The Flame in the Flood is one of those indie games that feels like it’s been in perpetual development. I’ve had my eye on it since it appeared in the Fall of 2014 but I didn’t want to jump into another Early Access game and get burnt out by the time it launches. I’ve had it filed under “looks great, let’s wait” in my head but after listening to the powerful and utterly unique soundtrack this week I’m glad the full release is just weeks away.
The game is billed as a rogue-lite and feels like a distillation of the survival drama of Don’t Starve racing down a raging, flooded post-societal riverway. It’s represented in an isometric, overhead view with painterly art and moody lighting. Even from the name alone you can get a sense of poetry and of the American South which rolls right through the visuals and into this fantastic soundtrack.
This original, full length album was created by Chuck Ragan and features collaborations with The Camaraderie, The Fearless Kin and other special guests. Ragan has been plying his powerful, gravelly tone and poetic songwriting skills for decades across several musical genres. Through the mid-2000s he was singing and playing with the punk rock and post-hardcore band Hot Water Music. His solo albums lean towards acoustic and rock folk music. In 2005 he helped launch the acoustic collaborative event, The Revival Tour, featuring punk rock, bluegrass, and alt-country performers.
“I also wanted to invite and include friends to be a part of it, playing, writing or singing anything they wanted to add.”, recounts Regan about having recruited several of those fellow performers for The Flame in the Flood. “Cory Brannan, Jon Snodgrass, Adam Faucett and of course The Camaraderie are some of the very important collaborations on this recording that made the soundtrack what it is.”
The album has a cohesive story of its own that is equal parts accompaniment and counterpart to that of the game’s. “The Flame in the Flood is a collection of songs of survival,” Ragan explains.“Written from the perspective of a drifter, nomad and explorer, The Flame in the Flood will take you on a journey down that river in search of a safe haven. I feel so blessed to not only be a part of such a strong and active music community but to be able to share the stage, write with and learn from the people that I work with is such a healthy and revitalizing way to work.”
The album is available now on iTunes ($8.99) and from Amazon ($8.99 mp3, $9.98 CD). Developer, The Molasses Flood, just revealed at the NY Game Awards that The Flame in the Flood will be out of Early Access and onto full release for Xbox One, PC and Mac on February 24th.
