I don't have many games in my steam account. When you have a lacklustre gaming system you pretty much play whatever runs on the system.
The Flame in the Flood is one of those hidden gems that you can lose hours in. I've spent twenty nine hours in this world so far and for someone who doesn't have much spare time on her hands that it's a glowing endorsement. You play as the silent protagonist, Scout, who is discovered by a dog carrying a rucksack. The world isn't explained in any great detail to the player. There has been an apocalyptic, almost biblical, event which has left much of the world flooded. The story starts with Scout being discovered by Daisy/Aesop who is also carrying a portable radio, she can hear a message on it but there's too much static for her to hear it clearly. With that tiny nugget of hope she takes Aesop on the makeshift raft and goes on the hunt for higher ground, hoping for the message to become clearer.
Sounds simple? Yeah I wish that it was. There are a million ways you can die in this game. Especially if you don't upgrade your equipment. Hypothermia, drowning, wolves that want to use you as a chew toy, overzealous boars, poison ivy, fire ants and in my run-through, snakes, which like to hide in overgrown areas. It would be easier to list the things that aren't trying to kill you in this game. Scout isn't completely helpless though. She's resourceful, collecting the right supplies means she can makes traps, weapons, sew rabbit hides together to make warmer clothes and fix her raft. Yeah even the river that you travel on doesn't offer any restful periods. Bright side is that you can make a rudder that helps steer you passed those pesky boulders that are in your way. Downside? There are only so many places on the map which will let you fix the raft. Half the time you are fighting against the current, meaning you end up missing places.
The game is visual interesting with a distinct art style and enough mystery to make me want to continue to play it. I've only gotten halfway through the map and I'm pretty sure that hypothermia is about to kick in, thanks to unsuitable clothes but I don't mind the thought of starting from the beginning again.
The game isn't a chore to play, it's an adventure.