Flooded is a reversed city-builder, in which you need to optimize your production on an island that shrinks over time. You must gather resources, upgrade buildings and expand your island if you have any chance at survival! Let’s consider the pros and cons of Flooded…
Pros: Firstly, I must commend the developer for this ingenious twist on the city-builder genre. Although the land on the edge of your island shrinks away, there are ways to fortify your borders and even escape the flood. The added challenges between milestones, whether it’s rain or pirates, makes Flooded a fun game that will keep you entertained for hours! Secondly, is the colorful and expressive 2D graphics. Maybe I’m biased as a 90’s kid, but there’s something intrinsically pleasant about this style of game. Lastly, there are three game modes: Campaign, Quick Play, and Endless. The campaign is a blast and serves as a tutorial when you’re just starting out. Quick Play let’s you jump into a tailored game where you select the objectives, land type and size, etc. Endless lets you put all your skills to the test. Good luck!
Cons: After sinking several enjoyable hours into “endless” mode, I was disappointed to find no option to save my progress. It’s definitely a bummer, but as a new release I’m confident it’s something that can be patched later on. My only other gripe is that a few buildings become so tall that they block the view of the tile behind them. It’s easy to keep track of early to mid game, but in endless mode, there were several tiles of land that I overlooked. And if your building is on the edge of your island, it’s hard to know whether there’s a flood buffer or not. If there was a way to rotate the view I think that might solve all my aesthetic related issues.
I give Flooded an A-. It’s a well executed indie game that will keep you grounded. Don’t let the charming graphics fool you though, this one is a challenge! Happy gaming!