Flow Free
- June 7, 2012
- Big Duck Games
- 2h median play time
Flow Free is a single-player kids puzzle game with spectacular gameplay and awesome visuals. The objective is to connect matching colors with pipes to create a "Flow" and cover the entire board without crossing or overlapping pipes. The game offers free play through hundreds of levels and a time trial mode, with a range of difficulty levels. However, it has some issues such as too many ads and bugs, but still provides a wholesome and humorous experience.
iPad
iPhone
Phone
Windows
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Windows Phone
Reviews
- The game is fun and challenging, with a wide variety of levels that keep it interesting.
- It's a great way to pass the time and can be played offline, making it convenient for travel.
- The game helps improve problem-solving skills and is enjoyable for all ages.
- There are too many ads, often requiring players to watch lengthy advertisements after every few levels.
- The game can crash or freeze, causing frustration and loss of progress.
- Some players have reported issues with syncing progress across devices, leading to lost achievements.
- monetization2,327 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 96 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback from users, primarily due to the excessive number of ads that interrupt gameplay. Many players report being bombarded with long, unskippable ads after nearly every level, which significantly detracts from the overall experience. While some users acknowledge the option to pay for an ad-free version, the general sentiment is that the current ad frequency is excessive and frustrating, leading to a diminished enjoyment of the game.
“An addictive and fun game that employs microtransactions in an ultimately understandable way without forcing you to get them!”
“The small $2.99 (I think, maybe $3.99) purchase for no ads and all paid packs is worth it, since you get all additional packs free of cost.”
“Great game, no ads, hundreds of levels!”
“The sheer volume of ads brings it down quite a bit, but I always found figuring out how all the dots were meant to be connected to be very satisfying.”
“I used to enjoy playing this game, but the ads are just ridiculous so I'm uninstalling unfortunately.”
“The game is fun, but the sheer volume of ads is completely ridiculous, as well as the length of said ads.”
- gameplay80 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its simplicity, fun mechanics, and engaging puzzles, offering a nostalgic experience for many players. However, a significant number of reviews express frustration over the frequency and length of ads, which disrupt the overall enjoyment and flow of the game. While the core gameplay remains solid and enjoyable, the balance between gameplay and advertisements is a common concern among users.
“The gameplay is great and the puzzles range from easy to very challenging.”
“Simple controls with mechanics that are quick to learn, but hard to master, and most importantly, ads are very few and far between.”
“Fun and relaxing gameplay with lots of unique levels.”
“Overnight, this app has become more ad than gameplay.”
“I understand the need for ads but feel they are too frequent between games and last too long, distracting from the gameplay.”
“Used to be a 5-star game but now it fell into the trend of all other games that are more ads than gameplay.”
- graphics75 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as simple and minimalistic, which many players appreciate for not being distracting and allowing for quick loading times. While some users find the visuals engaging and aesthetically pleasing, others have reported issues with graphical glitches and performance drops following updates. Overall, the consensus leans towards the graphics being effective for the gameplay, though there are suggestions for improvement and more variety.
“The graphics are simple, but that really helps.”
“Good gameplay, wonderful controls, nice graphics, so much variety too!”
“A fun and simple game with amazing graphics and tons of levels.”
“Edit: after the new graphical update, I am getting extremely low fps with the Pixel 4a.”
“Great game, but since the recent update to visuals in Flow Free, bridges, hexes, and warps, I've been experiencing freezes and graphical glitches causing visuals to completely break or cause flashing on the screen, making the game mostly unplayable.”
“Graphic design is terrible.”
- music68 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, primarily due to intrusive ads that interrupt or mute any background music players, which frustrates many users. While some players enjoy the ability to listen to their own music while playing, others express a desire for in-game music options and better control over sound settings. Overall, the consensus highlights a need for improvements in ad management to enhance the gaming experience without disrupting personal audio.
“I thoroughly enjoyed this game; a couple bucks to remove popup ads, sign me up! The only issue I had with it was when I had a background music player, the FPS would drop randomly. Apart from that, I've almost completed it.”
“This game is so addictive, it is awesome and relaxing, and if you listen to music while playing, you will love it. It is just a great game.”
“Great game, perfect for when you're listening to a podcast or music.”
“Unfortunately, I've been getting an ad lately that plays music I can't mute, and I usually play this when I'm falling asleep.”
“The absolute worst part of this game for me is the fact that 90% of ads will interrupt my already-playing music and my music won't resume.”
“Ads are intrusive; if I have audio going in a different app (music, etc.), the ads interrupt it.”
- stability46 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with users reporting frequent freezes, crashes, and graphical glitches, particularly after recent updates. While some players have noted a lack of bugs in certain versions, the overall experience is marred by persistent issues that make the game largely unplayable for many. Users express frustration over the impact of these stability problems on gameplay, often leading to a desire to uninstall the app.
“Thanks to the developers for making a game that is good and not buggy, and a game full of memories from years ago.”
“It's a real time killer; I've had the ad-free version for years now and still enjoy it. It's not buggy and gives you daily puzzles and weekly puzzles.”
“Super fun! Definitely recommend; no glitches, satisfying, and it's an exercise for your brain.”
“Last couple weeks during the game, the app freezes for no apparent reason.”
“Great game, but since the recent update to visuals in Flow Free, bridges, hexes, and warps, I've been experiencing freezes and graphical glitches causing visuals to completely break or cause flashing on the screen, making the game mostly unplayable.”
“I will be halfway through a puzzle, then the screen freezes and the game crashes.”
- humor16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players finding it catchy, funny, and a great way to lighten their mood. While some users note that the humor can be hit or miss, overall, it provides a fun and entertaining experience, making it suitable for casual play and short breaks. However, a few players mention that the humor may not always elicit laughter, but the game remains enjoyable and engaging.
“Pretty fun time waster and can be challenging in a funny way.”
“Love it! This is so funny and relaxing ✌👍”
“Simple, funny, perfect for short breaks.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Overall, user reviews on optimization are mixed; while some players report smooth performance and minimal ads, others experience significant lag and performance issues, even on high-end devices. There are mentions of the game needing better optimization to enhance the experience, particularly for those encountering slowdowns.
“The ads are non-intrusive and the game runs smoothly and quickly.”
“Runs smoothly, no problems after 150 levels.”
“Well developed, good looking, runs smoothly.”
“Good game with lots of content, but it's barely enjoyable due to the excessive use of ads and, worst of all, the performance of the application.”
“Not optimized, runs poorly.”
- emotional9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional attachment to the game, highlighting its ability to provide comfort and joy during difficult times, such as the pandemic. Despite frustrations with ads and gameplay mechanics, the overall experience is described as wholesome and nostalgic, contributing positively to their emotional well-being.
“I have created an emotional attachment to this game due to that.”
“This was not a great year, with the virus and all, but Flow Free made me feel better.”
“I've been playing this since I was a kid and I honestly think it's a wholesome game.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be both addictive and enjoyable, often reminiscing about past experiences with it. However, the frequent ads and lengthy wait times can make the grinding feel tedious and frustrating at times. Overall, while it keeps players engaged, the repetitive nature and interruptions can detract from the overall experience.
“I could understand maybe every 3-5 levels, but when you complete a harder (9x9 or better) level in 10 seconds and then wait a minute for the ad to be done, it becomes tedious.”
“It's fun, but quite tedious.”
“Easy to get the hang of and fun, but there are a lot of ads that are very tedious to skip.”
- story5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as a metaphorical journey, where players can draw parallels between the character arcs of color dots and real-life relationships, creating a reflective experience. While there is no traditional storyline to follow, the engaging and beautiful visuals enhance the overall narrative experience, making it enjoyable and educational for players.
“The game helps me build analogies to storytelling, exploring the journey of the color dots, their character arcs, and more. Strangely, I can see parallels to life in the relationships between the various dots that occupy every spot on the board.”
“Beautiful story, the graphics are realistic, and when the green dot fits correctly... it's beautiful.”
“Very nice to have this game in play story. Thanks for updating this game! I am sure that I will be able to find happy and educational games. Please download this game for us and for all. When I downloaded this game, I enjoyed it very much and saw all the reviews.”
“The game helps me build analogies to storytelling, such as the journey of the colored dots, their character arcs, and whatnot. Strangely, I can see parallels to approaching life as the relationship between various dots that occupy every spot on the board.”
“There is no storyline that you have to remember.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers high replayability due to its engaging content and rewarding gameplay, though some players feel that its simplicity may limit replay value for others. Many users express enjoyment in revisiting the game multiple times.
“A great puzzle app with loads of content and replay value.”
“Simplistic yet rewarding gameplay, and high replay value.”
“Love this game; it has good replay value, and I have been playing it over and over.”
“The only real limiting factor is that the simplicity may limit the replayability for some people.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is negatively impacted by a sense of greed and inflated pricing, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and feeling of accomplishment for players. Users express that this environment undermines the enthusiasm typically associated with gaming experiences.
“The atmosphere and the enthusiasm make it feel like you really won the game.”
“Like many companies, this one has become greedy over COVID, and the whole atmosphere of raising prices significantly under the guise of 'inflation' feels exploitative to consumers.”
“The atmosphere and enthusiasm don't make it feel like you really won the game.”
