Describing fl0w

September 12th, 2008

fl0w pc psn

“At least that’s how I interpret it”

My brother concluded when attempting to explain to me how to play fl0w. fl0w (the critically acclaimed indie-game-cum-Playstation-Network-success) is largely about that – interpretation. You play the life of a small vector floating around in pond of vibrant colour. It’s not exactly clear from the outset what you do next or even how you play – the game makes no attempt of explaining them to you – instead you slowly discover this by yourself through observation and experience. Much like the organism in the water really, you are helpless. It doesn’t know what to do and neither do you. All it is is just a pile of shapes in a fill of colour, therefore it’s up to you to find realize the game’s mechanics for the organism.

After rampid key pressing, I realized that the mouse is used to move your creature through the water. You click to send him in the direction of the mouse and hold to speed up. At times the momentum becomes too great for the life-form and it catches up to your cursor,. In which case it circles around chasing the tail of your mouse, seemingly natural for a confused organism like the one represented on screen.

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