Flotsam

I've been looking for a new indie game for awhile that could capture me and resonate a little at least and I found another that sits in a growing list showing how indie games are becoming more interesting than AAA. The gameplay loop is enjoyable. Gather things. Dry, convert, cook, boil, etc. Build an infrastructure. Gather things. Dry, convert, cook, boil, etc. Add to the infrastructure. Find survivors. Put them to work. Gather things. Dry, convert, cook, boil, etc. Sounds repetitive? Sure, but there is enough exploration and opportunity to be creative that it isn't just repetitive. The music is mostly good, but I am experiencing a weird bug with how the audio will switch to new songs. When the music plays properly, it fits the game as it should: catchy, but fades into the background like a good supporting character. The visuals are colorful and everything is visually distinct. Around the ship, fish jump, whales....whale, and the ruins underneath the water warble and distort from the waves. Simpler graphics done with great care. Flotsam doesn't seem to pretend to be anything more than this and it doesn't need to be. There is a good place for games like these where the stakes exist, but are small; where the difficulty exists, but you don't find yourself teetering on the edge of smashing your monitor; where the multitasking and resource management exist, but not defaulting to the mass deaths of the characters.

Just wrapped up my first playthrough in about 24 hours, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. The floating town-builder concept is unique, relaxing, and incredibly charming. It scratches that specific survival-management itch without feeling needlessly punishing. While it’s definitely worth playing right now, there is so much untapped potential here. The core loop is solid, but the late-game leaves you wanting more depth. I’d love to see the developers continue expanding on it with: Better inventory tracking from the map, recipe-tracking shortcuts, and clearer feedback on mechanics like pollution. As well as a broader selection of buildings, dynamic weather events, and expanded cooking/crop options to make resource management more varied. I will definitely be back for another run in the future to see how it evolves. If you enjoy cozy yet engaging survival-builders, it’s an easy recommend!

最後まで終わったのでレビュー 大体 42時間、165日 サバイバルシミュレーションですが明確に終りがある珍しいタイプ。難易度は優しめ。 終末後の海の上で生き延びて仲間を増やしていこう！というテーマで、メインミッションやサブミッションもありこなしていきながら必要素材を集めて右往左往しているうちに気がついたら最後まで行けていて最後まで気持ちよくプレイできました。 サバイバルとしての難易度は優しめですが、最後まで完全に自給自足できるような形にはならず、ゲーム体験や独自性をちゃんと活かしているなと感じます。 音楽も穏やかでどこか船でゆったり旅をしているような体験も含め、居住地の装飾要素も最低限あるため街作りも楽しめますし、手軽なサバイバルシミュをやってみたい方にはオススメです。 もしプレイしてみようと思った場合の注意点としては、 道路を斜めも含めて結構自由に街作りできますが、あまり格子状に入り組んだ道を作らないことです。 途中で街を再構築しようとした時に道同士の依存関係で発狂することになりがちです（なった）。 あとストーリー上である程度住人が増えるためイベントでない住人はある程度に抑えたほうが管理しやすいと思います。

I was so reluctant to try this game due to the negative feedback, but after playing it, I just cannot stop! The game has a lot of low-key surprises which unlock as you progress in the game. At first, I thought it's a simple and non-complicated game, but nah ah. I was too lax for a day, and the next thing that happened, I lost 10/12 survivors in my village. Probably it's due to the friendly art style and welcoming trailer having disguised how much content this game has and how far you can go. Plus, not to mention, there are mods shared by the Discord community which you can use to expand the village very big. Another thing I absolutely appreciate is the consistent art style and quirky translation of each "Builds" like the eel generator, salad spinner, fryer, and the fabricator. It's so cool, and so much thought was given to each small little thing. My recent expertise unlock is the seagulls one, and I was so surprised the seagull was squatting on my ship until I built a new home for it. The game keeps surprising me, but it definitely takes a long time to slowly enjoy the game. It's not a fast-paced game to enjoy the fruits of it, but the mortal period for survivors is sure hella fast. Anyway, give it a try and have patience.

A cute, stylish, somewhat cozy, well made survival craft. Fairly easy to play, a little QoL would go a long way with some of the controls, but nothing game breaking. Does not overstay it's welcome, but you could theoretically play this forever(?). I would say most players could beat Flotsam in 15-25 hours. which is solid in my eyes. My only true negative, the music felt like an afterthought (very quiet and a bit monotonous).

I've been putting a few hours into this game per week, and at the time of this review, I've gotten to the point where I'm nearly at the endgame. I like it, I think it's really cool and all, I especially loved the visuals, I think they're pretty neat. The aspect of managing a floating city and building up its infrastructure is also pretty cool. I've enjoyed it so far. I love seeing the survivors swarm islands as I harvest their resources. One issue though, is that occasionally the game starts to chug at around 20-30 fps and at one point it just crashed on me. Granted, I think that's just me being a hoarder and gathering a ton of resources and expending it on building up infrastructure, but I'm not sure. It could use some optimization work in my honest opinion. Other than that, I'd recommend it.

I would pay $30 for Flotsam. Gameplay = 4/5 Dialog = 4/5 Graphics = 4/5