Flower
The developer that brought you the award-winning PLAYSTATION Network title flOw is back with another concept that challenges traditional gaming conventions. Flower expands the team's tradition of delivering simple gameplay, accessible controls and a medium to explore emotional chords uncommon in video games. In Flower, the surrounding environment, most often pushed to the background in games, is pulled to the forefront and becomes the primary "character." The player will journey through a beautifully vivid and changing landscape in this fresh and genuine game only on PS3.
The game exploits the tension between urban bustle and natural serenity. Players accumulate flower petals as the onscreen world swings between the pastoral and the chaotic. Like in the real world, everything you pick up causes the environment to change. And hopefully by the end of the journey, you change a little as well.
The goals and journey in each level vary, but all involve flight, exploration and interaction with the worlds presented to you. Using simple SIXAXIS wireless controls and by pressing any button, the player controls the lead petal and accumulates a swarm of flower petals as he moves at his own pace within the environment, causing the on-screen world to change. Flower's gameplay offers different experiences, pacing and rhythm to all players. Along the way, the environment will pose challenges to the player's progress.
Both pastoral and at times chaotic, Flower is a visual, audio and interactive escape on PS3.
Awards & Recognition
- Winner: Artistic Achievement - BAFTA Video Game Awards
- Best Downloadable Game of the Year - Game Developer Choice Award
- Casual Game of the Year - Interactive Achievement Awards from AIAS
- Best Indie Game - Playboy
- Best Original Soundtrack - Best of 2009 G4tv XPlay
- Best Independent Game of the Year Fueled by Dew - SpikeTV Video Game Awards
- Best Downloadable Game of the Year - www.thesixaxis.com
- Independent/Download Game of the Year - GameKult.com
- E3 Gold Award - GamePro
- Best Downloadable Game - 1UP.com E3 Awards
- Best Downloadable Game at E3 - GameSpy
- PS3 Special Achievement for Innovation - IGN
- Best Original Game - UGO
- Best Downloadable Game - WhatIfGaming.com
- Best Other Console Title - Planet Xbox 360
In the press
- IGN - 2009
"thatgamecompany has created one of the most elegantly crafted gaming experiences of all time..." - IGN - Kotaku - 2009
"...the most breath-taking moment I've yet to experience on the PS3." - Kotaku - MSNBC - 2009
"...as artful and artfully implemented a game as I’ve ever seen. Its dazzling graphics drop you into the middle of a magical-yet-familiar place that comes alive with music as you swoop through it. And the controls are as intuitive as they come." - MSNBC - Playboy - 2008
"If that's not trippy enough for you, in Flower you play the wind inside a tulip's dream. Seriously. In one of the few successful uses of the PS3's motion-sensitive controller, you push a cloud of petals in gorgeous swirling patterns through a verdant, dreamlike landscape. It may look girly, it may look weird but, trust me, playing is believing." - Playboy - GameSpot - 2008
"Although it has a simple premise, Flower has technical and artistic prowess. The PlayStation 3's Cell processor is put to work rendering 200,000 individual blades of grass, and combined onscreen they move in a highly convincing manner." - GameSpot
Development Team
- Producer - Kellee Santiago
- Creative Director - Jenova Chen
- Designer - Nicholas Clark
- Lead Engineer - John Edwards
- Art Director / Lead Artist - Matt Nava
- Engineer - Martin Middleton
- Engineer - Rick Nelson
- Music & Sound Design - Vincent Diamante
- Art Director / Lead Artist - Hao Cui
- 3D Artist - Daniel Haas
- Illustrators - Thomas Yamaoka, Bonnie Lui
- Writer - Henry Goldberg
Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I play Flower? Flower is available for download exclusively on the PlayStation 3.
- Where can I purchase Flower? You can purchase it through the PlayStation Store on your console (after hooking it up to the internet, of course!). Additionally, you can purchase download vouchers on Amazon and at participating GameStop stores.
- Is Flower available on other platforms? "Flower" was our second project in a 3-game deal with PlayStation, so unfortunately you won't be seeing it on any other platforms in the foreseeable future. When we were poor kids out of college, Sony offered to fund three games from us, which was a dream come true. There's no way we could have made "flOw" or "Flower" or "Journey". The catch is - they are all exclusive to the PS3.