The Flame in the Flood

The Flame in the Flood is a beautiful procedurally generated survival sim that gains a welcome sense of momentum from the need to stay on the move. Its unwieldy menus and tendency to crash ruins some of the fun, unfortunately, but not enough to diminish the strength of the hopeful, riverbound journey at its core.

The general gameplay is a bit simplistic but your actions result in high-stakes scenarios that make you immersed in the world and the experience which is a hallmark positive in any survival game.

An experienced traveler will deal with the campaign in 2 hours tops, but gathering experience in a series of adventures in a randomly generated world is the most enjoyable thing here. The moments of triumph and fear that you will experience along the way are reasons enough to give this game a chance despite its many (but not severe) technical issues. [05/2016, p.42]

The Flame in The Flood can be seen as a novel of formation nestled in a methapore that turns life into a river. Unfortunately Molasses Flood's first work tries to transmit a deep and manifold message with a not so deep and manifold messenger.

Whether it be from lack of supplies or enemies after your sweet juicy flesh; there is always something guaranteed to go badly each game.

A fresh take on survival, but narrower in scope than it should be. [Issue#249, p.61]

Beautifully done battle with nature, which relies primarily on audio-visual aspect and a realistic setting. Grab your axe, food for three days and get downstream.

Overall, I’d recommend The Flame in the Flood for those looking for a new type of survival game, and those patient enough to deal with the interface.

The Flame in the Flood offers a lot of interesting ideas, but not all of them are properly developed - it seems as if the game was released too early. With more items, enemies and locations, it could compete with Don't Starve, but all we get is few hours of beautiful and interesting gameplay that ultimately leaves you wanting more.

Its view of America is simple, but simplicity keeps the game focused on survival in a wilderness that refuses to be tamed.

A strong game in many respects, but also lacking in a few key areas to put it over the top.

Lovely and challenging with enjoyable crafting and survival elements, but poor river controls make it harsher than it should be.​

It is a functional roguelike that has the added benefit of depicting a nice looking American countryside environment. Although it could last you for hours, the lack of variety in looting, crafting, and different areas hurt the overall experience in the long term.

This is no quaint river rafting trip where you can sense the spirit of Huckleberry Finn. This is a relentless beast that let’s you die without warning. But even once you got the basics covered this is not as engrossing as Don’t Starve – even though artdesign and music are top notch.

The Flame in the Flood squanders a novel idea and fantastic aesthetic with mind-numbing repetition and a broken sense of progression.

Very original and uncompromising variation on survival game attracts with untamed river and a robust crafting system you have no chance to survive without. It suffers from several issues that still need some fine-tuning. [Issue#262]

I didn't love it as a survival experience—maybe I couldn't have—but I enjoyed The Flame in the Flood as a tour of a drowning America.

The Flame in the Flood dares to be a different survival game. Instead of focusing on killing zombies, the goal is to survive by eating, drinking, and sleeping. Sadly, there's not much more to it than that. Being different alone does not make a game great, and this is no exception.

While there are some technical difficulties that need to be worked out, The Flame in the Flood is still moderately enjoyable.

The Flame in the Flood is ultimately a melting pot of wasted opportunities that seems to be neither a survival rich with content, nor unforgettable auteur film. It is a real pity if we consider the fascinating structure supporting the game.