Raft begins with one of the clearest survival ideas possible: I am alone on the ocean, standing on a tiny wooden platform, and almost everything useful is drifting just out of reach. That first image is simple, but it works beautifully. There is water everywhere, but safety is limited to a few planks. There are supplies nearby, but I need to catch them. There is freedom in every direction, but also the constant feeling that the sea does not care whether I survive.