What Feather is
Feather puts you in control of a bird over a large open island. There is no combat, no enemies and no threats, so nothing chases you down. You fly, glide, swoop and backflip between locations at your own pace, and the island reacts to your presence with hums, tones and rhythms. The world has a dynamic weather system and day/night cycles, so the same stretch of coastline looks different depending on when you pass over it. Sixteen unique songs are hidden around the island, and finding them is one of the main reasons to keep exploring. The ambient soundtrack and sound effects are by Mitchell Pasmans.
Playing together
Feather supports online multiplayer, and it is passive: you can join a flock and fly alongside other players, or head off on your own without anyone interfering. There is no competitive element and no way to fight other players, so a group session is mostly about drifting around the island together and seeing what you turn up. Because the multiplayer is seamless, people can drop in and out while you explore. If your group wants something to do as a shared activity, hunting down the sixteen hidden songs across the island gives you a loose goal to work toward together.
Before you start
The controls are fluid and responsive, and you can use either a gamepad or keyboard and mouse, so pick whichever suits your setup before you set out. Expect a relaxed pace rather than objectives, scores or timers — the game is built around immersion and exploration, and the walking simulator and casual tags say as much about the rhythm of play as the flight tags do. The island is large and open, with hidden paths that only birds can reach, so the reward for flying somewhere that looks unreachable is usually a new song or a new view. Bring headphones if you can: the island's response to your presence and the ambient soundtrack carry much of the experience.