The Flood

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2018

2018

Quick resume

The Flood is a peaceful 5 minute narrative experience in which you pilot a little boat down a river. It's a gentle reminder that sometimes we should stop worrying about our destination and just enjoy the journey.

Global score

84/100

Genres

Adventure, Casual, Indie, Free To Play

Similar games

Pros

Calming music and atmosphere
Meaningful philosophical messages
Short and free experience
Simple and accessible gameplay
Pleasant visual style

Cons

Very short with limited gameplay
Linear and repetitive navigation
Lack of interactivity or challenge
No social or multiplayer features
Some find messages clichéd or superficial

Motivations

Autonomy

Game with the same Autonomy vibe

-3

"Gameplay consists mainly of following a simple, linear task (fishing as instructed), with minimal player choice or branching paths."

lure
"Player controls a boat on a fixed river path with limited steering; gameplay is constrained and linear."
Competence

Game with the same Competence vibe

-4

"Gameplay involves simple exploration and interaction with minimal challenge or skill testing."

A Work of Art
"Gameplay involves simple, slow navigation with minimal challenge or skill required."
Competition

Game with the same Competition vibe

-5

"No competitive elements or comparison to others; purely personal experience."

Proteus
"No competitive elements or comparison to others; purely personal experience."
Continuation

Game with the same Continuation vibe

-4

"Short 11-12 minute experience with no incentive for extended or habitual play."

Google Spotlight Stories: Age of Sail
"Very short experience (~5-10 minutes) with no incentive for extended or habitual play."
Cooperation

Game with the same Cooperation vibe

-5

"Entirely single-player with no cooperative or social gameplay."

ISLANDS: Non-Places
"Entirely single-player with no cooperative or social gameplay."
Creativity

Game with the same Creativity vibe

-4

"Players follow a fixed path with no creation or modification options."

Almost Home Now
"Players follow a fixed path with no creation or modification options."
Domination

Game with the same Domination vibe

-5

"No elements of exerting control or superiority over others."

Senren＊Banka
"No elements of exerting control or superiority over others."
Escapism

Game with the same Escapism vibe

3

"Provides a calming, nostalgic, and stress-relieving experience especially noted by adult players."

It's Spring Again
"Intended as a calming, reflective experience to help players slow down and relieve stress."
Expectation

Game with the same Expectation vibe

-4

"Players engage voluntarily for relaxation and enjoyment without external pressure or obligation."

Dorfromantik
"Players engage voluntarily for personal reflection and relaxation without external pressure."
Experimenting

Game with the same Experimenting vibe

-4

"Gameplay is linear and repetitive with no encouragement to try new strategies or mechanics."

Almost Home Now
"Gameplay is repetitive and linear with no encouragement for trying new strategies or mechanics."
Exploration

Game with the same Exploration vibe

-5

"Linear levels with no new areas or secrets to discover."

Frightened Beetles
"Fixed linear route with no new areas or secrets to discover."
Expression

Game with the same Expression vibe

-5

"No customization or personalization features mentioned."

DARK NIGHT WITH FLOPPA
"No customization or personalization features."
Fantasy

Game with the same Fantasy vibe

-2

"While stylized and whimsical, the game simulates a realistic artistic career and town environment."

Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist
"Setting is a stylized flooded city with some artistic abstraction but grounded in realistic themes."
Fellowship

Game with the same Fellowship vibe

-5

"No social or community features; purely solo experience."

Lucius Demake
"No social or community features; purely solo experience."
Growth

Game with the same Growth vibe

-3

"Minimal learning or skill development; some personal reflection possible but no gameplay growth."

Caligo
"Limited learning or skill development; some personal reflection encouraged."
Health

Game with the same Health vibe

-5

"Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."

THE ENIGMA MACHINE
"Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."
Idle

Game with the same Idle vibe

3

"Short, low-demand gameplay suitable for casual or background play; no intense focus required."

Burning Daylight
"Short, low-demand gameplay suitable for brief, casual sessions."
Intimacy

Game with the same Intimacy vibe

-5

"No social interactions or relationship building."

The House of Da Vinci
"No social interactions or relationship building."
Leadership

Game with the same Leadership vibe

-5

"No leadership or group management elements."

High On Life
"No leadership or group management elements."
Progression

Game with the same Progression vibe

-5

"No item collection, upgrades, or progression systems."

Ultimate Booster Experience
"No item collection, upgrades, or progression systems."
Relaxation

Game with the same Relaxation vibe

5

"Strong emphasis on relaxation, calm atmosphere, soothing music, and stress relief."

Himno
"Strong emphasis on calm, soothing music and atmosphere to promote relaxation."
Sensation

Game with the same Sensation vibe

2

"Visuals and music provide moderate sensory enjoyment; not highly stimulating but pleasant."

Definitely Not Fried Chicken
"Pleasant visuals and music provide moderate sensory enjoyment."
Status

Game with the same Status vibe

-5

"No social recognition or status systems."

Alan Wake
"No social recognition or status systems."
Story

Game with the same Story vibe

3

"Narrative is abstract and surreal but present through dialogue and environment, encouraging interpretation."

Off-Peak
"Narrative conveyed through text and environment with philosophical messages, though minimal and abstract."
Strategy

Game with the same Strategy vibe

-5

"No strategic or problem-solving gameplay elements."

NEKOPARA Vol. 3
"No strategic or problem-solving gameplay elements."
Thrill

Game with the same Thrill vibe

-5

"No suspense or risk; experience is calm and predictable."

your sisters
"No suspense, risk, or excitement; experience is calm and predictable."
Value

Game with the same Value vibe

4

"Free game with strong emotional impact and meaningful message; good value for time invested."

my eyes deceive
"Free, short experience with positive messages considered worthwhile by many players."
Violence

Game with the same Violence vibe

-5

"No combat or destructive gameplay."

Upside Down
"No combat or destructive gameplay."
Survival

Game with the same Survival vibe

-5

"No threats or survival mechanics; stable and safe environment."

Proteus
"No threats or survival mechanics; stable and safe environment."

Analysis

Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Autonomy, Strategy, Experimenting, Competence. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Progression, Thrill, Continuation.

How to use the graph

Similar games map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

Where to buy

Come talk about it on Discord!

Last update: 30/04/2026

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