions. For example, there are occasions where you must strike Private Ryan as he falls with an explosive-propelled projectile. Other levels start with some elements already in motion, requiring you to figure out a solution on-the-fly. Often you fail on your first try – or even your first several tries – but there’s always the instant-restart button at the top of the screen to put you back at square one.

It has to be said that occasionally the freewheeling physics engine makes things a little too random. You may approach things from the right angle in order to attain a gold medal, but end up failing because one of the blocks bounces in an unfortunate manner, sending sheepy to the wolves below. Speaking of medals, they’re not particularly well implemented. You’re given a score target pertaining to each medal, but it’s unclear how that relates to gameplay in terms of the number of moves you should be looking to make.

As such, it becomes a matter of trial and error, going back to have another go at a level once you know that your approach was only good enough for silver. Indeed, I’m not even sure why timing needs to play a part in the formula at all. The nature of play would suit a more sedate, meditative approach. Completing a level in seven seconds hardly seems to matter in the grand scheme of things. Even taking into account the vague scoring and random physics, it possesses a level of polish that we’ve come to expect of a Bulkypix product. No doubt, some of the level design will have you grinning from ear to ear. While it’s not quite among the finest physics-based puzzlers on iPhone, then, Saving Private Sheep is well worth investigating.

Edited reference accessed HERE. Original review written by Jon Mundy 25 April 2010Whiterabbit-uk 2017

You can see some videos of game play HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

Conclusion:

If you like physics based puzzles Saving Private Sheep should give you a few hours worth of game play to keep you occupied on a rainy Sunday afternoon. It's not the best of this genre, but good enough to download and give it a whorl. Graphics are cartoon like and because the game is a port from android/Apple devices, it's not HD, but that does not detract from the game at all. I'd score it a 7 out of 10.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank MyPlayCity for giving away Saving Private Sheep and also to the game giveaway team, as always, for securing other ways to get free games.

Useful Information not related to today's game giveaway:

The problems section that used to be posted here in the Game review is now included in the Game Discussion FAQ's thread; which you can find HERE.

I've updated the games section that used to be posted with the review. The thread is now called 'Weekly round up of game deals', formerly the games section of the weekly reviews. You can find the new thread (which I've posted in the sticky section of the game discussion forums to make it easier to find if you are perusing the game discussion forums) HERE.

The rest of the information that used to be posted here can be found in the forums HERE. Don't forget, if you have an account with DOT.emu, you need to download any games you have before June, when the site closes permanently. Finally, check out Delenns thread over in the forums HERE. There are games available for free, some of which are limited to the number of free keys available. The thread is worth checking regularily as Delenn has been posting links to various freebies on a regular basis recently.