The Flame in the Flood

The Flame in the Flood is a tough, yet very rewarding survival game that is infectious in its design, tempting players to keep going until their flame eventually dies out.

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Embark on a perilous river journey in The Flame in the Flood: Complete Edition, where a girl and her dog must scavenge for resources, craft tools, and survive against wildlife. This edition includes gameplay enhancements and a Director's Commentary mode, accompanied by an original soundtrack by Chuck Ragan and his collaborators. Brave the procedurally-generated wilderness and prioritize your health to endure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,252 reviews

music369 positive mentions

stability47 negative mentions

The game features a charming art style and an excellent soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere.
Gameplay is engaging, with a unique blend of survival mechanics and resource management that keeps players on their toes.
The game offers a satisfying sense of progression as players learn from their mistakes and improve their survival skills.

The raft controls can be frustratingly difficult, leading to frequent crashes and deaths that feel unfair.
Inventory management is cumbersome, with a lack of intuitive sorting options and the inability to pause the game while crafting.
The game can become repetitive after a while, with limited variety in locations and resources, leading to a lack of long-term replayability.

music
587 mentions
63 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in "The Flame in the Flood" is widely praised for its exceptional quality, with many reviewers highlighting the folk and Americana influences that enhance the game's atmosphere. Composed by Chuck Ragan, the soundtrack is described as both beautiful and fitting, creating an immersive experience that complements the game's visuals and survival mechanics. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, often elevating the gameplay and leaving a lasting impression on players.
- “The soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal and the game is super relaxing.”
- “The music fits the atmosphere perfectly, I love the survival aspect of the game, the game's visual/art style is awesome, and the whole raft mechanic is pretty fun.”
- “The music is truly amazing.”
- “The soundtrack struck me as less 'sombre and evocative' and more 'here's some music to pass the time'.”
- “Music sucks so just put it on mute like I do, or you'll be dying in real life, a lot.”
- “The music is absolutely dire, switching between what sounds like a 12-year-old's guitar recital and some god awful country which grates like sandpaper.”
gameplay
343 mentions
33 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "The Flame in the Flood" is characterized by a mix of survival mechanics, crafting, and exploration, set against a visually appealing backdrop and accompanied by a captivating soundtrack. While many players appreciate the unique rafting mechanics and the challenge of managing resources, some criticize the repetitive nature of the gameplay and the clunky controls, particularly during rafting segments. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience for those who enjoy survival games, though it may frustrate players seeking more depth and variety.
- “This game is honestly a steal if you enjoy survival inventory management games that respect your time and have gameplay that doesn't start with punching a tree.”
- “The gameplay loop of scavenging, crafting, and upgrading your raft is addictive, the visuals convey a huge amount of emotion with very few if any words, and the soundtrack is fantastic.”
- “The flame in the flood offers a unique survival experience with its striking art style and challenging gameplay.”
- “Unfortunately, the mechanics are trash, the UI fails, and the camera is wonky.”
- “Gameplay is repetitive; a routine of 'visit island, grab supplies, trap something, leave' got monotonous after only just a couple of hours.”
- “The gameplay boils down to a pretty repetitive crawl through a lot of locations that don’t feel unique or interesting.”
graphics
289 mentions
55 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of "The Flame in the Flood" are widely praised for their unique and charming art style, which combines elements reminiscent of storybook aesthetics and Americana themes. Many players appreciate the game's beautiful visuals and atmospheric soundtrack, noting that the stylized graphics enhance the overall experience, despite some minor graphical glitches and performance issues. While the art style may not appeal to everyone, it is generally regarded as a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's immersive environment.
- “The graphics in this game are stylized enough to withstand the test of time for many more years to come.”
- “The artistry in the graphics, sounds, and of course music, give this game an atmosphere that elevates beyond the other survival and crafting games I've played.”
- “The flame in the flood boasts beautiful artwork and a multitude of colors.”
- “The graphics or art style didn't seem cohesive to me.”
- “Primarily minor graphical issues, such as a dead bear appearing alive, some clipping, or items in the water appearing to float occasionally.”
- “Some of the visuals are also a bit buggy, camera angles can hop around in jarring ways when near your raft and sometimes the foreground trees float in the air when you are moving between locations.”
story
276 mentions
25 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally described as minimal and somewhat simplistic, often taking a backseat to survival mechanics and gameplay. While some players appreciate the atmospheric and subtle storytelling elements, many express a desire for a more developed narrative and character depth. Overall, the story is seen as a decent backdrop that provides motivation for exploration, but it lacks the richness and complexity that some players hoped for.
- “Great atmosphere, charming art, poignant story.”
- “The story was compelling, and I liked that you very occasionally ran into someone else and weren't quite sure whether it would be a good thing or a bad thing.”
- “The story is subtle and simple, but really interesting.”
- “The story is nearly non-existent, and the characters are few and far between.”
- “The campaign, which isn't a story so much as a playthrough with a few hard stopping points, was pretty short and uninteresting.”
- “There's not much in the way of storyline after this, but it doesn't make the feel of the game any worse.”
atmosphere
92 mentions
68 % positive mentions
28 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its charming art style, engaging soundtrack, and immersive world, creating a nostalgic and emotional experience. Players appreciate the blend of survival mechanics with a cozy, rustic ambiance that enhances the gameplay, despite some criticisms regarding repetitive elements and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game's atmosphere stands out as a key feature, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric survival games.
- “The atmosphere created by the soundtrack and art design really pull you in.”
- “The music, atmosphere, and backdrop all carry a certain sense of nostalgia, but not for anything specific.”
- “The atmosphere is perfect, combining the wonderful soundtrack and visuals to create a truly unique experience.”
- “Even though visuals in this game are pretty basic and the story barely exists, the atmosphere is totally here and it feels pretty awesome.”
- “It's a neat concept, floating on a river, surviving, looting, all with a cute dog, but the devs went for atmosphere and sacrificed gameplay, making it a frustrating slog.”
- “The moment to moment gameplay isn’t the most exhilarating or physically demanding in the rogue-lite market, but for what The Flame in the Flood lacks in dexterous gameplay it more than makes up for in atmosphere, theme, art, and music.”
stability
50 mentions
6 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
94 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with many reporting various bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including crashes, unresponsive mechanics, and graphical issues. While some players find these bugs manageable or even enjoyable, others describe them as frustrating and game-breaking, suggesting that the game requires further optimization and polish. Overall, the consensus indicates that while the game has potential, its current state is marred by instability.
- “Runs great on my iMac with Big Sur.”
- “Also, my PC is very low budget, but it runs great.”
- “I really wanted to love this game, but it's buggy and not well optimized.”
- “There is a lot of glitches from full crashes to bugs that can literally end entire runs (even in the campaign) with 'dead ends' where you literally can't do anything but lose and restart completely.”
- “Very buggy, crashes almost constantly.”
replayability
44 mentions
36 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its endless mode and immersive experience, while others find it limited after completing the campaign. Many appreciate the fun gameplay and aesthetic, suggesting it can be enjoyable to revisit, especially for casual play or speed runs. However, a significant number of reviews indicate that once players grasp the mechanics, the desire to replay diminishes due to a lack of depth and variety in gameplay.
- “Not the most complicated, but the art style is great and it has massive replay value.”
- “Great survival game, great soundtrack, great immersion, great replay value.”
- “The flame in the flood is a wonderful game with an incredible amount of replay value.”
- “The thing is, this game lacks replayability.”
- “There is almost always a 'best and only' way to go about things, which you will figure out after your first run - drastically limiting replay value.”
- “No replay value: while I don't think the gameplay loop in this game is necessarily bad, it is a bit repetitive; I just don't think it's something that's going to grab hold of people and make them want to do it all over again.”
grinding
28 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the extensive inventory management and crafting systems that can detract from the enjoyment. While some appreciate the shorter gameplay duration as a refreshing change from longer survival games, many express frustration with the micromanagement and lack of variety in tasks, leading to a sense of monotony. Despite these criticisms, some players still feel compelled to continue playing, indicating a mix of enjoyment and annoyance with the grinding elements.
- “The gameplay can get a bit tedious.”
- “I feel this game had a lot of potential, but just dealing with the constant crafting, recrafting, and tedious inventory management really outweighs the potential enjoyment to be had from playing any further.”
- “One simple thing absolutely ruined it for me - gameplay is a 50/50 split between the camping/looting on foot and the rafting on water; and the rafting part is just... incredibly boring, tedious, and frustrating.”
emotional
17 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional depth, with players highlighting its heartfelt storytelling and immersive atmosphere that evoke strong feelings, including moments of heartbreak and nostalgia. The combination of visual and musical design enhances the emotional experience, making it a memorable survival adventure that resonates with players despite its challenging gameplay. Overall, it offers a unique blend of comfort and emotional investment, appealing to those who appreciate a rich narrative in gaming.
- “It's fun, comforting, and emotionally immersive thanks to the visual and musical design working together so well.”
- “It's a survival game that really made me feel desperate; even when I was well set up and had a good amount of supplies, I still panicked every time something went wrong.”
- “The game gifts the player with a unique cozy, emotional, and extremely atmospheric experience.”
optimization
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, particularly on PC, where players report sluggish performance, bugs, and crashes even on minimum settings. While the console version is noted for better optimization and graphics, many users find the PC experience unplayable, suggesting that performance testing may have favored consoles over PC. Overall, the game's optimization issues detract from the overall enjoyment and playability.
- “Started this game off on the Nintendo Switch and moved to PC, and it definitely suits both platforms, especially the console due to its optimized graphics and the fear of the unknown due to a limited screen size and having to look slightly further to see enemies.”
- “Yes, this game is really good, good graphics and it runs smoothly, but the one thing is there's no bases or building in this game; also, you die too easily, so you have to save every once in a while.”
- “Performance bumps and a crash (seems to be fine now).”
- “However, the performance on PC on minimum settings is still kind of sluggish and almost jittery.”
- “It is horribly optimized.”
- “Guys, I want to love your game, but severe performance issues are currently rendering it completely unplayable on my one machine (Dell T1700 Precision, 8 GB RAM, 3.2GHz Intel Xeon, NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS) - as in slideshow framerate on minimum graphics settings and resolution, followed by a crash during the loading sequence, hard reset required.”
humor
7 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the funny character design and humorous item descriptions, others find the attempts at cynical humor and survival mechanics to be unfunny and unenjoyable. Overall, the game evokes a range of emotions, including humor, but its darker elements may detract from the comedic aspects for some players.
- “The design of the main character is just funny.”
- “The humorous item descriptions and sometimes silly graphics lend themselves to the idea that this is a casual game.”
- “In other moments, this game also invoked feelings of fear, joy, peacefulness, loss, loneliness, triumph, and humor.”
character development
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted by its unique and appealing character designs, complemented by a vibrant art style. However, some players feel that the main playable character's design detracts from the overall experience. While the music and environment art are praised, the lack of a save feature has also been noted as a drawback.
- “Great music and character design.”
- “Love the character design; I just wish there was a save button so I can continue.”
- “I really like the art style of the environments, but it is entirely ruined by the main playable character design.”
- “It's got a cartoonish vibe to it with some unique character designs.”
- “Love the character design, only if there was a save button so I can continue.”