Flockis a forthcoming flight-sim-slash-creature-collector game that aims to take players on a relaxing journey through a vibrant world either alone or with friends. AtAnnapurna Interactive’s digital showcase event, developer Hollow Ponds treated viewers to a new gameplay walkthrough of what a typicalFlocksession might look like. The game’s core mechanic of searching for and finding unique flying creatures favors self-expression over utility-oriented loadouts and relaxed vibes over complex action.
Game Rant recently spoke with art director Richard Hogg and Creative Director Ricky Haggett of Hollow Ponds to hear about the game’s relaxed mood andnon-combative mechanics, as well as the various tools players will have to navigateFlock’s map. Fans of cozy titles, non-combative games, and exploration-heavy games have good reason to keep an eye on the title.
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Feel Good Flying in Flock
Hogg explained that players capture creatures through a careful proximity system that plays out similarly to most fishing games, while Haggett likened the mechanics to a dance. While thecreature collectionsystem is the core conceit ofFlock,it is far from the game’s only mechanic. Hogg emphasized that Hollow Ponds put a great deal of effort into nailing the gleeful freedom of flight:
“There are a bunch of mechanics in the game that aren’t related to creatures, but to do with flying around and how you move around the world. A lot of work that went into the title—we wanted to make the game feel of flying around really good.”
Since exploration is an enormous part ofFlock, it was crucial for Hollow Ponds to naila satisfying movement system. Players will encounter boost rings, thermal updrafts, and other tools to help them traverse the game’s world quickly. Haggett stated that flying itself has a frictionless feel, with the players' bird mounts auto-navigating around tree trunks, and ramping up inclines.
Exploration Over Expansiveness
WhileFlockhas a large overworld, it doesn’t take forever to traverse—by design. SinceFlockcan be played as a multiplayer game, Hollow Ponds wanted to make sure that players could quickly and easily respond to each other’s pings. That’s not to say the world is small, or easy to survey at first blush. Hogg explained that the world is big in the sense of potential for exploration:
“Thinking about it—this was a hard thing to get right—but hopefully it feels like a big world in the sense that you can find things you’ve not come across, even if you’ve been playing quite a long time. But it’s not big in the sense of hugeness.”
Furthermore,Flockboasts a number of different biomes that play with area density. Some sections of the game are very dense in terms of things to navigate around and explore, while other areas, like the grasslands showcased in the gameplay trailer, are more open and free. Each of these biomes is home to a number of different flying creatures that can be added to players' flocks. Hogg also emphasized thatFlockwould have no fast travel, and as a result, the game was smaller than sprawlingtitles likeRed Dead Redemption. This conscious focus on the journey as opposed to the destination, expression over-optimization, and the nature of discovery over the volume of things to discover, speaks volumes ofFlock’sdesign philosophy.
Laidback Vibes
WhileFlockhas a light narrative frame including NPCs who will speak to the player, the game is notaboutthe story. Haggett and Hogg are aiming for a relaxing experience that can also serve as a forum for friends to enjoy spending time with each other. The game was originallyconceived during the COVID-19 lockdown, inspired by titles ranging fromValheimto user-createdRobloxlevels, and the desire for a user-friendly social experience is front and center in the game’s preview trailer.
That is not to say thatFlockgates content behind multiplayer interactions or feels empty without other players. Hogg jokingly said that he worried the latest trailer ‘oversold’ the game as a multiplayer title, even though players can enjoy the completeFlockexperience by flying solo.
Flockis currently in development for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
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