Review Date: August 11, 2010
Developer: Runaway Play
Publisher: Runaway Play
Platform: Facebook
Genre: Adventure
It's rare to find a Facebook game that doesn't fall into a pre-existing category. It's even more rare to find a game on the platform that's good. Flutter is both of these things, and also manages to squeeze in a positive environmental message and some of the best graphics to grace Facebook at the same time.
Float Like a Butterfly
Flutter is all about the Amazon rain forest. As a butterfly you'll explore this environment, collecting items and interacting with other animals. When we first played the game the experience was somewhat open but unfortunately lacking in direction. There was a lot to do but this wasn't always clear. Thankfully, the game has been updated with a quest system to help guide you along. As you explore the forest you'll come across colorful, ghostly, spirit-like characters who will give you tasks to complete.
These are completely optional but do an excellent job of showing you everything there is to do in the game. Completing quests will earn you experience, which will increase your level, which will then open up new areas to explore.
The game is divided up into two main sections, each of which is very different. The forest is where you'll do your exploring, searching for secret areas, pollinating flowers, and collecting HD (the currency in the game). But you also have an area called the grove, which you can decorate however you like with flowers and foliage. But you can also raise caterpillars and eventually it will be populated by other creatures like tree frogs and humming birds.
Exploring the Tropics
The main problem with Flutter, is like a lot of Facebook games, there isn't always a lot to do at any given moment. Even with the quests and the relatively large forest to explore (at least once things open up a bit) you're still often left waiting for things to happen. Certain plants only release water or sap after a specified amount of time and animals only need to be fed once a day. Unless you have a whole bunch of quests to do at once, you'll often find yourself with little to do aside from explore. This is a game best enjoyed in quick doses.
That being said, there is a good amount of variety to what you'll be doing. From decorating to exploring to collecting it never really feels like you're just doing the same thing over and over. Naturally, the game also has some social features, though they are fairly limited. You can visit a friend's grove and exchange gifts, but that's about it.
Where Flutter does separate itself from the glut of games on Facebook is visually. Simply said, the game is gorgeous. The forest is lush and features multiple layers of depth and the animals are beautiful and animate smoothly. Flutter raises the bar for how good Facebook games can look.
The Bottom Line
In the end, Flutter is a great game that is in many ways hampered by the platform it's on. It's when it tries to emulate other Facebook games in an attempt to keep you coming back that it falls flat. But in those brief spurts, Flutter is a wonderful experience. Beautiful, unique, and varied, it's a head above the majority of social games.