TL;DR
Flockers takes the beloved Lemmings formula and injects it with sheep and British humor, challenging you to guide a flock to safety with strategic commands. While the gamepad controls can be fiddly, the core gameplay is addictive, requiring quick thinking and foresight. Collect ability packages to gain an edge and aim for those elusive three stars. It’s a charming, if not groundbreaking, indie title that evokes the spirit of classic Amiga games. Discover if this quirky puzzle game is your next obsession – read the full review!
Arcade puzzle game in the style of Lemmings, from the creators of Worms.
In the 90s, Psygnosis, a major player in Amiga gaming (now Sony-owned SCE Studios Liverpool, the studio behind titles such as WipeOut), released Lemmings. The concept was deceptively simple, yet challenging and addictive: a group of lemmings are released into a level and proceed mindlessly towards their demise unless the player intervenes with various commands (e.g., “stop,” “build,” “dig,” “explode”).
Now, Team 17 presents Flockers, featuring a flock of sheep who, much like their lemming counterparts, exhibit a distinct lack of self-preservation. The title “Flockers” is a deliberate play on words, informing the game’s British humor, exemplified by levels like “Breaking baaa-d”. The gameplay demands quick thinking and foresight, coupled with precise and rapid execution. This can prove more challenging with a gamepad compared to the mouse-driven precision of the original Lemmings. A key addition is the requirement for sheep to collect packages containing abilities before they can be used. This provides a degree of control and strategic planning; players are rarely granted an ability they don’t immediately need. While sometimes players must wait for a sheep to collect the desired bonus, the levels may offer additional sheep, and successfully guiding even one sheep to the exit qualifies for level completion, although dedicated players will aim for a three-star rating on every attempt.
Flockers is not a AAA title boasting a massive budget and years of development by a large team. As such, the game’s technical sophistication and complexity are not expected to be groundbreaking. The graphics are functional, serving their purpose without pushing the boundaries of visual fidelity. While not a system-seller for the PS4, the game possesses a certain charm reminiscent of Amiga-era indie titles. The sound design evokes the MIDI synths and demo scene of the 16-bit era, featuring simple melody loops and sound effects, which are adequate for the gameplay. The controls are responsive and relatively intuitive, allowing players to quickly grasp the mechanics and strive for improved performance on each level.
The game’s dark humor is well-executed, and while it features cartoonish violence (which can be disabled for younger players), it remains engaging. With 60 standard levels and seven hidden bonus levels (we’ve located all but one), Flockers offers sufficient content and challenge to provide entertainment during extended play sessions.
The Lemmings concept is well-established and fondly remembered, particularly from two decades ago. The reception of Flockers by a contemporary audience remains to be seen. It is a charming diversion for the strategy-minded gamer, though its price point of approximately 200 SEK may be slightly high. This feels like a typical indie title that would be well-suited to a PS Plus subscription or a purchase price closer to 100 SEK. We question whether the game wouldn’t be better experienced with a mouse (available on Steam) or on modern touch-screen devices like iPads, particularly if paired with a more competitive price. The fast-paced nature of the gameplay can lead to stressful situations, and the numerous gamepad buttons can become confusing under pressure, leading to avoidable errors and exacerbating the frustration of already challenging levels.
