About

Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf is a puzzle-platformer stealth video game developed and published by Infogrames in 2001 for Windows and PlayStation. Drawing directly from the classic Looney Tunes cartoons, the game places players in the role of Ralph Wolf, a not so known lookalike of Wile E. Coyote. He is offered fame and fortune to appear in the self-titled game show Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf, presented by none-other than Daffy Duck himself, who acts as the in-game show host for the fictional competition Ralph is taking part in. Ralph's eternal goal is to steal sheep from the more well-known character, Sam Sheepdog. The result is a clever mix of stealth, strategy, and slapstick humour, all wrapped in the immense charm of this polygonal cartoon world. Sheep Raider is inspired by a 1962 episode of Looney Tunes, A Sheep In The Deep, where Sam Sheepdog herds a flock of sheep and Ralph Wolf tries to steal them. They spend the episode out-witting each other with Sam making sure that the flock remains safe.

The game was developed by Infogrames Lyon House, one of the French branches of the studio, during a period when Infogrames held the rights to produce Warner Bros. interactive titles. Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf stood out among the company's Looney Tunes adaptations for its originality. Instead of following the typical racing or platforming formula, it translated the classic predator-versus-guardian dynamic into a stealth-based puzzle adventure. If you mix Metal Gear Solid with Looney Tunes and throw in some platforming, this game is what you get. You have to sneak across fields, distract Sam, and cleverly use gadgets from the Acme Corporation to capture sheep without being caught; a gameplay loop that is both strategic and comedic.

Development

The game's development direction was driven by a desire to blend traditional cartoon timing with 3D game mechanics, something few titles had achieved at the time. The team implemented cel-shaded textures, expressive animations, and exaggerated physics to stay true to the look and feel of the Looney Tunes shorts.

The developers worked closely with Warner Bros. to ensure authenticity in character behavior, voice acting, and humour. The English cast for Daffy Duck, Gossamer, Marvin the Martian, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, and Yosemite Sam were supported by official Looney Tunes voice talent, which is also amazing to hear in-game.

From a technical perspective, Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf ran on a modified version of Infogrames' in-house Looney Tunes Racing engine, adapted for open environments and stealth mechanics. The game features diverse level designs inspired by rural countryside landscapes, deserts, mountains, and experimental arenas. Each level introduces new Acme gadgets and complex puzzle setups, rewarding creativity and timing rather than brute force or speed.

Reception

Upon release, Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf received positive critical attention for its originality, humour, and faithful cartoon style. Critics praised its innovative stealth-puzzle design, although it never achieved mainstream commercial success. It developed a cult following over the years, particularly among fans of Looney Tunes and retro puzzle-platformers.

In the years since, Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf has been remembered as a hidden gem from the early 2000s; a rare example of a licensed game that took creative risks. It demonstrates how a simple concept, when executed with imagination and respect for its source material, can transcend the boundaries of its genre. I celebrate this game not just out of nostalgia, but for its clever design and the way it captures an aspect of video games that can truly be called timeless.

Gameplay

With only 18 levels, Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf might seem brief at first glance, and aside from the option to replay stages to hunt for hidden timeclocks that unlock concept sketches and animated sequences, you might think there's little incentive to revisit a level once it's completed. But I find this game extremely replayable, and have come back to it probably close to a dozen times over the years. However, don't be fooled by the bright, cheerful graphics; the game is deceptively challenging. As a child, my father initially assumed it was aimed at children, but at Level 10, we were both scratching our heads. The puzzles grow increasingly intricate, often bordering on labyrinthine in complexity.

Completion takes roughly 11 hours, and unless you're a puzzle prodigy, you'll likely spend much of that time experimenting, strategising, and occasionally hitting your head against the wall. Despite its modest length, the gameplay is deeply satisfying, offering a rewarding challenge that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

My History

In 2001, not long after release, my father bought this game for us to play together on our PS one. We had modchipped hardware, so naturally it was a ripped copy of the game. At just 5 years old, I already loved playing on the PlayStation, and out of the 60+ games we had up to that point, this title soon became my most beloved. We played it until we got stuck on Level 10, and it wasn't until I returned to it a few years later that I finally beat the entire game. I came back to Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf countless times throughout my childhood; literally until the CD became so damaged from disk rot by 2006 and was unplayable due to the high humidity area we lived in at the time.

I didn't play it again until probably about ~2010, when I first learnt how to emulate games on the computer; I still remember what an absolute trip it was to hear the music from my childhood again, and all those days I'd replay the levels over and over. But it wasn't just nostalgia; I had cherished moments of playing it with my dad, and it brought me much comfort as a child. It seems like this game had followed me for most of my life, until it brought another big milestone.

When me and my husband (then boyfriend) first met in 2021, Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf was the first game we ever played together. Or rather, I watched him play it. We had immediately connected about video games, and I don't know why I suggested this one; perhaps because the thought of it always brought warm and happy memories, so I wanted to prolong that happiness by associating it with yet another wonderful time in my life. He had never heard of it before, and was expecting a simple childrens' game judging by the cartoonish look of it, but he was rather surprised at how difficult it got at times!

Over the years I've realised that this is one of those rare games where truly anybody of any age can enjoy it equally. I enjoyed it as a little 5 year old, my dad enjoyed it back when he was the same age I am now as I type this, and my husband enjoyed it around the same age too. The music, in particular, became so deeply rooted that the tunes would just pop up in my head unprompted. I'd be reminded of how likeable the art style and animations are, how well the physics are done, the sound effects, the writing, and just about every other facet of this game.

Level 9 & Other Favourites

My favourite level is by far and away Level 9 Why? I was notoriously stuck on Level 10 as a kid, so fleeting moments of happiness were experienced from the countless times I replayed the prior level to completition, which in this case is Level 9. But besides that, it simply has the most amazing song on the entire time, devilishly and insanely capable of getting stuck in your head for weeks at a time and it somehow combines into a medieval--wild west--jungle safari type sound perfectly. The composer for this game is criminally underrated, and its a shame he didn't do more work for other video games.

Level 9 is very GREEN AND YELLOW and has always felt like a fever dream. Something about the fog used throughout the game to cover the view distance fits so well with this level specifically, it feels like a hazy marsh on a warm day, and of course its the perfect place to almost get eaten by an alligator, almost get shot by Elmer Fudd, and play as a cute little robot because... why not? This game just makes perfect sense at all times no matter what it does. The sound that the robot makes when its activated tickles my brain bigly and is always a reminder about just how good the sound design is.

Some other things I like in this game:

1. Level 7 and the umbrella mechanics!!! The wallpaper for this shrine uses the concept art for Level 7, iceberg-volcano arena my beloved
2. All of Level 6 but especially the sheep costume Ralph gets to put on and the SOUND THE MINE DETECTOR MAKES... JEEZ
3. The dragon and the bull chasing each other until the end of infinity in Level 8
4. Bombing Gossamer the fuck out in Level 10 (he cute though)
5. The autumn vibes in Level 4
6. Pretty much every sound effect in this entire game
7. The fluffy bundles of polygonal joy otherwise known as the sheep... literally the stars of the show. The most endearing creatures in any game in existance. Although they are drawn quite crudely; just a blocky white body with a black face and tail and no fancy texture mapping, they exude megatons of personality. Each sheep has a big comedic tail that corkscrews into the air. When you first sneak up on a flock of them, they graze peacefully, unaware of your nefarious intentions. Once you have selected a sheep to steal; let's say while sitting in the middle of the flock inside a bush, one will come skipping up and examine the bush quizzically before taking a nibble. Shuffle off and the sheep will gambol after you, its big soppy eyes full of innocence and trust. They really just don't make video games anymore do they?
   
8. The way Sam runs at you when he turns red. Absolute jumpscare
9. Physics on par with early PS2 games
10. The rhythm game in Level 12 and the way Ralph dresses as an alarmingly pointy ghost to fit in
11. The maps are so drawn in such a way that I have loved since I was a kid. When we moved to a new area about a year after I first played the game, my dad had started a new job and I wanted to make sure he knew how to get there and back home. Six year old me drew a little map on a small piece of paper for my dad in the same style as the maps in the game, with crude doodles of our house and a trail leading to his workplace. He kept that map in his wallet for years and years.

Media

Here are some official and unofficial trailers or other promotional material related to Sheep Raider. I'm trying to keep a few of these from becoming lost media.

Download

Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf has been considered abandonware for over two decades now. As of November 2025, there is no official way to purchase this game anywhere. Unfortunate, because I think this game should definitely be on online storefronts like Steam, but Infogrames (now known as Atari SA) has no interest in renewing the license and Warner Brothers don't have much interest in IPs that wouldn't make them a ton of money. However, you can easily download it right here. There are two ways to play it: the PC release, or emulate the PS1 version. I highly recommend emulating it. The PC version has many cutscenes missing, and the controls are very clunky compared to the console version. Any controller will work if you emulate it.

Instructions

1. If you don't already have one, download any free PS1 emulator. I suggest the one I use, DuckStation as it's fast and easy to set up.
2. From one of these two links, download the ROM for Sheep Raider (NA) or Sheep, Dog 'n' Wolf (EU). It's the same game, but language availability and a few loading screens differ depending on which region you choose, though both have English.
3. Place the ROM in the games folder for your emulator, and make sure you have a controller connected before you play.