Flower

About

"Flower" is an award-winning, PC game that lets you control the wind as you explore and interact with lush environments. By navigating through various landscapes, you can change and balance the environment, creating a unique and enthralling experience. The game is part of the first permanent video game collection at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,655 reviews

music169 positive mentions

optimization14 negative mentions

The game features stunning visuals and a beautiful soundtrack that create a calming atmosphere.
Flower offers a unique and relaxing experience, allowing players to explore and bloom flowers in a vibrant world.
The game's simple mechanics and lack of pressure make it accessible and enjoyable for players of all ages.

The controls can be frustrating and imprecise, making it difficult to navigate and collect flowers.
The game suffers from technical issues, including audio glitches and performance problems on some systems.
The frequent cutscenes and loss of player control disrupt the flow of gameplay, detracting from the overall experience.

music
398 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
55%
3%
The music in "Flower" is widely praised for its calming and beautiful qualities, enhancing the game's serene atmosphere and emotional depth. Many players appreciate how the soundtrack dynamically responds to gameplay, creating a unique auditory experience as they interact with the environment. However, some users have reported technical issues with the music not playing correctly in the PC port, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The music matches the emotion for each level as you move through the story!”
- “The music is beautiful, and while I wouldn't listen to it on its own, I very much enjoyed it as a backdrop to this calming, atmospheric experience.”
- “The music and sound design are beautiful, and the graphics are so pretty.”
- “The other issue is that the music doesn’t seem to work the same way as it did in the original PS3 version.”
- “The music is what truly makes a game's atmosphere and the music in Flower was a little lacking.”
- “There is also an unfixed bug which causes the game to occasionally start with no background music, so don’t be fooled into thinking the silence is intentional as I first did.”
graphics
277 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
45%
5%
The graphics of the game are often described as beautiful and calming, with a simplistic yet aesthetically pleasing art style that enhances the overall experience. However, many users report significant technical issues, including graphical glitches, stuttering, and low frame rates, which detract from the enjoyment. While the visuals can be stunning and evoke a sense of tranquility, they may feel dated compared to modern standards, leading to mixed reviews on their overall impact.
- “The visuals are gorgeous and the soundtrack accompanies the gameplay terrifically.”
- “Beautiful graphics, and a great story emerges over the fairly brief, but worthwhile game.”
- “The simple but fun and satisfying gameplay mixed with the absolutely gorgeous visuals make this a truly wonderful experience.”
- “Also, the graphics at this point in time are hard to appreciate as they offer nothing spectacular to the eye.”
- “The game is extremely buggy with graphics that flicker like crazy and sound that constantly bugs out and goes mute during play.”
- “The quality of the graphics is approximately at the level of 2005.”
gameplay
216 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
69%
8%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its simplicity and repetitiveness, often described as calming yet lacking depth and engagement. While the visuals and music are praised for their beauty and ability to create a serene atmosphere, many players find the mechanics frustrating and the overall experience unremarkable, with some noting issues like poor controls and a lack of meaningful challenges. Overall, it appeals to those seeking a relaxing experience rather than traditional gameplay complexity.
- “Each level has a unique visual and mechanical feel to them, and they intertwine with the music to create movements with great emotional highs and lows.”
- “The gameplay is simple but made satisfying by the art and music.”
- “Flower is a beautiful game with simple and relaxing gameplay and a wonderful soundtrack.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are overly simplistic and repetitive.”
- “With its repetitive gameplay loop (collect/touch all the flowers to a gold coin sound effect) and lack of freedom plus frustrating fly controls, the game is quite the opposite of calming or contemplative or even interesting.”
- “The gameplay is boring, and could barely amaze me with its visuals nor does it make me at ease with its music.”
story
138 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
72%
6%
The game's story is largely abstract and open to interpretation, conveyed through stunning visuals and music rather than traditional narrative elements. While some players appreciate the emotional and thematic depth regarding nature and urbanism, others find the plot vague and lacking in substance. Overall, it offers a unique, relaxing experience that prioritizes atmosphere over a conventional storyline.
- “The game is pretty relaxing; you just control a gust of wind carrying around petals of various kinds of flowers, making nature bloom and waking up something in the environment—that's the story in a nutshell.”
- “You experience a story—albeit a very simple one—through relaxing and unique visual storytelling.”
- “This game is beautiful; it tells a story without words, and the ending is so powerful.”
- “If you are not into artsy or calming games, this might not be for you as this feels more like a modern art storytelling class than a video game.”
- “The game is very artistic, but as a game, concerning story, characters, and mainly gameplay, it is very lacking.”
- “There’s no real story here; after all, you’re a flower petal, but your job as a petal is to restore nature to its true beauty.”
atmosphere
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
34%
5%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty, relaxation, and immersive qualities, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning visuals and soothing music that create a dreamlike experience. While some players find the atmosphere captivating and worth exploring, others note that technical issues and frustrating controls can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is recommended for those who appreciate atmospheric and artistic gameplay, despite some criticisms regarding its execution.
- “✨ The smooth transitions between scenes contribute to the game's dreamlike atmosphere, immersing players in a world of natural wonder.”
- “The music is beautiful, and while I wouldn't listen to it on its own, I very much enjoyed it as a backdrop to this calming, atmospheric experience.”
- “It creates a beautiful and serene atmosphere that is as calming as it is wonderful.”
- “This game is okay, but something is missing from the atmosphere.”
- “Sweet mood and atmosphere, ruined by extremely frustrating game controls and camera movement.”
- “The steam release is so overloaded with issues it completely disrupts the atmosphere the game tries to produce.”
emotional
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke deep feelings through its serene visuals, harmonious audio, and simple yet impactful gameplay. Players report experiencing a range of emotions, from joy to sadness, often leading to tears, as they engage with the game's themes of rejuvenation and beauty. Despite some criticisms regarding controls and sound effects, the overall consensus is that the game offers a unique and touching emotional journey that resonates with many players.
- “Each level has a unique visual and mechanical feel to them, and they intertwine with the music to create movements with great emotional highs and lows.”
- “The emotional core resonates so well.”
- “In many ways this is more than a game - it is an experience that anyone wanting to be moved emotionally can pick up.”
optimization
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
45%
42%
The optimization of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many players experiencing significant stuttering, low frame rates, and audio issues, even on capable hardware. While some users reported that performance improved after adjusting settings, the overall consensus is that the PC port suffers from poor optimization, making it a frustrating experience for many. A few players noted that the game can run well under certain conditions, but the inconsistent performance and control issues detract from the enjoyment.
- “The original game handles like a nimble and very maneuverable performance sports car.”
- “Had never heard of this game until just a few days ago and only bought it for its inclusion in a bundle with Journey, well I'm so glad I did because this game is visually stunning and was an absolute joy to play. I did have some performance issues my first few times running it but they soon fixed themselves and it now works flawlessly. Overall, I had a great time playing this game; it's a short and relaxing experience and I would definitely recommend it!”
- “By the way, I didn't have performance issues on maxed settings like some others did.”
- “I got through the game lowering the FPS quite a lot, and I gotta say this game changes so much when FPS is low... I would suggest not to buy it, to be honest, for the optimization alone it is quite the gamble or the hassle.”
- “The PC port is an unpleasant experience due to multiple factors: poor optimization and low FPS, infuriating controls and camera (much worse than the original), and audio glitches.”
- “The performance is terrible.”
stability
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
97%
The game's stability is widely criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs, including visual glitches, audio failures, and clunky controls. Many experienced issues such as flickering graphics, missing sound, and the need to restart the game to resolve problems. Overall, the game is described as a frustrating experience that detracts from its intended relaxing nature.
- “Great relaxing game, great graphics, runs smoothly.”
- “The game performs exceptionally well without any crashes.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it never lags or freezes.”
- “The game is extremely buggy with graphics that flicker like crazy and sound that constantly bugs out and goes mute during play.”
- “It is meant to be a relaxing experience but there are a number of shortcomings: it's buggy (sometimes audio just stops for no reason and you have to restart), you can't save in the middle of the (fairly long) levels, and controls are awkward and not configurable.”
- “The pc port is an unpleasant experience due to multiple factors (poor optimization and low fps, infuriating controls and camera, audio glitches).”
grinding
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
5%
84%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often feeling that it detracts from the overall enjoyment. Many reviews highlight the need to collect every flower to progress, which can turn gameplay into a frustrating search rather than a relaxing experience. While the game has appealing visuals and concepts, the grinding for achievements and the mechanics involved are seen as cumbersome and user-unfriendly.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “My problem is that after beating the game I'm at 13/14 achievements, and to get the last one - bloom 10k flowers, from what I'm reading I'll have to beat the game one or two more times, just grinding the figure.”
- “I can tell it's supposed to be relaxing and simplistic, but instead I just found it tedious and repetitive.”
- “The early chapters require the player to collect every flower in the field in order to progress, so the gameplay often turns into a tedious search for those two or three glowing flowers that you missed while flying at full speed and enjoying yourself.”
replayability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
63%
16%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the short levels and the opportunity to collect hidden items and achievements, many feel that the overall experience is too brief and lacks substantial content to warrant multiple playthroughs. Some users find enjoyment in revisiting favorite levels for relaxation, but others argue that the game is primarily meant for a one-time experience rather than extensive replayability. Overall, it seems that while there are elements that encourage replay, the game's short duration and limited variety may leave some players wanting more.
- “It is relaxing, has short 10-minute levels but can be 100% in under 10 hours; the replayability is outstanding.”
- “It's a short game but definitely has replay value, which at first you would probably think is primarily because of the collectibles and achievements, then secondarily because it's nice to go through your favorite level(s) again sometime.”
- “There's always more to explore and find, so there's good replay value.”
- “However, it is very short and there's hardly any replay value, so while it's cheap, I still think you should wait until it's on sale to get it (I've seen it on sale quite often).”
- “It is a very soothing, creative and artistic experience, but once again, the replay value is next to zero.”
- “It's a short game with not a lot of replay value; you only play it for the experience and relaxation, not for content.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and lighthearted moments, including amusing complaints about gameplay and entertaining credits that may feature funny bloopers or deleted scenes. While some players find the humor engaging, others view it as lacking depth, comparing it unfavorably to high art in cinema. Overall, the game elicits a mix of laughter and critique regarding its comedic value.
- “Funny little game.”
- “The credits are part of the experience, and sometimes you get rewarded with something special in the end, like some funny blooper or an extra/deleted scene.”
- “Still laughing thinking about people genuinely recommending this lame piece of interactive visuals to Roger Ebert; trying to convince him that games can be high art and comparable to the best movies.”