Sport Title: Ruffy and the Riverside

Platforms:

Xbox Collection X/S (Jun 26, 2025) PlayStation 5 (Jun 26, 2025) Nintendo Swap 2 (Jun 26, 2025) Nintendo Swap (Jun 26, 2025) PlayStation 4 (Jun 26, 2025) PC (Jun 26, 2025) Xbox One (Jun 26, 2025)

Trailer:

Ruffy and the Riverside – Announcement Trailer PC and Consoles

Developer: Zockrates Laboratories

Writer: Phiphen Video games

Evaluate Aggregator:

OpenCritic – 79 common – 72% beneficial – 43 opinions

Critic Evaluations

Analog Stick Gaming – Jeff M Younger – 8 / 10

Whereas its SWAP mechanic can really feel restricted at occasions, it’s nonetheless an enthralling instance of a ardour mission come to life. The world, its characters, and the overall gameplay are wildly entertaining. There’s robust potential for a sequel, one that would permit extra freedom in how the SWAP mechanic is used. Regardless, Ruffy and Riverside is a unbelievable time, and a sport that may simply fulfill these wanting a visit down the Nintendo 64 lane, or younger children who need a enjoyable various to Mario.

CGMagazine – Jordan Biordi – 8 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside is an extremely charming sport with one of the crucial distinctive gameplay mechanics I've seen shortly.

Checkpoint Gaming – David McNamara – 9 / 10

A gorgeously introduced fashionable twist on the basic 3D platformer, Ruffy and the Riverside is positively glowing with attraction. That includes a cavalcade of enjoyable environmental puzzles that reap the benefits of its distinctive copy-and-paste "SWAP" mechanic, a pleasant mix of hand-drawn spritework and rendered environments, and cheeky writing that makes you fall in love with its foolish little characters, it is a completely beautiful journey with tonnes of coronary heart.

Console Creatures – David Pietrangelo – 9 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside is filled with whimsical exploration and joyful character. You don't should look any additional to expertise a shiny, vibrant, and animated world this summer time!

Console-Tribe – Simone Cantini – Italian – 70 / 100

Ruffy and the Riverside is a 3D platformer with a singular spirit and untapped potential. Its standout function is the modern SWAP mechanic, which brings intelligent puzzles and a refreshing twist to the style. Whereas its vibrant visible model provides to the attraction, the overly lengthy dialogues, restricted puzzle flexibility, and repetitive audio maintain it again. Regardless of these flaws, the sport shines with originality and is price experiencing—simply be able to make a couple of compromises.

Cubed3 – Coller Entragian – 7 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside is an unbelievably enjoyable and imaginative 3D adventure-puzzler. In some methods, it feels prefer it might have been a 3rd Tomba! sport resulting from its playful visible model that goes in opposition to the grain. Not all the pieces works as supposed, and it might use an additional go of polish, however pound for pound, this is without doubt one of the extra ingenious 3D platformers on the market. If the builders can iron out a number of the irregularities, Ruffy and the Riverside might be all it may be.

Digitec Journal – Cassie Mammone – German – 3 / 5

"Ruffy and the Riverside" is an honest 3D platformer snack. Nevertheless, it appears as if the builders have oriented themselves an excessive amount of in the direction of Nintendo. Consequently, the sport finally lacks the guts and uniqueness that its charming design deserves.

DualShockers – Ethan Krieger – 7 / 10

Sadly, the few bosses and enemies current listed here are fairly bland, and although the environmental puzzle-solving is initially distinctive and rewarding, it will definitely stalls out in creativity and problem. General, Ruffy finally ends up feeling a bit inconsistent, however it's nonetheless a cute, fulfilling indie that has me trying ahead to future efforts from Zockrates Laboratories.

Duuro Journal – Krist Duro – Beneficial

Ruffy and the Riverside is a celebration of what makes platformers nice. It invitations you into its whimsical world, palms you a singular instrument, and says, “Go have enjoyable.” And that's precisely what you'll do. The swap mechanic, regardless of its tough edges, is without doubt one of the coolest puzzle-platforming concepts in current reminiscence. The worlds are vibrant and filled with marvel. And the enjoyment of amassing, discovering, and experimenting by no means actually stops.

Evilgamerz – Jeroen Janssen – Dutch – 8 / 10

When you will have collected the primary letter and your first mission really appears to be over, you will have already left many hours behind you. The world of Ruffy is just not so huge, however within the environments the place you possibly can stroll, you will have rather a lot to do; from racing to putting magnets to open a door and from fixing a wall puzzle to discovering collectibles. Every little thing on this sport has its enchantment, which makes you shortly lose your self on the earth of the sport. Generally it takes some time to search out the complicated world map, however finally you’ll uncover sufficient enjoyable throughout the search with all types of small side-quests and different actions. After all, nothing is ideal within the sport, from the graphics to the gameplay and the mechanics, however basically this sport was in a position to entertain me very nicely, and particularly entertain me for a really very long time !

Explosion Community – Jacob Hegarty – 10 / 10

The visible nostalgia, mixed with the participating gameplay and mechanics, makes this sport really shine. It’s uncommon to search out hand-drawn journey platformers that supply a spread of puzzles and an ideal story; nonetheless, this sport ticks all these packing containers.

Last Weapon – Chris Sanchez – 4 / 5

Ruffy and the Riverside is a 3D platformer from Zockrates Lab. It’s impressed by platformers of the late 90s and early 2000s and wears that inspiration on its sleeve. It wears that inspiration nicely, although, and presents not solely a sport that matches on the shelf with its inspirations however one which is ready to stand out as nicely. A brief however enjoyable time that may be a must-play for any fan of the style, or anybody that grew up with it.

Sport Sandwich – John Hansen – 5 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside can pull you in with its colourful characters and neat swap mechanic, however it doesn’t have sufficient artistic concepts to maintain itself for the lengthy haul. The bizarre, out-of-nowhere non secular writing and ham-fisted dialogue additionally add loads of laughably dangerous conversations within the ending hours. On the finish of the day, although, shifting round this world, amassing shiny issues, and doing swap puzzles is an efficient sufficient time that you could get enjoyment out of it, however it’s not one thing that can stick with you if you put it down.

GameBlast – Victor Vitório – Portuguese – 8 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside is an efficient foray into the 3D platform style, standing out for its well-done aesthetic combine and a helpful central mechanic of swapping textures to change the world, clear up puzzles, progress by the marketing campaign and acquire the handfuls of collectibles out there. These two features are the sport's excessive factors and, though its potential for experimentation is just not absolutely realized, they make for a singular, fulfilling and enjoyable expertise.

Gameffine – Farzeen Okay H – 80 / 100

Ruffy and the Riverside might have simply been a forgettable nostalgia journey: cute visuals, gentle puzzles, and a innocent story. As a substitute, it surprises. It respects the participant’s intelligence, introduces a mechanic that hasn’t been achieved to dying, and builds a world that feels prefer it’s really price exploring.

Gameliner – Bram Noteboom – Dutch – 2.5 / 5

Ruffy and the Riverside is a well-intentioned debut 3D platformer whose attraction and creative concepts shine on the floor, however a lackluster narrative, uneven visuals, underused mechanics, and technical roughness reveal it’s nonetheless very a lot a piece in progress.

Gamer Social Membership – Harry Glynn Jones – 9 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside is an unbelievable end result of inspiration and innovation, providing hours of enjoyable in a wacky world with an exquisite new duo. Zockrates Labs have gone past my expectations with their first sport, and I hope we get to have extra adventures with Ruffy and Pip sooner or later.

Gaming Boulevard – 9.5 / 10

A contemporary love letter to 90s nostalgia.

Gert Lush Gaming – Jim Smale – 7.4 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside ship a refreshing, artistic expertise that embraces pleasure and creativeness. Whereas it’s often held again by mechanical tough edges and spotty steerage, its creative mechanics, expressive artwork model, and sheer sense of enjoyable make it a journey price taking, particularly for many who like to experiment and discover. With a little bit of endurance, this vibrant world will reward gamers with moments of magic and delight.

Kakuchopurei – Jonathan Toyad – 60 / 100

You possibly can do worse than with a sport [like Ruffy and the Riverside] that truly tries onerous to seize that bygone early 2000s period of cerebral-challenging platforming, even when all it has going for is its deft use of 2D paintings onto 3D landscapes. On the very least, this sport deserves a sequel that can hopefully iron out its flaws and repetitive moments.

LadiesGamers.com – James Luff – Thoughts-blown

Ruffy and the Riverside radiates positivity. It’s a feel-good, welcoming journey that encourages curiosity, rewards creativity, and by no means loses its sense of enjoyable. Whether or not you’re enjoying solo on a quiet day or sharing the journey with family members, it’s a heartwarming expertise that’s straightforward to advocate.

Loot Stage Chill – Lyle Pendle – 7.5 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside is fairly removed from excellent, however it does function some extremely intelligent concepts, a great deal of puzzles and lovely visuals.

Handbook dos Video games – Roberto Paggi – Portuguese – 8 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside delivers a platform sport that pays homage to the classics whereas additionally being its personal unique entry. The core mechanics are modern and the visuals are totally charming, and regardless of the unconventional tempo of the plot and the quite flat development, the sport is assured to be enjoyable for followers of 3D platformers.

Netto’s Sport Room – Jeremy Schepper – Important

I actually loved my time with Ruffy and the Riverside. I don't assume I stop smiling from the time I booted the sport up till I completed it. Between the lovable characters, the intriguing story, the extremely pleasant world to discover, and the creative and enjoyable sport mechanics, I feel Ruffy is a really particular sport that completely deserves your money and time. I don't assume you'll play something like this once more for a while, possibly till Zockrates Labs develops a sequel, which they positively ought to. I consider they've possibly created the following indie gaming icon right here. I feel they need to look into doing sequels and spin-offs, entering into RPGs, kart racers (or hay bale racers), possibly even a full-blown skateboarding sport: Ruffy Hawk's Professional Hay Bale Driving. In all seriousness, I genuinely hope to see Ruffy change into a full-fledged franchise. The sport was an exquisite expertise and I extremely advocate it.

Area of interest Gamer – Brandon Lyttle – 10 / 10

In the end, Ruffy and the Riverside is a wonderful homage and probably probably the most enjoyable I’ve had with an indie platformer since A Hat in Time or Nikoderiko. Ruffy and the Riverside was clearly made by a staff that is aware of and loves the style.

Nintendo Life – PJ O'Reilly – 8 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside is an fulfilling return to the colorful 3D platforming romps of the late Nineteen Nineties, and it's one which brings its personal intelligent thought to the desk, quite than simply merely copy/pasting everybody else's homework. With nods to Mario, Zelda, Crash Bandicoot and extra, ranges jam-packed filled with enjoyable puzzles and the simple, breezy nature of Ruffy's copy-pasting talents on the coronary heart of all of it, this is without doubt one of the higher odes to this form of caper that I've performed and, efficiency points apart, a really spectacular debut in addition.

NintendoBoy – Diego Gomes – Portuguese – 7 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside is a really artistic and enjoyable sport. The visuals are excellent, the controls are nice, the NPCs are charismatic and humorous and general it doesn't depart something to be desired in any side… apart from the optimization on the Nintendo Swap.

NintendoWorldReport – Jordan Rudek – 7.5 / 10

It performs nicely on Swap 2, which is the place I reviewed the sport, and has loads of content material for completionists to sink their tooth into. Among the puzzles may be irritating or obtuse, however the distinctive swapping mechanic makes for a enjoyable departure in comparison with different 3D action-adventure experiences. It might be a bit Ruffy across the edges, however this Riverside is one which I used to be comfortable to dip my toes into.

Noisy Pixel – Kyle Clark – 8 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside is a whimsical platformer that blends intelligent puzzle mechanics with charming storytelling. Whereas its distinctive element-swapping function brings refreshing gameplay twists, occasional pacing points and obscure targets barely hinder the expertise. A visually pleasant and creative indie gem.

Output Lag – Paula Vaynshteyn – 8 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside is an fulfilling, nostalgic, and collectible-filled journey down a reminiscence lane affected by 3D platformers, whereas nonetheless managing to really feel totally new due to fascinating new mechanics.

PCMGAMES – José Miguel Rodríguez Ros – Spanish – Unscored

Ruffy and the Riverside is an unique journey that stands out for its texture copying mechanics, however it fails to shine resulting from a number of particulars that overwhelm the expertise. Though its strategy is assorted and artistic, the extreme presence of puzzles in comparison with platforming, a really poor Spanish translation, and an unattractive interface detract from the general expertise.

PSX Brasil – Isabella Alves – Portuguese – 85 / 100

Ruffy and the Riverside is a kind of nice surprises that charms with its simplicity and enjoyable due to the SWAP mechanic. A sport that pulls loads of consideration for its stunning artwork route and that, regardless of drawing from the sources of Paper Mario, Banjo-Kazooie and different nice names within the style, doesn't stay of their shadow. Fairly the other, Ruffy is a sport filled with soul that rescues the essence of excellent previous platform titles.

Pizza Fria – Carlos Humberto Maestre Dutra – Portuguese – 7 / 10

It's onerous to not advocate Ruffy and the Riverside to 3D platformer followers. With an inexpensive value, a enjoyable journey filled with actions, and impeccable localization for Brazilian Portuguese, the sport transports you to easier occasions, satisfies your amassing with out anxiousness, and is a good alternative for stress-free.

PlayStation Universe – John-Paul Jones – 9 / 10

Not like different seemingly related efforts that need to tempt gamers down 3D platformer reminiscence lane for a concentrated hit of nostalgia and depart it at that, Ruffy and the Riverside doesn't simply take that well-worn thought and repackages it, however as an alternative provides one thing refreshingly compelling to the components. Although some minor flaws and polish points do abound, they aren't sufficient to take the shine away from one of the crucial charming and considerate 3D platformers in ages.

Push Sq. – Stephen Tailby – 5 / 10

In the end, Ruffy and the Riverside is a sport we wished to love, however regardless of its enticing visible model and distinctive concepts, it by no means actually comes collectively in a satisfying means. Whereas there's some enjoyable available working round within the semi-open world, it by no means evolves past that.

Quest Day by day – Daniel Anderson – 9 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside is all the pieces I hoped it might be. It’s a nostalgic 3D platformer stuffed with attraction, whacky characters, and an ideal stability of puzzle-solving and platforming. The SWAP mechanic is an actual spotlight, providing a recent and intelligent solution to progress by the world. Controls are tight, the digital camera behaves, and the entire expertise feels clean and satisfying.

Smash Soar – Ashton Lovell – 6 / 10

The extra I take into consideration Ruffy, the extra I see misplaced potential. Ruffy and the Riverside is a stable puzzle platformer that wanted extra substance. The collectable components at all times reward the identical factor, gold, which is basically nugatory, the platforming is far too gentle given the arsenal of strikes Ruffy has entry to, and the swap potential, whereas creative, wanted extra fascinating software.

So Many Video games – Jason Baigent – 4.5 / 5

With likeable, charming characters, a ton of facet quests to maintain you distracted, and fascinating stage design, Ruffy and the Riverside is a pleasant expertise which has simply copy-and-pasted itself onto my favorite video games of the yr checklist.

TechRaptor – Joseph Allen – 7 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside's swapping mechanic is nice enjoyable, however I want it might shut up and provides me extra natural alternatives to make use of that mechanic.

TheSixthAxis – Dominic Leighton – 7 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside takes us again to a time the place the 3D platformer was king, controllers had three prongs, and analogue sticks had been a new-fangled invention. There's the identical vibrancy and creativity right here as classics like Banjo-Kazooie and Mario 64, cribbing a couple of of their methods alongside the best way whereas making one thing that also manages to really feel recent and distinctive.

Use a Potion – 7.5 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside doesn’t reinvent the 3D platformer, however it actually carves out its personal particular house within the style with its artistic swapping mechanic and lovely presentation.

WayTooManyGames – Leonardo Faria – 8.5 / 10

Ruffy and the Riverside is a joyful little sport with a very creative gameplay loop. It mixes components from open world adventures, logic-based puzzles, and the extent construction of basic 3D collectathons to create one thing that’s really distinctive, while nonetheless being accessible, and by no means condescending. It additionally helps that its visuals are nice, and its humorousness is totally on level.

XboxEra – Győző Baki – 7.4 / 10

Ruffy’s journey has sufficient spins on the components to face out, particularly the artistic swap mechanic and a few concepts past the opening ranges, however I really feel like there’s loads of unforced errors on this title, which made me not get pleasure from myself as a lot as I hoped I’d.