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Once in Flowerlake

Once in Flowerlake is an atmospheric game for people with patience, and I genuinely mean that in the nicest possible way. It portrays individual components well, such as stagnant routine, temporary friendships, a foreign world, and what trudging through snow feels like, but all of these elements mixed together get in each other’s way at times. If you feel to your core that life is about the journey, not the destination, Once in Flowerlake is a tiny yet tantalizing tale worth playing through.
Once in Flowerlake Game Cover
62%Game Brain Score
story, atmosphere
gameplay, monetization
70% User Score Based on 40 reviews
Critic Score 60%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Once in Flowerlake Game Cover

About

Once in Flowerlake is a single player survival simulation game. It was developed by byMixNez and was released on November 17, 2021. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

"Once in Flowerlake" is a single-player Simulation game that offers a thought-provoking story about a man's routine life disrupted by a life-changing event. The game is non-violent, with player choices impacting the story, and features a nice visual style and atmospheric soundtrack to convey the cold, winter world. With a duration of around an hour and a half, the game was created by one person, providing a unique and immersive experience.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Once in Flowerlake screenshot
Once in Flowerlake screenshot
Once in Flowerlake screenshot
Once in Flowerlake screenshot
Skip User Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 40 reviews
story8 positive mentions
monetization3 negative mentions
  • The game features a stunning atmosphere with beautiful graphics and sound design, effectively immersing players in a bleak, snowy world.
  • The narrative explores deep existential themes and offers a captivating story that keeps players engaged.
  • Despite its short length, the game provides a unique experience that is worth the price, especially for those who appreciate atmospheric walking simulators.
  • The gameplay is hindered by slow movement speed and poor level design, leading to frustration and aimless wandering.
  • Technical issues, such as visibility problems and bugs, detract from the overall experience and can make gameplay frustrating.
  • The game feels unpolished and lacks depth in character development and mechanics, leaving players wanting more from the experience.
  • story
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally well-received, praised for its atmospheric and thematic execution, though some players find it simple and slow-paced. While the narrative effectively engages players with intriguing elements and a compelling atmosphere, frustrations with level design and gameplay mechanics detract from the overall experience. Despite mixed feelings about its pacing and execution, many appreciate the story's depth and the thought-provoking themes it presents.

    • “Super atmospheric, crisp cold snow feeling - loved the storyline.”
    • “Artwork and music were both immaculate, gameplay was simple but felt nice, story was also simple but quite compelling.”
    • “A chilling and wonderful atmospheric adventure with a story that leaves you thinking about it.”
    • “Story is boring and as slow as the main character's speed at getting around.”
    • “Once in Flowerlake is a rather boring, unremarkable, monotonous story, telling about a nameless person, mired in a routine in the middle of a cold world and soulless machines.”
    • “I feel like if you had to play through the routine a few times before the story really kicked up, then that break in his routine would feel way more impactful because his routine would have been my routine.”
  • atmosphere
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its bleakness and immersive qualities, effectively conveying feelings of isolation and hopelessness, particularly in its snowy environments. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful art, sound, and music that enhance the overall experience, although some note that the gameplay can feel limited due to its walking simulator nature. Overall, the atmosphere is considered the game's strongest aspect, creating a captivating and thought-provoking adventure.

    • “Super atmospheric, crisp cold snow feeling - loved the storyline.”
    • “Amazing atmosphere, great sound and music.”
    • “The atmosphere is bleak, reinforcing a sense of hopelessness—until, by sheer chance, everything shifts.”
  • graphics
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charm and aesthetic appeal, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful artwork and sound design. While some note that the visuals may not be cutting-edge, they still contribute positively to the overall atmosphere and experience. Overall, the graphics are considered well-executed and complement the game's compelling story and gameplay.

    • “Aesthetically pleasing.”
    • “Well done graphics, interesting plot, as well as a soundtrack that perfectly suits the style of the game.”
    • “The graphics and sounds are so amazing.”
    • “While this is on PC, it has all the hallmarks and deficiencies of a console game, from the clunkier than needed control scheme to the less than cutting edge graphics.”
    • “The art style looks decent.”
    • “Very short but it has its own charm including graphics and sound design.”
  • gameplay
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the ineffective stealth mechanics and confusing level design that hampers navigation. While some appreciate the simplicity and compelling story, the overall experience is marred by issues with visibility and depth perception, leading to frustration during gameplay. The game is short, lasting around 20 minutes, but much of that time is spent on slow-paced walking rather than engaging mechanics.

    • “Artwork and music were both immaculate, gameplay was simple but felt nice, story was also simple but quite compelling.”
    • “+some choice and stealth gameplay mechanics to spruce things up.”
    • “+some choice and stealth gameplay mechanics to spruce things up.”
    • “Honestly, I felt like it didn't really commit to its premise enough to be impactful, and the mechanics need a lot more feedback.”
    • “The 'stealth' mechanics just do not work, and the level design had me very confused on where I was supposed to go numerous times, which really bogged down the experience with how slow the character moves.”
    • “There's also a real visibility and depth perception problem where it's either too difficult to see important gameplay elements, or I can't tell where in space I am, and the consequences of messing up will be death.”
  • music
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game received mixed reviews; while some players found it lackluster and preferred their own playlists, others praised the soundtrack for its quality and suitability to the game's atmosphere, describing it as beautiful and immersive. Overall, the music was noted to enhance the gameplay experience for many, complementing the visuals and story effectively.

    • “The OST is good.”
    • “Well done graphics, interesting plot, as well as a soundtrack that perfectly suits the style of the game.”
    • “The music, atmosphere, and artwork are beautiful.”
    • “The music was meh, and I quickly switched to my Spotify playlist instead.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized due to a surge of suspicious reviews, likely from fake accounts, which appear shortly after launch and suggest a pattern of promoting asset flips and cash grabs. This raises concerns about the legitimacy of the game's value and the integrity of its marketing.

    • “The monetization system feels exploitative, with prices that are far too high for the content offered.”
    • “It seems like the game is designed to push players towards microtransactions rather than providing a fair experience.”
    • “The constant barrage of ads and prompts to spend money really detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
  • emotional
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the emotional impact of the game to be significant, with some levels evoking tears despite a less dramatic overarching story. The intrigue keeps players engaged throughout, adding to the overall emotional experience.

    • “The level design made me cry in places, and while the story may not be filled with drama, the intrigue keeps you engaged until the very end.”
    • “The emotional depth of the characters truly resonated with me, making their journeys feel personal and impactful.”
    • “I found myself deeply moved by the narrative, as it beautifully captured the complexities of human emotions and relationships.”
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60%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Once in Flowerlake is a survival simulation game.

Once in Flowerlake is available on PC and Windows.

Once in Flowerlake was released on November 17, 2021.

Once in Flowerlake was developed by byMixNez.

Once in Flowerlake has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Once in Flowerlake is a single player game.

Similar games include The Uncertain: Last Quiet Day, MANDAGON, Cradle, 35MM, Home is Where One Starts... and others.