| flOw | |
|---|---|
| File:Flowlogo1.jpg | |
| Developer(s) | thatgamecompany |
| Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment (PS3) |
| Designer(s) | Jenova Chen (PC) Nicholas Clark (PS3) |
| Engine | Adobe Flash |
| Platform(s) | Mac OS, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Windows |
| Release | 2006-04-14 (PC)* February 2007 (PS3)[1] * = Based on latest build |
| Genre(s) | Simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single Player |
flOw is a Flash game created by Jenova Chen and Nicholas Clark. The game involves the player guiding a tiny, aquatic worm-like microorganism through various depths of the ocean to consume other organisms and to evolve their organism as the player advances. It is currently available in both online and as a stand-alone offline download free of charge on Jenova Chen's official website. flOw is part of Chen's thesis research at the USC Interactive Media Division and includes an embedded design of DDA (dynamic difficulty adjustment) which allows players with different skill levels to intuitively customize their experience and enjoy the game at their own desired pace. Within the first two weeks following its release, flOw attracted more an approximately 350,000 downloads. By the time the thatgamecompany website launched, it had increased to more than 600,000 downloads. The latest version, as of November 2006, was released on April 14, 2006.
A Sony PlayStation 3 version was announced in May 2006 as the console's first downloadable game via the PS3 online service, the PlayStation Network Platform. This version is being developed by thatgamecompany and is scheduled to be released in late February 2007 for an unannounced price.
Gameplay and design (PC version)
Both flOw's play structure and aesthetic design are simple and intuitive. The player begins the game as a small, white, worm-like microorganism on a bright, two-dimensional plane. Using the mouse, the player can guide the worm. Clicking and holding down on the left mouse button accelerates the speed of the worm.
The objective of the game is to guide the worm to eat other microorganisms and evolve. While many of these microorganisms are defenseless, there are certain types of multicellular organisms that will attack the worm. To defeat these enemies, the player must guide the worm to eat the glowing cells that make up the bodies of the enemies. Different types of enemies have different ways of attacking the worm, so the player must determine a particular strategy to defeat each one.
Early on in the game, the worm swims in brighter, shallow waters. To progress into deeper waters (where more difficult enemies dwell) the worm must eat red microorganisms. Alternatively, blue microorganisms enable the player to backtrack. Players are capable of customizing the physical appearance of their organism based on the gameplay.
There are currently two "levels" available to play. The first is the worm phase in which the player's avatar evolves into a multi-segmented worm. If the worm defeats the last, worm-like enemy on the final bottom level, the worm floats to the top, is reborn as an infant "jellyfish" creature and the background screen changes from blue to orange. If the jellyfish replays all levels it will return to the surface and begin life again as a worm but not before fighting a boss, which turns out to be the first worm-like creature you were previously. However, currently there is a bug that renders some players, who defeat the boss in jellyfish mode, unable to return to the surface.