videogamescritic
← all games
Flock Around

Flock Around

Friend Shaped Games · released Apr 23, 2026

CasualIndiePC

Flock Around is a multiplayer bird watching game. Explore a nature sanctuary with friends, snap pictures of birds, and fill out the guide book!

88
VGC Score
Stablehigh confidence

anchored at patch: “The Quest Update!” (27d ago)

94%
At launch
98%
Steam all-time
n/a
Press
98%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (Metacritic)0
All-time Steam reviews98%941000
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)98%94176
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 93.3, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 2,181 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 5, 2026) · 176 reviews sampled · 167 total reviews in window · weighted 83.5 up / 1.5 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →

Patch history

  1. The Quest Update!
    Aug 5, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  2. Quality of Life Improvements
    May 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  3. Patch 1.0.28
    May 7, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  4. Patch 1.0.27
    May 5, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  5. Public Lobbies and Text Chat
    May 1, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  6. Patch 1.0.14
    Apr 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  7. Weekend 1 Fixes
    Apr 26, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  8. Day 1 Patch!
    Apr 25, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  9. 1.0 Release!
    Apr 24, 2026
  10. Bug Fixes and Maintnenance
    Mar 2, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  11. Steam Next Fest!
    Feb 23, 2026
  12. Demo Shop Update!
    Jan 26, 2026