Deal | 90% off: "Reverse city builder" drops to just $1.29 on Steam for the first time

Flooded takes players to a post-apocalyptic world where almost all land has been swallowed by the ocean. As the leader of a small group of survivors, you'll build production facilities on tiny islands, research new technologies and gather resources before constructing an ark and escaping to safer lands. The twist is that, instead of continually expanding your settlement, the available land shrinks with every flood.

This unusual gameplay mechanic is what sets Flooded apart from other city builders. While traditional entries in the genre revolve around constant expansion, here players must continually decide which buildings to sacrifice to the rising sea and which ones to protect until the very end. The result is not only far more time pressure than the genre typically offers, but also an extra layer of tactical decision-making. Remote mines and less important structures, for example, are often deliberately abandoned so that core production chains and storage facilities can remain operational long enough to provide the resources needed to escape the island.

In its review, Movies Games and Tech praised Flooded primarily for its original reverse city-builder concept. According to the publication, the game cleverly combines demanding resource management with constant time pressure, making it highly addictive. The varied missions, accessible tutorial and intuitive controls also received positive remarks. Criticism, however, was directed at the rather basic visuals, underwhelming sound effects and random setbacks that can make long-term planning difficult and occasionally frustrating. In the end, the game received 7.5 out of 10.

The Steam community has been even more positive. 81% of more than 130 user reviews are favorable. On Steam Deck, the game is currently rated Playable.

First-ever 90% discount on Steam

Flooded normally sells for $12.78 on Steam. Until August 3, however, Artificial Disasters' city builder is available for just $1.29, thanks to a 90% discount. According to SteamDB, the previous best offer was 85% off at the end of May, making the current promotion the game's new all-time low price.

Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.