Growing up scouting was always a big part of my life. I learned plenty of survival skills: how to make shelter, create traps, how to craft splints if you injure yourself, and so forth. Thus, survival games are always of interest to me. I grew up on learning how to survive in the wilds in case anything happened, so it’s always interesting to see how developers translate this into the gaming world. The Flame in the Flood by the Molasses Flood has recently been released on the Switch as the Complete version, and brings new upgrades alongside it’s tale of survival on the wild waters of a flooded America.
The basic premise behind The Flame in the Flood is as follows: you play as a young survivor named Scout, and her basically immortal pup companion, Aesop, in a post-disaster, flooded America. The game takes place on a river, and Scout has a handy raft that allows her to travel down the river. Along the way you must avoid rocks, trees, even houses floating downstream, as you work to stop at various spots on the riverbank. However, as you go down the river, you can’t go back, so you sometimes need to decide between locations. Which areas do you go to and which do you pass on? The game is procedurally generated, and while you may encounter the same areas through multiple playthroughs, the placement of them is always random. There are forests, settlements, churches and other various places to stop at, and all of them usually have some items or shelter that is of use. Scout is always looking for materials to survive, of course, and you’re trying to see how far you can take her. The actual story is pretty sparse, but you’ll find remnants of people to give you some idea of what life was like before the flood, which always helped ground the adventure a little bit more each time it happened.
The gameplay of The Flame in the Flood is classic third-person survival, similar to what is seen in other games in the same genre. You go around from location to location to find some new items for crafting or to eat, and just try and continue on to the next area. It took me a good number of attempts however before I really found my groove. When you start out you’ll spend plenty of time fiddling around with the assorted menus, looking at crafting, seeing what you can actually craft, and all that time really can add up. I believe I died a couple of times, mostly from starvation. I didn’t have enough food on me and was spending too much time figuring out how to make traps, and sadly Scout just dropped dead on me. Getting used to the menus, and knowing what you can craft and what you need will really get you far in this game. Another key thing is to learn what you really need and what you can pass on or consume. Scout can’t carry many items, and you can throw some on Aesop and some on your raft, but it doesn’t take too long to fill them all up. You need to become proficient at knowing when to keep things and when to just ignore them.
The crafting itself works fairly well, and is pretty quick once you are familiar with the materials needed. During my first run-throughs, I would find bunnies, but then would have no clue how to trap or snare them. Once you craft a trap, it’s easy to remember what you need, and another plus is being able to use a trap repeatedly. One other key thing is crafting weapons for Scout. More than a few times, I stumbled into a settlement that had a massive boar or a wolf, and was ill prepared. I either took a beating or died. As you progress, things get more dangerous, and crafting weapons is a big key to survival. I got better at it; however whenever I see a bear, I just run. There’s no messing around with bears, that’s for sure. The crafting system and collection is pretty simple; however, sometimes that meant that it felt a little too repetitive, and I was going through the motions more than just trying to survive.
One of the biggest standouts for me was the visual style and the soundtrack. The music in the game is absolutely phenomenal, and completely perfect for a game seemingly set in the southern States. The folky Americana tunes, courtesy of Hot Water Music’s Chuck Ragan, really help to make the game. Whether it’s a full on song about survival with Ragan’s raspy vocals, or an acoustic track full of guitars and harmonicas, the tracks are completely spot on. I just wish that the music would play more often. The sound effects of the world are really effective too; the crashing of the waves on the river or howling wind sound just right. The game is also very stylized, thanks to the works of artist Scott Sinclair. The slightly abstracted, cartoon style helps to make the game feel just a bit warmer overall, and really helps to make the game stand out in a sea of survival games.
The Flame in the Flood is a solid, if somewhat light, survival game. I enjoyed my time with it, even if sometimes it got a little too repetitive later in the game, once you have crafting nailed down. The Complete version also includes an Endless Mode to play around with, as well as a Director’s Commentary option, which gives some interesting insight into the game. In the end, the adventures of Scout and Aesop, deep in the heart of the south, is one worth playing on the Switch, especially if you haven’t before. The lighter survival gameplay and constant quick saves make The Flame in the Flood a perfect choice for the Switch, and a great addition to the growing indie library on Nintendo’s new system.
A copy of The Flame in the Flood for the Nintendo Switch was provided courtesy of the Molasses Flood for the purpose of this review.