Try this first

A first-session guide covering guest access, elemental abilities, and the shoulder-swap camera control.

Evidence: 7 official · Last verified: 2026-11-15 · Sources: 1

“Try this first” is a first-session guide from the Flowbound Build 22 patch notes, covering guest access, a practical action for each element, and the shoulder-swap camera control. Follow the sequence below to enter the hub, try the listed elemental inputs, and adjust your view during a fight.

Enter the Hub Without Signing In

1. Start Flowbound without signing in.
2. Continue until you reach the hub.
3. Type your name when you arrive.

This is the guest-access route described by the guide; signing in is not required for these first steps.

The accompanying patch notes describe optional training as an introduction to the basics. They state that new players reach the hub knowing how to move, jump, attack, and dash, so the exercises below focus on additional uses of elemental abilities rather than a complete movement tutorial.

Step-by-Step Elemental Walkthrough

Fire: Take Off Along Your Aim

1. Begin on the ground.
2. Look upward.
3. Hold forward.
4. Press Shift.

You take off along your aim direction. The important part of this sequence is looking upward before activating the move: the launch follows where you are looking, rather than simply carrying you forward along the ground.

The Fire changes in the patch notes clarify that Shift follows your aim vertically as well as horizontally. When you are already airborne, it sends you along the line you are looking down. Use that distinction to understand the control: your view determines the flight direction.

Fire: Choose Your Finisher Direction

The source also recommends trying the timing of Fire’s attack chain:

1. Land beats one and two with LMB.
2. After the second beat, choose a direction for the finisher.
3. Set your intended direction before the finisher starts.

Build 22 gives you 0.65 seconds after beat two to choose, increased from 0.3 seconds. Your direction is read when the finisher begins, and holding the attack button still chains attacks as quickly as before. This makes the pause after the second beat the relevant moment to practice choosing your finisher direction.

Water: Turn an Ice Wall Into a Wave

1. Raise an ice wall with A.
2. Aim at the wall.
3. Press RMB.

The wall becomes a rolling wave that moves forward. Treat this as a two-part action: first create the wall, then target it to trigger the transformation.

The Water section of the patch notes confirms the same interaction: aiming at your ice wall and pressing RMB turns that wall into the wave. Make sure your aim is on the wall when you perform the second input.

Earth: Complete a Ride and Ram an Enemy

1. Hold forward and Shift for a full ride.
2. Use the ride to approach an enemy.
3. Ram the enemy at top speed.

The guide specifically calls for a full ride and a top-speed impact. Keep those conditions in mind when practicing rather than treating any brief contact with an enemy as the intended exercise.

Air: Catch and Return Enemy Shots

1. Hold A to catch enemy shots.
2. Aim your crosshair toward where you want to send them.
3. Press LMB to throw the caught shots toward the crosshair.

This exercise has two distinct parts: catching incoming shots and directing the return throw. The source specifies that LMB throws all the caught shots at your crosshair, so set your aim before releasing them.

Try the Shoulder-Swap Camera Control

During a fight, press Left Ctrl to move the camera to your other shoulder.

Try this alongside the elemental exercises so you become familiar with the alternate camera position during combat. This control changes the camera shoulder; it is separate from the aiming and attack inputs used in the steps above.

Use Enemy Health Bars During Practice

The Build 22 notes state that enemy health bars remain visible at any distance unless a wall hides the enemy. Use those visible bars to identify low-health enemies and decide whom to chase while practicing the combat actions. A wall can still prevent you from seeing the bar, so visibility is not unconditional.

Details

source

Flowbound Build 22 patch notes

guest_access

Start the game without signing in and type a name when reaching the hub.

fire_tip

On the ground, look up, hold forward, and press Shift to take off along the aim direction.

water_tip

Raise an ice wall with A, aim at it, and press RMB to turn it into a rolling wave.

earth_tip

Hold forward and Shift for a full ride, then ram an enemy at top speed.

air_tip

Hold A to catch enemy shots, then press LMB to throw them toward the crosshair.

camera_control

Press Left Ctrl during a fight to move the camera to the other shoulder.

Sources

• Flowbound — Patch notes · Flowbound