Flotsam

About

Flotsam is a single-player strategy game with stellar mechanics, excellent visuals, and sensational music, but is held back by frequent bugs and grinding. Players build and manage a floating garbage town in a post-apocalyptic ocean, scavenging for resources, repurposing scrap, and navigating through ruins and reefs. Despite a few drawbacks, Flotsam offers a unique and often hilarious twist on survival and city-building gameplay.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+12

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,050 reviews

gameplay43 positive mentions

stability36 negative mentions

Charming art style and relaxing soundtrack create an enjoyable atmosphere.
Unique gameplay mechanics involving resource management and exploration on a floating city.
Active development with frequent updates and responsiveness from the developers.

Limited content currently available, with most players completing the game in 3-5 hours.
Numerous bugs and AI pathfinding issues that can disrupt gameplay.
Lack of endgame goals or challenges, leading to repetitive gameplay after initial progression.

gameplay
164 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
68%
6%
The gameplay of the game is generally easy to understand and offers a relaxing experience with charming visuals, though it can become repetitive after a few hours due to limited content and mechanics. While many players appreciate the straightforward mechanics and the potential for future updates, there are concerns about bugs, lack of depth, and insufficient endgame content, leading to a gameplay experience that can feel shallow after initial exploration. Overall, the game shows promise but requires further development to enhance its replayability and complexity.
- “I love this game; it has charming visuals and the micromanaging mechanics strike just the right balance of complexity for me.”
- “The gameplay loop is satisfying and addicting: starting with a small vessel, expanding into a floating town, keeping survivors fed and happy while continuing to expand and explore is a great way to while away hours.”
- “Flotsam is a well-imagined game with some interesting gameplay mechanics, a polished system of progression and survival, and a whole lot of potential.”
- “Stale routine grind gameplay after unlocking most of the stuff in there; nothing much to find aside from new drifters or supplies.”
- “This game contains about 0.5 hours of unique gameplay, but there is no direction and once you unlock fishing and electric water generation, there is nothing else to do in the game but the same thing over and over.”
- “Currently, I will recommend this game based on the art style, and how the gameplay currently works, just be warned that even for an early access game, there are numerous bugs that can stop your playthrough cold.”
graphics
158 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
44%
2%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their cute and charming art style, featuring colorful and cartoonish visuals that enhance the overall relaxing gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the unique and detailed animations, as well as the pleasant sound design that complements the aesthetics. While some users note minor performance issues, the overall consensus is that the graphics are visually appealing and contribute positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “The graphics and sound of the water are so calming, and once you get the hang of things, it's really fun.”
- “I love this game; it has charming visuals, and the micro-managing mechanics strike just the right balance of complexity for me.”
- “The art style is unique and very friendly; the gameplay is calm and feels very balanced.”
- “I can't stand a simple graphical game like this can run so badly on mid-end PC.”
- “Overpriced, there isn't much to do... limited number of islands, lots of graphical bugs.”
- “It's not that it is a bad game, the concept is well thought out and the graphics are bright and clear but it just does not have sufficient content to justify its quite significant asking price.”
music
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
47%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and pleasant qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the calming soundtracks that complement the cute graphics and engaging mechanics, although some note that the music can become repetitive over time. Overall, the combination of cheerful tunes and soothing sound effects contributes significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “The music has what I like to call the Minecraft effect, where you're jamming to the music, and before you realize it, it gives you the right eargasm at the right time.”
- “The soundtrack is very fitting, relaxing, and overall nice to listen to.”
- “If you like managing a town and people, cute art style, and a brilliant relaxing soundtrack, give this game a go!”
- “I could fall asleep to the soundtrack.”
- “The background music does get repetitive after a while.”
- “Don't let the soothing animation of the sea and the music fool you though, if you lay back and relax you'll be sleeping with the fishes in no time...”
stability
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
Overall, the stability of the game is mixed, with many users reporting a range of bugs and glitches, including crashes, freezes, and AI pathing issues. While some players note that the game is surprisingly bug-free for an early access title and appreciate the frequent updates, others find it frustratingly unplayable at times. The consensus suggests that while the game shows potential, it currently suffers from significant stability issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “Surprisingly bug free for an early access game, with frequent updates, and it doesn't take much space on your drive.”
- “Fortunately, pretty much bug free for an early access title, but next to nothing in terms of end-game goals.”
- “Right now in early access, the game runs great and is fun to play, but it's missing some objectives, goals, and some kind of reason to keep exploring other than working your way up what is currently not a very long tech tree.”
- “Game is still really buggy; I do hope they will fix it as it could be a really fun game. I wouldn't recommend buying it right now though.”
- “I'd recommend this game based on style and uniqueness, but it is frustrating to spend $25 on something that is unplayable, frequently freezes, and doesn't allow you to save your game.”
- “Interesting idea, fun to play but definitely early access with lots of glitches, heavy performance issues, frame drops, and items getting lost or stuck or characters glitching out and standing around until they die.”
story
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
80%
11%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with many players expressing a desire for a structured narrative or quest system to enhance gameplay. While the mechanics and gameplay are enjoyable, the lack of a compelling storyline or long-term goals leaves players feeling unfulfilled and hoping for future updates to introduce more content. Overall, the consensus is that the game needs significant improvements in its storytelling elements to provide a more engaging experience.
- “The handcrafted map should be used for a campaign with a story.”
- “The only thing is that I wish there was more of a story or narrative, but hopefully more of that content will be added since the game is still in early access.”
- “Moreover, if the game could have a main story line, then the game would be more interesting.”
- “The gameplay is great, but it's still lacking a storyline.”
- “There isn't a quest system or storyline to drive you forward.”
- “If you're looking for a complete game with fleshed out mechanics and a story, this game isn't yet for you.”
optimization
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
52%
37%
Overall, the game's optimization is a significant concern among users, with many noting that performance issues, including lag and stuttering, persist despite recent updates. While some players report improvements in performance, particularly after the latest patch, others still experience heavy performance hits, especially as gameplay progresses. As the game is in early access, players are hopeful for ongoing optimizations and bug fixes to enhance the overall experience.
- “Performance is much better now after the latest update.”
- “It runs smoothly, and the devs are putting out almost daily fixes/patches/updates.”
- “They've fleshed out the gameplay a lot since my review below and the performance issues have largely been resolved.”
- “I never ran into any issues with bugs, but the optimization is not that great.”
- “Interesting idea, fun to play but definitely early access with lots of glitches, heavy performance issues, frame drops and items getting lost or stuck or characters glitching out and standing around until they die.”
- “Performance is truly my main technical complaint, since the game runs poorly and it seems to get even worse the longer you play.”
replayability
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
73%
12%
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the potential for varied experiences through different characters and skill sets, many express disappointment due to a lack of content and endgame challenges, resulting in limited replay value. Most reviews suggest that after a few hours of gameplay, the novelty wears off, and players may not feel compelled to return. However, there is hope for improvement with future updates, which could enhance replayability.
- “The overall replayability of the game is excellent, with different characters and skill sets to explore, creating an engrossing and unique experience each playthrough.”
- “Great game, with decent replayability to build things better and more efficiently each time you start fresh.”
- “Update: great game which is updated frequently and has good replay value.”
- “That said, the game doesn't have a whole ton of replayability right now.”
- “Due to the lack of end game, I would say the game has a solid 5 hours of gameplay right now but not much replayability as you will always end up in the same place.”
- “There really is only about 6-8 hours of gameplay with no replayability value.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with some describing it as tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the lack of variety in resource gathering and the convoluted economy. While the upgrade system alleviates some grindiness, many feel that the mid-game pacing issues and the need for constant resource scavenging detract from the overall enjoyment, making longer play sessions feel laborious. However, some players still appreciate the game in shorter bursts, indicating that the grind can be manageable in moderation.
- “I feel that this particular update has made the game more grindy and convoluted than it should be, and that in general the direction the game is going is the opposite of what made me like the game in the first place.”
- “While I find that this quasi-grinding nature makes it hard to play (and somewhat repetitive) for long periods of time, I have been having fun playing it in short bursts.”
- “On the other hand, if the expectation is that you can't build a sustainable base and you have to constantly go traveling to find resources, then that makes this game pretty tedious to play.”
humor
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its cute art style and amusing character voices, with players finding joy in the quirky mechanics, such as the need for a boat to fish and humorous bugs like resource collection issues. The game offers a lighthearted experience, filled with funny scenarios that arise from its city-building challenges, making it an enjoyable way to relax and pass the time. Overall, players appreciate the blend of humor and gameplay, despite some minor issues that still need addressing.
- “If you like city builder games, this one is cute and funny while also maintaining the early structure for a challenge because food is so hard until you get metal.”
- “The voices of the characters are funny and fitting.”
- “The early challenge of trying to survive and manage everything is exciting and can lead to interesting and funny scenarios.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
88%
13%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its art style, attention to detail, and engaging soundtrack, creating a relaxing and immersive experience. Players appreciate the balance between a cheerful aesthetic and an underlying apocalyptic theme, making the environment enjoyable to explore. Despite some concerns about content depth, the overall ambiance contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “A very fun game with a fantastic theme and atmosphere.”
- “I generally stay on the slowest pace to play, enjoying the atmosphere, the music, and watching my little drifters scurry and swim around.”
- “The atmosphere is well executed, a pleasantly cheery and bright world yet still thoroughly apocalyptic.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartwarming details, offering a more wholesome experience compared to other city-builders like Frostpunk, while still engaging players in management gameplay.
- “The details are absolutely heartwarming.”
- “If you like city-building management games like Frostpunk, but less punishing and more wholesome, this game is for you.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the character designs and animations are praised for their cuteness, there is little mention of depth or growth in character development, suggesting a focus on aesthetics over narrative progression.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization of the game is widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with players feeling that the developers are prioritizing profit over quality and player experience.
- “This game is a cash grab and everyone involved knows it.”
- “The monetization system feels exploitative and takes away from the overall experience.”
- “I feel pressured to spend money just to keep up with other players.”