Flock
- July 16, 2024
- Richard Hogg
- 6h median play time
Flock is a warm, wooly hug of a game, mixing vibrant views with moreish creature collection action to create an adventure that's as light as the clouds you glide over. While its structure can end up feeling repetitive, this doesn't dull its charm.
Flock is a multiplayer co-op game where players take on the role of flying shepherds, each tending to their own unique herd of adorable flying creatures. The game is an ode to the joy of flight and discovery. Starting with a small herd of hover-sheep, you nurture and fly them toward fresh, untouched pastures. Along the way, you will discover the secrets of the beautiful uplands and its wild creatu…
Reviews
- Flock features adorable graphics and a charming art style, creating a delightful and relaxing atmosphere for players.
- The gameplay loop of exploring beautiful landscapes and collecting unique creatures is engaging and enjoyable, especially in co-op mode.
- The sound design and music enhance the experience, making it a soothing game that players can enjoy for hours.
- The game is relatively short, with some players feeling it lacks sufficient content and depth for the price.
- There are notable technical issues, including crashes and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, as well as frustrating camera controls.
- The creature-catching mechanics can become repetitive, and the spawn rates for certain creatures can lead to a grindy experience.
- gameplay37 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a whimsical exploration of vibrant landscapes, where players collect and charm cute creatures through simple yet engaging mechanics. While the movement and identification systems are enjoyable, some players find the co-op experience frustrating and the quest for elusive species can lead to monotony, particularly for completionists. Overall, the game is recommended for casual players who appreciate exploration and creature-collecting, but may not satisfy those seeking deeper challenges or rewards.
“The movement feels great, the creatures are cute, and the identification gameplay is very fun.”
“The core mechanic ('charming') is simple but provides enough challenge to be engaging.”
“You should absolutely get this game if you enjoy exploration, creature-collecting, fun traversal mechanics, and a vibrant, quirky aesthetic.”
“As enjoyable as this game would be to play with many friends in one session, some parts of co-op gameplay were frustrating.”
“The whimsical world and serene flying are noteworthy, yet they are occasionally overshadowed by moments of monotonous exploration and occasional gameplay lulls.”
“Monotonous exploration at times, not enough interesting rewards for progression, repetitive catching mechanic.”
- story34 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as cute and simple, featuring likeable characters and a lighthearted quest to retrieve stolen items, but it lacks depth and world-building, leaving players wanting more. While the initial hours are enjoyable, the narrative quickly becomes overshadowed by grindy post-game content, and the short playtime (around 2-4 hours) raises concerns about its value. Additionally, the lack of cooperative questing and a more expansive storyline limits the potential for multiplayer engagement.
“There's a semblance of a storyline ('burgling bewls' have stolen Aunt Jane's whistles and you have to get them back with the help of Uncle Reg's sheep ... it'll all make sense, I promise), but there's a real sense of achievement as you gradually lower each layer of cloud to reveal new game areas and critters.”
“It has a cute, simple story with likeable characters and a neat gameplay loop.”
“The art style is very cute and so is the story.”
“Speaking of missed potential, there really is not much in the way of a story explaining the world or how the various characters came to be in it.”
“20$ is pretty steep for a 2-3 hour game, which is how long the story takes; I don't recommend buying it off sale.”
“I wish there was a bigger map, longer story, more creatures, and more biomes.”
- graphics33 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their adorable and vibrant art style, featuring imaginative creature designs and beautiful visuals that create a relaxing atmosphere. Players appreciate the attention to detail, with many noting the delightful aesthetics during various times of day, such as sunset and sunrise. Overall, the game's visuals contribute significantly to its charm and enjoyment, making it a standout in the cozy gaming genre.
“Of all the cozy games I've played, the visuals in this one have stuck with me the most -- every creature was unexpected and unique, with an equally silly name.”
“The aesthetics, both visual and auditory, and the incredible attention to detail are so satisfying!”
“It excels in creating a relaxing atmosphere with its gentle music and beautiful visuals.”
“As soon as motion blur is decoupled from all the pretty graphics, this seems like it's a thumbs up.”
“[bright, colourful visuals, imaginative creature designs, incredibly chilled out, addictive to play! Gotta catch 'em all, right?]”
“[simple and engaging premise, relaxing atmosphere, captivating art style, charming creatures is a simple process, a lot of 'make your own fun' charm]”
- music24 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its harmonious integration with sound design, creating a peaceful and immersive atmosphere that enhances exploration. Players find the soundtrack delightful and relaxing, complementing the beautiful visuals and charming creatures throughout the world. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's inviting and enjoyable experience.
“It excels in creating a relaxing atmosphere with its gentle music and beautiful visuals.”
“The sound design and music work together so well; the creatures are all so adorable.”
“The music is very peaceful as well as the world.”
“The world feels so real and plush, with a soundtrack that complements it really well!”
“Delicate music completes the game's soothing vibe.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, particularly after the initial enjoyable hours, as post-game progression requires significant time investment to reach max levels. The expert system feels underutilized, with little incentive to pursue rare creatures, leading to frustration as players often spend hours without achieving their goals. Overall, the grind detracts from the initial fun, turning the experience into a frustrating slog.
“The first few hours of the game are fun, but then it becomes an impossible grindy slog post-game to reach max bars with everyone.”
“This would not only make feeding my sheep still worthwhile after I have all the fashion I want, keeping wool a resource worth collecting, but would also help the game avoid dragging on by a multitude of hours to the point the fun experience turns into a teeth-grindingly frustrating one.”
“But the expert system feels wasted - there's little reason to be an expert save for completionist's sake and you're better just farming the same most common creature of a species instead of hunting down rare ones for more points - and the rarest of the game's spawns are so rare that you could be spending three, four to even five hours at a time not seeing what you need.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its relaxing and cozy qualities, enhanced by great sound design, gentle music, and captivating visuals. Players appreciate the charming art style and the engaging premise that encourages a sense of exploration and creativity. Overall, the game successfully creates a tranquil environment that invites players to unwind.
“It excels in creating a relaxing atmosphere with its gentle music and beautiful visuals.”
“Great sound design and a very cozy atmosphere.”
“[Simple and engaging premise, relaxing atmosphere, captivating art style, charming creatures is a simple process, a lot of 'make your own fun' charm.]”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be deeply soothing and heartwarming, with many highlighting its ability to evoke a sense of peace and joy during exploration. The game's wholesome and cute elements contribute significantly to this positive emotional experience.
“Other than Dredge, no other recent game has made me feel so at peace with the world while exploring.”
“A wholesome game and cute all-around.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers consistently praise the character development, highlighting exceptional creature and character design, with many giving it a perfect score of 10/10. This indicates a strong appreciation for the creativity and depth in the game's character portrayals.
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent bugs reported by users. Many feel that these problems are particularly disappointing given the game's price point. Overall, the stability of the game appears to be a major concern among players.
“Too short, too buggy, at least for the price.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a lack of significant replayability in the game, with multiple users expressing doubts about the incentive to play it again after the initial experience.
“I honestly don't know that I see a lot of replayability, either.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for its surprisingly poor performance, particularly on a 780m GPU, indicating that it may not run efficiently on older hardware.
“Surprisingly poor performance on a 780m GPU.”
Critic Reviews
Flock Review
Flock is a warm, wooly hug of a game, mixing vibrant views with moreish creature collection action to create an adventure that's as light as the clouds you glide over. While its structure can end up feeling repetitive, this doesn't dull its charm.
80%Fine feathered friends
The makers of Hohokum and I Am Dead take to the skies for this relaxing outing about flying alongside weird bird-like creatures.
80%Flock Review – Ahead Of The Pack
I feel like more than other games of its kind, Flock rewards those with a scrupulous attention for detail. It’s, of course, a joy to charm and herd these strange critters courtesy of the model, flow state brand of flying. However, a lust for discovery is essential to harvest from these uplands as much delight as a shepherd can handle.
75%