The study of hypothetical dam failure simulates the flow of the volume released by a dam in partial or total collapse. The calculations of wave propagation over the ground downstream of the eroded dam are performed by fluid hydrodynamic simulation programs. In this sense, the input data of the simulation model can be summarized in the physical characteristics of the fluid, the propagation hydrograph and the digital terrain model (DTM). Thus, this systematic review aimed to seek current bibliographic sources around the topic of simulation of hypothetical dam failures, with emphasis on the topographic representation of the valley through which the wave propagates, as a subsidy for simulating the failure of Dam B1, in Brumadinho, MG, Brazil. The results were classified according to categories in order to better differentiate the multidisciplinary content of the topic addressed.