Floodland

“I laud Floodland for being a shockingly niche game, aiming to please a very minute and specific subsection of gamers into survival, city builders, and strategy simulators all at once. It is flawed, being way too slow before it becomes really interesting, not to mention some performance issues, but it does indeed succeed at what it was developed for. It’s just a really hard sell for anyone besides this very specific niche of gamers, and not enough of a “city-builder” for those who are into the genre in particular.”

“The solarpunk genre is here and only is going to grow as our climate starts to transform. Plenty of people are going to find a way to express their existential dread at a problem that seems so big. There will be plenty of corny stories about rebuilding a world from the ashes of the people we were before. Where Floodland has a leg up is in its subtlety. You aren’t constantly talking about who you want to be and how you want to run your apocalypse town. You are showing who you are by how you build it.”

“There was a lot of replayability factors in Floodland I loved, and a strong political message. If you love micromanagement games, this had a treasure-trove worth of content.”

“Floodland is a surprisingly complex survival sim with a unique aesthetic and setting, but is that enough to keep it afloat?”

“Floodland has a lot of great ideas and an addicting gameplay loop, but its Clan mechanics quickly suck any fun out of a game as soon it rears its ugly head. With only one scenario to play and no customisation options for these clans, it's all too easy to suffer a slow decline for reasons that don't feel like your fault. With such a major mechanic feeling so flawed, it's hard not to feel like Floodland has taken a wrong turn at the last minute. For such a solid base, it's a real shame.”

“Despite shortfalls, attempting to save my people from collapse became something I was determined to do, and I sunk quite a few long sessions to do so. While wading through trials and tribulations was a lot of pressure, I was curious to see if I could overcome all obstacles. The motivation to be the best leader possible became the ultimate endgame for me, but sometimes the pacing got in the way of my experience.”

“Performance and pacing problems mar an otherwise novel and comprehensive survival city builder.”

“Floodland is an RTS set in a post-apocalyptic world which is mostly flooded due to climate change. Starting with no resources, you will have to manage your new civilization made up of different clans with their own ideas while trying to survive.”

“Floodland is a city builder that triumphs because it focuses on its citizens as much as the city. A strong narrative both in its story and in your interactions with the clans means constant decision-making that'll always make you think in a way that city builders rarely do.”

“Vile Monarch packs an experience that manages to stand out in the panorama of post-apocalyptic-themed city builders, at least on the aesthetic front. From the point of view of gameplay we would have preferred to see carried on that vein of innovation that distinguishes the management side of clan relationships.”

“Floodland is an interesting post-apocalyptic city-building experience, but it lacks depths in some of its core mechanics.”

“Floodland is an intriguing city-builder that manages to be intuitive and also quite complex in its game systems, but sadly it's also filled with many technical hiccups that can slow down (and potentially halt) your progress. The foundation is solid and there is a good game beneath it all, but the game will probably need a couple of patches to really shine.”

“Overall, Floodland is an absolute must-play for fans of the survival simulator genre. The game runs smoothly, controls well, and has enough depth in it to keep players coming back for more. The bleak world of this post-climate change disaster is immersive and beautiful looking, and Floodland is also a great beginner-sim for players who may be new to the genre, with its classic research trees, simple mechanics, and well-crafted tutorial are easily understood at any skill level.”

“Floodland is a great survival sim that constantly forces you to think about your actions and make tough choices.”

“Floodland not only asks if you’ll sink or swim when the world ends, but if you’ll plunge your arm into the murky depths to pull others up with you or step on their heads to save yourself. Its ability to look toward the future of civilisation without losing sight of the individuals who will form it is insightful. It lacks a certain spark that would make it great, and some unfortunate bugs let it down in the mid-late game, but I look forward to returning to the floodlands once these teething issues are ironed out.”

“Despite its shorter lifespan than most management games, Floodland remains a good surprise with its unique context and its attractive theme (ecology).”

“Floodland is a very strong strategic game with solid gameplay mechanics. The world is fascinating to explore and the narrative campaign introduces new layers of complexity. Defects are few and far between with little impact on the overall experience. Kudos to Vile Monarch.”