The Flame in the Flood Reviews

The Flame in the Flood is ranked in the 63rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8.5 / 10.0
Feb 25, 2016

The Flame in the Flood is a grim game that challenges players not only with gameplay, but also with subtle ideas about life and humankind. Yet, despite how literary the game can be, it's a deeply enjoyable experience that scratches the primal itch of surviving in the wild.

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Mar 14, 2016

The Flame in the Flood is a challenging and rewarding survival game. It urges you to think and make use of your supplies in a smart manner. Fans of the survival genre will find a satisfying experience with this unique indie release. The flame symbolizes your will and desire to stay alive, but the struggle – symbolized by the flood, is doing everything it can to make you quit. Will you keep your flame burning? Or will the flood put you out?

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8 / 10.0
Mar 15, 2016

The Flame in the Flood gives us familiar territory. The world has gone back. There's jangly southern-style music with heartfelt vocals. There's crafting. But there's real wonder in those moments when you're just trying to get another mile down the river so that you can live a few more days. There's something special about staying afloat in all of that ruin. The Flame in the Flood is a beacon, something golden, in a worn-down world.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jan 18, 2017

The Flame in the Flood delivers exceptionally inventive gameplay with original graphics and sadly, some serious bugs. Without them, we could have one of the best games in genre.

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7 / 10.0
Feb 28, 2016

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

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GameZone
Top Critic
6.5 / 10.0
Jan 24, 2017

The Flame in the Flood has a unique premise and does a great job of establishing the world. Sadly, the game fails to click due to its repetitive nature.

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4.1 / 5.0
Jan 29, 2017

The Flame in the Flood is a beautiful game on the PlayStation 4 that puts the player in control a very likeable protagonist and her dog. The gameplay is not only challenging but also rewarding, particularly when you overcome an obstacle that has caused you grief. Add in some very gorgeous graphics, a soothing soundtrack and all in all, The Flame in the Flood is not only a very original game but quite enjoyable for this rogue-like survival experience.

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CGMagazine
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Jan 30, 2017

Amid a few new additions and changes, The Flame in the Flood is still very much the same flawed but absorbing survival game that you might remember from last year.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 20, 2017

While the game causes you to go through some learning pains, The Flame in The Flood will reward those who stick with it to a great experience that you won’t find elsewhere. Playing through this game throws the player into a situation that will make the player feel helpless and constantly struggle to look for material, rather than eventually getting so powerful you just feel like you won the game.

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Ian Howarth
Top Critic
7 / 10
Feb 16, 2017

So the gameplay presents this strange oxymoron of being pretty easy, but still unfairly difficult because of the random element, which is never a nice way to add a challenge, but maybe that's the message all along – life isn't fair.

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8.5 / 10.0
Feb 24, 2016

The Flame in the Flood's relentlessly real time gameplay combined with an almost exclusive focus on crafting, survival and preparedness makes it a refreshing and unique take on the roguelike. Combined with a low-ploy visual style that's easy on the eyes when it's not downright beautiful, vivid sound design and a mild acoustic soundtrack, this one's got a lot going for it. Be prepared to start over a lot, though.

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games(TM)
games™ Team
Top Critic
7 / 10
Apr 10, 2016

Big on heart, but light on mechanics

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7 / 10.0
Mar 16, 2016

If you are new to this sort of thing, it's a good introduction but be prepared for a tough experience.

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6 / 10.0
Apr 18, 2016

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

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9 / 10
Mar 5, 2016

The Flame in the Flood has learned a lot from the survival games that came before it, but The Molasses Flood have added a unique charm that you won't find anywhere else. The character and environment design is superbly animated, and I can't stress enough how fantastic the soundtrack is. The entire experience had a wonderful Roald Dahl/Aesop's Fables feel to it, which created one of the most unique atmospheres I've seen in a survival game. If dark and depressing survival games have left you out in the rain, you'll find shelter and warmth here.

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Digitally Downloaded
Nicktatorship
Top Critic
Jan 25, 2017

What stands out most about The Flame in the Flood is that its form of survival isn't candied up, but sits severe and plain about what chance most of us would have. It's second even to the slice of America it presents, a piece of a soul set upon a shelf, hoping to be called upon once more. If nothing else, The Flame in The Flood allows that piece to have its moment with sincerity.

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9 / 10
Jan 18, 2017

This being the complete edition means that on top of the main game, you'll also be able to access a brand new Director's Commentary that will allow you to learn more about the game's design and development. You'll also get a lovely dynamic theme, two avatars and lots of gameplay improvements that rebalance the game.

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8 / 10
Jan 25, 2017

The Flame in the Flood successfully captures the intricacies of a better class of survival games and wraps them in a very neat, very pretty package.

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PS3Blog.net
the_nmac
85%
Jan 30, 2017

We both really liked The Flame in the Flood: Complete Edition. It is a great take on the survival genre with a very charming and unique art style. With the procedurally generated river, every trip you take be different, thus offering a ton of replay value. The crafting system works really well and isn't as obtuse as in other entries in the genre. We definitely recommend that you play The Flame in the Flood: Complete Edition on PS4!

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Drew Hurley
Top Critic
8 / 10
Oct 21, 2017

Those who loved Don't Starve will find their new obsession here. The Flame in the Flood is a highly enjoyable rogue-lite survival title that makes a fantastic game to play on the go. Headphones on, volume on full and enjoy the ride with this addictive new release. Get ready to welcome yet another distinct and individual game into the fold, fattening up the Switch's already bulging catalogue.

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