Cloud predates flOw from thatgamecompany. It was a game made via a grant from USC’s Interactive Media Program with many of the same people who went on to found and then work at the company afterwards on flOw and Flower. It is widely considered the project that launched two of the more well-known names of thatgamecompany in recent years, Jenova Chen and Kellee Santiago, into the limelight as people to watch in the field.

Coming off playing Journey and then Flower most recently, I could not help but to see the early fingerprints of thatgamecompany in the work. Especially in the case of Flower, the movement tied to the acceleration from the mouse control is highly reminiscent of the PS3’s Six-axis input for that game. Even the musical score with its minor keys and audio feedback from in-game actions serves as a stepping stone for what would be accomplished in Flower and then Journey later.