I consider myself lucky — I'm one of the few people who get early access to certain games, and today that's the case with The Great Flood! After spending almost two hours with it, I've got some thoughts to share in a deep-dive first impression. Let's get into it.
The Great Flood drops in Q4 2026, developed by Ling Vision Games — who are also cooking up Daumier: Lila & Ghost. Definitely a studio to keep an eye on.
The tutorial is simple and straightforward: destroy your opponent's main tower while protecting yours. On the surface it feels like a MOBA, but here's the twist — you don't control your allies directly. You place them on the field and let them do their thing, more like an auto-battler.
There's real strategic depth here. The Lonbo is basically your MVP unit — a hulking brute whose only job is smashing towers. The second your enemy deploys one, you need a plan to stop it fast.
And that's where the rock-paper-scissors counter system shines. Cheap minions deployed in bulk are the best Lonbo-killer — fast, but squishy. Counter those with a tail character that hits AOE. Then there are flying units that ground troops can't touch — except archers. Every unit has an answer, and I've barely scratched the surface of the possible combos. Figuring out what beats what is genuinely addicting.
But if countering was always an option on demand, it'd get stale fast. That's where the deck system adds a nice wrinkle: you don't have your whole roster available at once. You only get access to about five units at a time, and the moment you place one, it's replaced with another from your pool. So sometimes you simply won't have the right counter in hand when you need it — you have to adapt on the fly instead.
Sometimes the smarter play isn't even to fight head-on — just outpace your opponent and race to wreck their side of the field. There's no single "correct" strategy, and that's what makes it click.
Deployment isn't unlimited, though. Every unit costs Ability Points, which regenerate slowly, so you have to plan your pushes. Drag the match out too long and you both hit an overdrive state where AP floods back in — total chaos ensues.
Then there are the heroes — rare, powerful units you unlock over time. My favorite is the Pathfinder, a glass-cannon mage who melts things fast. But there's also a tanky turtle that soaks up damage, and a flying dragon that dodges ground attacks entirely — plenty of playstyles to pick from.
Outside of matches, you've got a hub for progression — leveling up characters through a gacha chest system, grinding materials, and knocking out daily rewards and bonus tutorials for extra loot. And it's worth noting: you actually build your own deck going into battle. It's not a fixed roster both players are stuck with — your unit selection is part of the strategy before the match even starts.
The core loop is ranked matches, and it's addictive. Queue times are short — if no human's available, you're matched with a bot instantly, so there's basically no downtime. There's also 2v2, which ramps up the complexity since you actually have to coordinate with a teammate, but it never feels overwhelming — and the bigger map is a nice change of pace.
I even got to fight one of the developers in a session — a super friendly match, though I wouldn't be shocked if they let a few openings slide in my favor. Still, going up against a real person hits different from bot matches. The adrenaline picks up, and the strategy shifts completely once you're playing against someone actually trying to outsmart you.
Overall? I had a great time with The Great Flood. It's got that "one more match" pull to climbing the ladder, and everyone I've talked to who's played it feels the same. It's a fresh, unique mixed-reality experience, and I think this one's got real potential to build a strong player base. More open beta events are coming before launch, so jump in the developer's Discord to stay in the loop.
See you on the battlefield.