The Flower Collectors
- December 18, 2020
- Mi'pu'mi Games GmbH
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Epic Games Store"The Flower Collectors" is a nostalgic, pixel art-style game set in 1970s Barcelona. As a retired police officer, you use your telescope to uncover a mystery by observing the streets and residents. The game combines observational mechanics with a slowly unfolding narrative to create a unique and immersive experience.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a strong and engaging story set in a unique historical context, exploring themes of democracy and societal struggles in post-Franco Spain.
- The art style and voice acting are praised for their quality, contributing to an immersive experience.
- The gameplay offers a unique observation-based mechanic, allowing players to direct a journalist in the investigation while remaining in a wheelchair, which adds depth to the narrative.
- The game suffers from clunky animations and poor character movement, which can detract from the overall experience.
- Gameplay mechanics are overly simplistic and linear, often leading to a feeling of being guided rather than actively participating in the investigation.
- The short playtime and lack of replay value make it hard to justify the price, as many players feel it doesn't offer enough content for the cost.
- story99 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its engaging narrative, strong voice acting, and unique historical context, often described as captivating and well-written. However, some reviewers noted issues with pacing, character development, and gameplay mechanics that detracted from the overall experience. While many found the story immersive and thought-provoking, others felt it could have benefited from deeper exploration and more polished execution.
“The story is fantastic and really well written.”
“The story is amazing and very engaging throughout the whole game.”
“A really beautiful story-driven game that got me invested in all the characters without even directly interacting with most of them.”
“Unfortunately, the story and the gameplay are just okay and are not enough to make me look past the, honestly, comedic animations.”
“Often the slow and boring sequences eliminate any pacing or tension the story has built.”
“The dialogue and story work well, but there's so much more that could've been put in to really enhance it and give some impact, but it falls short in the scant playtime.”
- gameplay44 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it simplistic and repetitive, primarily revolving around observation and interaction with limited mechanics. While the story and voice acting are praised, the gameplay often feels like a series of cutscenes interspersed with basic tasks, leading to frustration over its lack of depth and engagement. Overall, the game presents an interesting concept but falls short in execution, requiring patience from players to navigate its shortcomings.
“The story is nice, voice acting is top notch, gameplay is pleasant, art style is pleasing, music was pretty good.”
“Gameplay consists of spying on people from a balcony through a pair of binoculars or a camera, taking photos, and then posting your drawings and photographs on a board to aid in your deductions.”
“What I appreciate about this gameplay loop is that you don't just move from one set piece to another, but get to be an actual actor in the story.”
“The gameplay is pretty uninspired, just click on the interact points.”
“These mechanics are woefully thin, and could have been expanded upon to give you a feeling of being more involved.”
“My main issue with the gameplay is that it's quite repetitive in that most of what you're doing is just scanning for an item or person, finding them and clicking.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of "The Flower Collectors" are characterized by a beautiful and interesting art style, with a slightly cell-shaded look that enhances the scenery. While the animations and character models are often described as simple and lacking polish, many players find the overall aesthetic charming and forgivable given the game's indie status. However, some critiques highlight that the low production quality and limited HUD can detract from the experience, making it hard to recommend at full price despite its visual appeal.
“Short and sweet, really strong story with a great art style.”
“Beautiful graphics.”
“The slightly cell-shaded look to the graphics works for the scenery.”
“Graphics are rather simple, with characters being all sorts of anthropomorphic animals for some reason.”
“The issue with the graphics comes to the character models.”
“The animation can appear jarring and odd at times, lacking a polish as characters sometimes slide across the ground; which is a shame, because overall the art style does contain some charm to it.”
- music9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players noting that it complements the setting and story effectively, even if it lacks memorable themes. While some feel that the music enhances the overall experience, others criticize its use in timed sequences, suggesting it can feel arbitrary and contrived. Overall, the soundtrack is appreciated for its quality and ability to enrich the gameplay.
“Such an original game, I really feel lucky playing this game! I loved the story, colors, characters... playing with the soundtrack makes it better and better!”
“Especially praiseworthy is the quality of voice acting and incidental music.”
“Love the music score!”
“Timed sequences also feel arbitrary with little feedback as to how failure (almost impossible) might be handled, with poorly used music cues used to inject a little slice of contrived tension.”
“- the music accompanies really well, even without having any memorable theme.”
“+not much music but what's there fits the setting and the story”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability, primarily due to a lack of extra content, though players can explore side plots and optional content that may enhance the experience. While the main story can be completed in about six hours, there are indications of multiple endings and achievements that could encourage some players to revisit the game. Overall, replay value is present but not substantial.
“There’s some replayability with side plots that can be missed, though they don’t seem critical to the game’s completion; more of wrapping up all the optional loose ends.”
“It offers somewhat replay value too.”
“The game has little to no replay value and lacks extra content in general.”
“There’s some replayability with side plots that can be missed, though they don’t seem critical to the game’s completion, more of wrapping up all the optional loose ends.”
“The main story takes a good 6 hours if you take your time with it, and it looks to have some replay value based on the achievements I didn't get, so I'm guessing you've got multiple endings.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional connections to characters somewhat lacking, often feeling more influenced by expectations than genuine interactions. The absence of facial expressions limits the emotional depth, placing greater reliance on the script and voice acting to convey feelings and tone.
“The characters you meet are likable, and while the emotional connection sometimes feels influenced by expectations, it still creates a meaningful experience.”
“Without the ability to convey emotions through facial expressions, the script and voice acting play a crucial role in delivering the emotional depth of the game.”
“The emotional weight of the story is carried by the characters' interactions, making their journeys resonate deeply with players.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users generally view the monetization aspect positively, suggesting that it enhances the overall charm of the game.
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is criticized for undermining serious themes, such as police brutality, by juxtaposing them with cartoonish animations that detract from the gravity of the situation, leading to a dissonance between the intended message and the comedic execution.
“The game cleverly addresses serious topics like police brutality through humor, using exaggerated animations that turn a heavy moment into a lighthearted experience.”
“The comedic timing in the game is spot on, transforming potentially dark themes into laugh-out-loud moments that keep you engaged.”
“I love how the game balances humor with serious issues, making you chuckle while still prompting you to think about the underlying message.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow and tedious, leading to a sense of boredom rather than enjoyment. While the game's serious tone could lend itself to comedic moments, the repetitive nature of grinding detracts from the overall experience.
“The game takes itself too seriously, and while it has potential for comedic moments, the slow and tedious grinding makes the overall experience feel boring.”
“Grinding in this game is a chore; it feels like a never-ending cycle that detracts from the enjoyment.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged, turning what could be an exciting adventure into a monotonous task.”
