What separates art from a commodity is the intention behind the creation. That is to say, was something made expressly to make money? Or was the intention something else? Or, say, did  the designers' desire to elicit an emotional response from people spur the project? Obviously, this is narrow view of art in video games, let alone art itself, but Flower certainly eschewed the basic economic tenants of video game production for creation of a unique and satisfying experience. No voice-over work, no dialogue, no Skinner Boxes, no scratching the male power fantasy itch. You are, simply, a flower petal blowing in the wind, sometimes collecting more petals and surfing updrafts together. The colors are bright and soft and vibrant like swimming across a watercolor. The effect is enlivening, light, and, most of all, relaxing.