The Flower Collectors is a 2020 Environmental Narrative Game developed by Mi'pu'mi Games for PC through Steam and Nintendo Switch.
Barcelona, September 1977. Spain is in the process of transitioning from a nationalist regime into a modern democracy after dictator Francisco Franco died. Jorge, a retired police officer, spends most of his time struggling with boredom as he tries to move on past an accident that's left him bound to a wheelchair. During a stormy night, Jorge hears someone getting murdered and stumbles across a witness who ducks into his apartment to hide from the murderer. When Jorge discovers that the witness is a journalist and that the victim was a whistleblower, he begrudgingly teams up with her to help her uncover the killer and expose corruption within the city.
The Flower Collectors provides the following tropes:
- The '70s: The game takes place in the late 70s in Spain. The country is still in the process of shifting its political power, and it shows given the extent of the corruption.
- Alternate History: No, Spain was not a country consisting of walking, talking anthropomorphic animals in the 70s. Weirdly enough, the time period of Spain transitioning to democracy shortly after Francisco Franco's death and the political violence that ensued did actually happen.
- Ambiguous Situation: Given the nature of the game and how short it is, certain plot elements are left vague or outright never answered.
- Was Padre Eusebio actually involved with the conspiracy at all? We see him talking to Haussmann at one point, but never know the extent behind it. Were they working together? Was Haussmann bribing him? Was Haussmann threatening him? Or were they having a polite and casual conversation and you just coincidentally saw them together? Eusebio also does nothing to stop the police from arresting Aldo and just watches as it happens. Whether or not this was done out of guilt or because he didn't want to get involved is also never answered.
- Did Jorge kill Sebastiano Linx, Melinda's brother? Jorge tells Melinda that he recalls the incident and even remembers the name in question. When Melinda presses him about it, you can lie and say you weren't there, or you can tell the truth...which is that Jorge doesn't remember. It's entirely possible that Jorge is telling the truth here, especially since he was upfront about being involved with the Policía Armada and took part in the raids that left many innocents injured. He also might've lied on purpose to prevent Melinda from abandoning him entirely—something she was a hair's breadth away from doing anyway.
- Haussmann's fate is unknown. While it's clear that Diego is going to prison for murder, Haussmann was much higher up on the food chain and had more influence than Diego. The political fallout would (and did) cost him the election, but we don't know if he ended up in prison, especially since corruption was still abundant at the time. For all we know, he might've only received a slap on the wrist, fled the country before he could get arrested, or had a full-fledged Karma Houdini.
- The Bad Guys Are Cops: Almost every single police officer in the game is corrupt, engages in police brutality and harassment, or they're responsible for killing the Mole and covering up his death.
- Bait-and-Switch: Aldo mentions that the killer was someone who wore a suit. Haussmann, a guy in a posh suit, shows up in the plaza not even twelve hours before the murder happens, and the narrative repeatedly sets up an inevitable confrontation between Jorge/Melinda and Haussmann, especially once it's revealed how much power Haussmann has. In Chapter 9, Jorge is finally confronted by said killer who wore said suit. It's Diego, not Haussmann.
- Chekhov's Gun: Subverted. In Chapter 6, Jorge discovers a pistol resting in the bottom of a box beneath a bunch of photos, implying he'll use it during the climax. When Jorge is confronted by Diego, he immediately goes to his room to get his gun. Diego whips out his own weapon and holds him at gunpoint, thus preventing Jorge from ever using his own gun.
- Children Are Innocent: Juanito and Laura are very respectful of Jorge, constantly addressing him as señor, bringing him the weekly newspapers and leftover dinners, and even helping him with his investigation at one point.
- Foreshadowing:
- Diego mentions that the victim was tied to some "underground network" and that he would've caused conflict and panic. The victim was a former police officer who was going to expose Haussmann's role in leading multiple police raids that got dozens of innocents killed. This absolutely would have caused conflict and panic if it was leaked.
- Aldo mentions that the killer wore a suit. Neither Jorge nor Melinda acknowledge it at any point in the game, but Diego wears a suit. Turns out this person was the killer.
- When Jorge calls the police and immediately asks for Diego, the officer tells him that Diego's out. Diego was out. Killing the Mole and searching for Melinda after she witnessed the murder.
- Government Conspiracy: The plot boils down to a Corrupt Politician desperately trying to get elected so that the nationalist regime will continue; this will allow him to freely assassinate anyone who opposes him and repress artists, homosexuals, poets, leftists, and anyone else who opposes nationalism. Not wanting the public to know he was in charge of the Flower Collectors and indirectly (sometimes directly) responsible for many deaths, the politician had anyone who tried to expose his involvement with the organization murdered.
- I Know You Know I Know: Diego confronts Jorge in Chapter 9 and doesn't even try to hide that he's in on the conspiracy with Haussmann. Jorge suspected this, and when Jorge confronts him about it, Diego tells him that he knew Jorge would eventually connect the dots because both he and Haussmann were spying on him and fully aware he was working with Melinda.
- Police Brutality: When the police arrest Aldo and Lola in Chapter 5, one of the officers beats down the Waiter for protesting and punches Aldo before taking him in for no reason. Doña Anna will be arrested too should you refuse to help her hide her books.
- Secret Police: The Flower Collectors was a raid unit created in 1974 designed to repress anyone who was a threat to the nation's unity. Whether they were revolutionaries or simply homosexual, if someone opposed the country's ideals, they were arrested, beaten, pressured into conforming to nationalism, or even assassinated.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Jorge, a man who slowly moves around in a wheelchair, goes to his room to try and retrieve a handgun buried in the bottom of a closed box. Diego quickly suspects what Jorge is trying to do and pulls a gun on him before Jorge can even get the box open.
- Title Drop: In Chapter 6, Jorge drops the game's title while reminiscing over his photos. He realizes the raid unit he and Diego were a part of was called the Flower Collectors. It's also the unit that Haussmann was in charge of.
- Video Game Caring Potential:
- In Chapter 5, you have the option to help Doña Anna hide a bunch of poems and books so she isn't arrested by the police. Doing so doesn't achieve anything outside of making Doña Anna happy and getting an achievement.
- You can also help Luisa and Marietta find abandoned scooter parts. Again, outside of getting an achievement, this doesn't do anything outside of making two side characters grateful for what you do.
- Video Game Cruelty Punishment: Subverted. You can rat out Melinda to Diego, snitch to the police about everything you saw, lie to Melinda about multiple events that happened in your past, and refuse to help any of the side characters with evading the police. Outside of some scolding remarks, none of this hinders the plot or changes the outcome of what happens in the story.
- World of Funny Animals: The setting takes place in an alternate version of Spain where everyone is an anthropomorphic animal of some kind.
- Would Hit a Girl: After Lola gets arrested, she's released the next day...wearing tons of makeup to cover up a black eye the cops gave her.
