Flock's multiplayer marketing does it a disservice: This flying adventure is wonderful solo

Every single piece of marketing I’ve seen for Flock, the latest game to be published by Annapurna Interactive has called it a “multiplayer co-op game”. Receiving a review copy of the game, I was sure it wouldn’t even let me play by myself: everything I’d seen suggested this was co-op only. It’s not true: Flock is just as fun by yourself, and I think it may be alienating a league of players by suggesting otherwise.

As a co-op game, Flock isn’t typically something I’d go for. It’s a relaxing game about exploring a strange land at your own pace, identifying and collecting creatures as you go. There are occasionally goals to work towards, but a lot of the time you’re on your own, trying to fill in the gaps of your creature guide. There’s no denying Flock is fun with a second person on board: sharing such a serene experience is joyful — and it means you can cover more ground, working together to find creatures. But really, this sort of chilled experience is something I’d rather enjoy solo.

I’m used to co-op games being fast-paced and purposeful, not meandering and thoughtful. Instead, I feel like Flock is the sort of thing better suited to relaxing by yourself, to taking your time and going where you want, not where another player demands you go. There’s absolutely nothing that needs a second player, and while I’m glad it’s an option, it feels like a disservice that Flock’s marketing doesn’t suggest that single-player is even an option.

Flock is about the joy of exploration

In Flock, you play as a flying shepherd, on the back of a large, colourful bird. Being a shepherd, you of course have sheep under your control — but you’ve got to find them first, dotted around the large, playful world that’s yours to explore. Once you’ve found one (you can have five in total), you can start sending them to graze on certain grassy knolls. As they eat the grass, their wool grows — and they’ll also uncover treasures stolen by pesky creatures and hidden in the grass. You might find clothing designs (which your sheep’s wool can be used to make) or whistles that allow you to charm other types of creatures.

Flock screenshot — Image: Annapurna Interactive

You see, Flock isn’t all about sheep. As you fly around, you can amass a flock of other creatures, but each species requires its own unique whistle in order to charm it. From little bugs to “sky dolphins” and a whole wealth of other weird and wonderful species, the critters in Flock are wonderfully and whimsically designed. The real goal here, then, is to find them all. Some are easily spotted, but others will require more patience and legwork.

Master of your own destiny Flock

If you’re used to having your hand held when playing a game, forever following a waypoint or otherwise being guided to your next point of interest, Flock probably isn’t for you. Much of the time, you’ll be left to your own devices, needing to use the clues in your creature guide to find the ones you’re missing. Even when you do have a goal to work towards — finding residue, or clues to a new species, perhaps — you’ll have to figure it out yourself, using your senses to explore. It needn’t be a frustrating experience, though: you should simply enjoy existing in the world of Flock in the meantime. Because, wow, this is an incredible world.

Bold, varied and colourful, if there’s something familiar about Flock it’s because it’s been designed by Richard Hogg, the mind behind Hohokum. It’s been developed in conjunction with Hollow Ponds, the team behind I Am Dead and Wilmot’s Warehouse, so creativity and innovation is in its very DNA. Flock may be the most creative of them all, though: the world here isn’t as big as your AAA open world epics, of course, but it feels vast as you fly around it, and it’s split cleverly into different areas. One minute you’ll be flying over marshlands and lakes, and the next you’ll be swooping under huge parasol-like trees in a forest that glows with bioluminescent fungi.

So: grab a multiplayer partner if you want. But Flock shouldn’t be overlooked as a single player game. And if you’re anything like me, that’s exactly the way you’re going to want to play this. Get comfy, take your time, and explore this beautiful world in precisely the way you want.

Flock is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.