‘It’s the feeling of being free and expressive’: Flock, a relaxing game of flight and friendship

The makers of Hohokum let you befriend anything from colourful birds to winged sea creatures in a game with no pressure to strategise

From the first time you look at it, the idea behind Flock is easy enough to understand. You’re a small person sitting on the back of a large bird, while a whole gaggle of colourful creatures follows your every move. Over the course of the game, you will find more such creatures to add to your flock and zoom around a beautiful island with them, an idea partially inspired by development duo Ricky Haggett and Richard Hogg’s previous work on 2014’s Hohokum – in which you play a giant snake who can pick up friends to ride around on your back.

Hohokum and Flock evoke a pleasant sensation of flight, and designer Haggett of studio Hollow Ponds readily admits to a love of Microsoft Flight Simulator and the wingsuit flying game Superflight. “There was a lot of effort put into the movement in Hohokum, and while these are two different types of flying, the same is true here,” Haggett says. “We’re always aiming for that pleasant lack of friction.”