The first-person asymmetrical online multiplayer horror game The Flock is slowly but surely moving toward becoming a real game that you can actually play. A closed alpha test is scheduled to begin at the end of October, and developer Vogelsfap is looking for people who want to get in on the action.
This trailer is a good place to start if you're not familiar with The Flock, but it's essentially a competition between members of an alien race—the Flock—to find the "Light Artifact," which turns its bearer into a slower, more visible and vulnerable creature called the Carrier. The remaining, more agile members of the Flock will hunt the Carrier to steal the Artifact for themselves, but the light it emits is harmful to them and their only defense is to stand perfectly still, which turns them into stone. Survive long enough as the Carrier, and victory is yours.
If that sounds like your kind of good time, then you might want to pop over to Vogelsap.com and throw your name into the Hat of Alpha Registration. Unlike some such applications, this one is pretty simple: Just give them your name, email address, and Steam account, and explain in 400 characters or less why you want to play The Flock. I'd be willing to bet that "Because it sounds really freakin' cool" will probably suffice.
You won't need an overly hot PC to run the game, but there are some restrictions. The alpha test begins on October 31 but will only run on weekends to ensure that the maximum number of players are available. It will include just one level, different from the one shown last year at Gamescom, and support three to five players in a match. The studio hasn't yet decided how long the alpha will run, but when it's over, it's over: The game will be removed from Steam libraries once the test period has concluded.
More information about The Flock closed alpha can be had via the brief FAQ, which unfortunately does not include anything even remotely resembling a release date.
