The Flame in the Flood is a 2016roguelikesurvivaladventurevideo game developed byThe Molasses Flood and published byCurve Digital. The game was developed forMicrosoft Windows,macOS, andXbox One. APlayStation 4 version was released on January 17, 2017. ANintendo Switch version was released on October 12, 2017. Publishing rights were moved toCD Projekt after its acquisition of The Molasses Flood.^[1]

The Flame in the Flood
Developer(s)	The Molasses Flood
Publisher(s)	Curve Digital[a]
Composer(s)	Chuck Ragan
Engine	Unreal Engine 4
Platform(s)	Windows,macOS,Xbox One,PlayStation 4,Switch
Release	Windows,macOS,Xbox One February 24, 2016 PS4 January 17, 2017 Switch October 12, 2017
Genre(s)	Roguelike,survival,adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player

The player character is a young girl referred to as Scout. Her companion is a dog (named either Aesop or Daisy) who can sense danger and locate supplies. Scout uses a raft to traverse a large river, the result of an apocalyptic flood which has turned the land into a series of islands. The player must pay attention to Scout's needs such as her energy, thirst, hunger, warmth, and fatigue. Not paying attention to them can result in death. Like other roguelikes, death is permanent, although the player can restart at predetermined checkpoints along the river if they are playing in Campaign mode. There is a crafting system allowing the player to create new items. Players will need to scavenge areas for valuable items. Factors such as the weather impact the gameplay. Players are able to create insulated clothing to protect Scout from the cold.^[2] One of the developers referred to it as a "travelling survival game".^[3]

The player must try to survive a river journey through the backwaters of a forgottenpost-societal America.

The game was developed by a team of people who previously worked onBioShock,Halo 2, andRock Band.^[2] It had a successful crowdfunding campaign, reaching $251,647 of a $150,000 goal.^[4] The game was originally available in beta, to its Kickstarter backers, and was released onSteam^[5] as an early access game on September 24, 2015.

The soundtrack for the game was made byChuck Ragan of the bandHot Water Music.^[6]

The Flame in the Flood received "mixed or average" reviews, onMetacritic, with the PC version scoring 73% based on 43 reviews,^[16] and the Xbox One version scoring 74% based on 22 reviews.^[17]

Ben Davis fromDestructoid rated the game a 7.5/10 saying, "Even with its flaws,The Flame in the Flood remains an engaging and challenging survival game."^[7]

Mark Steighner ofHardcore Gamer gave the game a 4 out of 5 saying, "The Flame in the Flood offers a genuinely new variation on the survival game theme, tuned, focused and confident in its execution."^[15]

IGN awarded it a score of 7.3 out of 10, saying "Brutal and beautiful,The Flame in the Flood is a unique sort of survival game, with a few crucial flaws."^[12]

GameSpot awarded it a score of 8.0 out of 10, saying "Despite the awkward menu system, it's an absorbing game that lets you experience a journey in the present, and fully appreciate the sights, sounds, and joys of floating down the river in its alluring world."^[11]

• Developer's website