The Flame in the Flood

 Xbox One
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 22
  3. Negative: 1 out of 22
  1. games(TM)
    Apr 10, 2016
    70
    Despite some skinniness in the core mechanics, this is a strong game with a consistently charming aesthetic and challenging progression-based system: if you’re enduring enough to live through the first week or so, you’ll meet a slew of survivors, and you’ll uncover a glimpse of America that’s still celebrated.
  2. The Digital Fix
    Mar 16, 2016
    70
    If you are new to this sort of thing, it’s a good introduction but be prepared for a tough experience.
  3. MondoXbox
    Mar 6, 2016
    70
    Visually and artistically, The Flame in the Flood is one of the most fascinating experiences in recent months, but it sports a rather predictable and unoriginal gameplay. It's basically a classical survival game with crafting and resource management, but everything turns out to be quite boring on the long term, due to an excessive grinding too. Absolutely not a bad game and survival games lovers could appreciate it, but gameplay-wise it could have been more refined.
  5. Metro GameCentral
    Feb 28, 2016
    70
    Not the deepest wilderness survival game around in terms of gameplay, but certainly one of the most atmospheric and thought-provoking.
  6. ICXM
    Feb 26, 2016
    70
    There are a lot of life lessons in The Flame in the Flood, and I wish that some of those weren't due to sheer luck with strategy being removed by the procedurally-generated gameplay.
  7. Brash Games
    Feb 24, 2016
    70
    Overall I really enjoyed my time with The Flame in the Flood. Sure the game looks beautiful, with pleasant music and cute characters, but the gameplay is tough, challenging and relentless.
  8. Edge Magazine
    Apr 10, 2016
    60
    Surviving isn't supposed to be easy, of course. But there's a line between challenging players and screwing them over, and The Flame In The Flood regularly crosses it. [April 2016, p.106]
    All this publication's reviews
  9. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Mar 27, 2016
    60
    The basics are just a little too basic to make the delightful presentation anything other than a distraction. [Apr 2016, p.85]
    All this publication's reviews
  10. Pure Xbox
    Feb 25, 2016
    60
    But even though The Flame in the Flood is somewhat of a disappointment, that doesn't mean there's not enough tinder to sustain the flame for at least a weekend outing. You just have to decide whether or not you want to risk dealing with the pesky bugs hiding in the foundation.

Awards & Rankings

99
#99 Best Xbox One Game of 2016
92
#92 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 22
  3. Negative: 8 out of 22
  1. SuperkenGaming
    Jan 16, 2017
    7
    The Flame in the Flood
    hurt by procedural generation
    Flame in the Flood is a rogue like survival game where you play as a woman named scout    The Flame in the Flood
    hurt by procedural generation
    Flame in the Flood is a rogue like survival game where you play as a woman named scout who’s accompanies by a companion either asop or daisy
    There are 2 modes here, a campaign mode and an endless modes..
    Most of my issues with the game are exclusive to the campaign and are completely forgiven for endless mode…
    Mostly that in the campaign you’re at the mercy of procedural generation…
    you would think this would be a hand crafted and balanced journey down the river while endless mode would offer a randomized challenge… but no.. both are completely random…
    In this game you collect items to use as food, hydration, clothes to keep you warm, items to craft medical supplies and try to make your way down the river through the 10 different regions…
    The challenge is balance…
    Your nutrition drains by the second so you have to carefully choose when to stop at a location or when to keep going…
    Are you desperate for food? Stop at a farm
    sleep deprived or cold? Find a fire and shelter... raft taking too much damage?
    pray you’ve found bolts and wood to repair or upgrade it…
    The problem is this is less about strategy and planning and more of a desperate search for items you need in the moment…
    And again you’re at the mercy of procedural generation…
    There is no balance of supplies.. you aren’t guaranteed to get what you need from stopping at places that typically have those supplies…
    Especially medical supplies…
    MY first playthrough I had none, I had scratches and broken bones from running into enemies like boars and wolves and no way to fix them as I never ran into a drug store or was lucky enough to run into supplies to craft items while in my 2nd playthrough I was swimming in bandages alcohol and crutches…
    I feel this campaign would be miles better if it was more about managing than it was getting lucky…
    Instead the campaign only offers an end goal and a few npc characters to find…
    And if you do get lucky finding tons of food and other supplies it isn’t going to matter as the inventory is a joke…
    Slightly increased by the pack of your companion who also barks near items you can pick up or search as well as your raft…
    But it isn’t nearly enough to feel like you’re doing anything more than scrounging…
    All of this would’ve been fine in the endless mode as its own thing…
    But a campaign with no balance and just as luck based is a problem…
    Poor campaign mode but as a survival game its beautiful to look at and a pretty decent challenge…
    I give The Flame in the Flood
    a 7/10    … Full Review »
  2. neomoonsevin
    May 19, 2023
    1
    Another garbage gold game picture 1984 Atari graphics but made in a era that should not be making this types of games in today's world
  3. TabbyToeBeans
    Apr 10, 2022
    8
    Just finished the campaign and I fully believe this game is a hidden gem. Its challenging but not overly so, the soundtrack is amazing and theJust finished the campaign and I fully believe this game is a hidden gem. Its challenging but not overly so, the soundtrack is amazing and the environment is well crafted.

    The Flame in the Flood doesn't challenge the skills you have, however, but mainly your patience and your luck. The controls are a bit hard to get used to, and when I was docking/casting off the raft the option to redock/cast off doesn't appear right away, leaving you to either sail further down the river or enter the area (which isnt bad by itself but hypothermia killed me with that happening more than once). Still, despite the wolves and hypothermia I fully enjoyed the game and is well worth the time I played!    … Full Review »
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