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
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.

Read full review

4 / 5.0
Feb 24, 2016

Death is pretty much inevitable in The Flame in the Flood, but it can be held at bay through luck, crafting, planning and skillful awareness of the environment and what it offers and hides.

Read full review

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.

Read full review

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.

Read full review

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

Big on heart, but light on mechanics

Read full review

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.

Read full review

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.

Read full review

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.

Read full review

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.

Review in Polish | Read full review

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.

Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Jan 18, 2017

The Flame in the Flood is an incredibly charming survival game. Even those that don't tend to love the harsh genre will enjoy the visual flair and fantastic soundtrack on offer. There's also several different options to make the game more difficult or easier (checkpoints can be added) depending on how much of a challenge you want. Whether players actually complete their trip will come down to their determination, but they'll have a good time, even if the rafting session ends a bit early due to a wolf attack.

Read full review

7.9 / 10.0
Jan 22, 2017

The Flame in the Flood is a scary and quiet sandbox game, set in a terrifying post-apocalyptic world. The survival game by Molasses Flood tries to provide a strong emotional impact.

Review in Italian | Read full review

7.8 / 10.0
Feb 24, 2016

On the surface, it appears to be a charming, survival title. That's merely a ruse, as The Flame in the Flood is ruthless in difficulty, at least for the first few hours. Overall, it's a great, enjoyable game, though the experience can wear a little thin after a while.

Read full review

ACG
Top Critic
Wait for Sale
Feb 24, 2016
Flame in the Flood Review "Buy, Wait for Sale, Rent, Never Touch?" video thumbnail
EGM
Top Critic
4 / 10.0
Feb 24, 2016

I love difficult games, but The Flame in the Flood didn't test my resolve—it tested my patience. A stellar look and an awesome soundtrack made me want to love The Molasses Flood's first release, but with so many technical setbacks, I could hardly even stomach my time with it. I won't be returning to the flood.

Read full review

7 / 10
Oct 16, 2017

The Flame in the Flood is a gorgeous title that tries to find a good balance between realism and difficulty. The ideas and concepts are smart and make sense, but don't expect them to delve too much deeper that what is presented at the start. A few nitpicks with the menu system and cumbersome inventory management take a bit away from the experience, but the core mechanics work well. The Flame in the Flood is a good addition to the survival genre, and another satisfying inclusion to the ever growing eShop library.

Read full review

6 / 10
Nov 3, 2017

The Flame in the Flood is a game that puts the players in the centre of a survival context where wits and instincts will be fundamental to get by. Thanks to its universe and crafting system, the game successfully stands out and will keep the players closely involved for a long time, even if some of the design options followed turn out to be somewhat disappointing and the game falls below its full potential.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Feb 24, 2016

The Flame in the Flood is a challenging survival game, but one that eases you into its world and mechanics well, allowing you to learn from your experiences without getting frustrated too early on

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Mar 4, 2016

The Flame in the Flood is a challenging game, but the kind that will likely have you trying again, rather than throwing things across the room.

Read full review

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.

Read full review