.Flow

Welcome back to the Moonside, otherwise known as the Weird and the Scary zone of quirky Japanese games. Yume Nikki with it's simple design and premise spawned dozens of fan games, and this is arguably the most famous, and some would say it's even better.

.Flow is presumed to mean something akin to being lost in the reality of a computer's memory hardwired with the playable white haired's memory, or at least several theories for the title's meaning and the overall meaning of the "plot" have been developed by the community.

Also designed with RPG Maker, it's another trippy downfall into metaphorical and symbolistic plains of expressing our protagonist's state of being, and at the same time the designer's creative vision as easily witnessed by looking at the many kinds of different worlds inside the computer's reality.

Once again are there Effects to be discovered in each of the worlds for your character to use, and collecting all of them as you will most likely wander aimlessly means that you will have unlocked one of three endings at the least.

But wandering aimlessly and being sucked inside .Flow's world in reminiscence of Yume Nikki is exactly what makes these games very effective at what they want to achieve with gamers. They want to confuse and to let you evoke dark emotions while you attempt to rationalize like a silly person what could be happening regarding substance or subconscious towards .Flow's presentation, visuals and mute characters.

The cryptic wandering is enjoyable for those who like to explore and could perhaps understand the overall design better than those with short attention spans, or little kids. I still prefer Yume Nikki's world and for laying the foundation for these kind of games, of which I still wonder how to describe them as a genre.

But certainly do not miss out or take .Flow lightly if you crave for more creepy venturing. A 2D walking simulator perhaps so strange, that it could be considered cozy or comfortable for the most invested.

Rating: 7.1