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Press release:
The indie games publisher and developer Artificial Disasters studio are today super happy and excited to announce that their quaint pixel-art style, reversed city-builder “Flooded“, is coming to PC via Steam and GOG on March 15th, 2023.

This game is a race not only against forces of nature, but also the clock, and it seems that time flies even faster when you have to work under pressure. What’s worse – the water keeps flooding the shore of the island, leaving less and less space to place buildings.

Players’ goal will be to optimize production, build an ark and sail to dry land. The element, however, is unforgiving; one wrong move and there will be no opportunity to escape.

Flooded’s gameplay is rapid and the timer keeps on ticking. After another wave the shore disappears underwater in a blink of an eye. Players have to place their buildings wisely, otherwise they will be washed off with the next tide. Upgrades that speed up production are crucial, so do structures which delay the inflow of water.

The flood had hit the region out of the blue, so there’s no specific way to prevent the cataclysm, especially since all islands are generated procedurally. This encourages individual approach and planning with every playthrough. There are various methods to save structures and people, however they can’t be applied to every situation – the strategy you came up with the last time didn’t work, but maybe it will do the trick in your next session?

Don’t worry, though! The game won’t throw you alone into the deep end of the pool, despite the approaching disaster. Players will be accompanied by one of the commanders specialized in their own field; every one of them has a unique passive skill and a starting bonus, which will definitely help manage the shrinking island.

Get to know some of them: hilarious inventor Thomas, hardworking builder Ellen, Henry, the golden-hearted protector and smart strategist Miles. With time (and experience) you will get to use mysterious relics that will make surviving in a small area and escaping from a sinking land easier.

Remember that miners are not the only survivors of the flood and sadly, not all of them are peaceful people. Place defensive turrets, set traps, and prepare your own fleet in order to fend off waves of enemies.

Flooded was developed as a game jam project. Its success motivated the author to expand it and implement new ideas and mechanics. The solo developer worked for almost two years, keeping the idea of creating something fresh and authentic in mind.

Artificial Disasters studio wants to start its gamedev adventure with a title that was missing from the market; something that its creator would like to play himself. That’s how the idea for a reverse city-builder was born.

Key features of Flooded:
⚬ Redefinition of a city-builder – Flooded is a reversed city-builder; we don’t mean turning back time (although some decisions would probably require such ability), but a decreasing land that shrinks with every tide.
⚬ Find something for yourself – There are three game modes: story-driven Campaign, customized challenge in Quick Play or an Endless mode in which you try to survive for as long as possible. Thanks to procedurally-generated lands, there will be no identical playthroughs!
⚬ Play on your own – It’s possible thanks to a variety of commanders with passive skills and starting bonuses, but also because of various relics that enrich the gameplay. Players will be able to create their own combinations and individual strategies.
⚬ Where did this water come from? – Water level has risen rapidly and it certainly did not happen by accident. During the campaign players will have to discover the mystery behind the cause of the flood…
⚬ Land on the horizon! – While traveling across the ocean, players can discover one of the six biomes that differ in weather conditions as well as mechanics that significantly affect the gameplay and selected strategy.

Flooded will launch this year, on March 15th. You can now play the demo version of the game on Steam for free. To keep up to date with Flooded’s release, follow official game profiles on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.

About Artificial Disasters:
Artificial Disasters story starts in 2021, when its founder created the very first prototype of Flooded during a game jam. The reversed city-builder project has won the jury’s hearts and got to the contest’s podium. Game has been expanded with new elements and mechanics since then, but also got a new name – Flooded.

Even though its author works the title on his own, he decided to put all the people who influenced Flooded’s development behind the studio’s name. Currently, the author is focusing on the final touches before the game’s release and is looking for new inspirations in order to create more engaging and fresh titles in the future.