72
MONSTER
In Ruffy and the Riverside, you wield the magic power of SWAP, using it to Copy & Paste textures within the game world. Turn ice into lava or waterfalls into vines as you ride hay bales, explore, fight, and solve puzzles throughout Riverside. Unleash your imagination in this quirky open-world action game that literally lets you change the world!
Game analysis
Monster Scorecard
EXPAND ALL
Story and Narrative
Expand for full analysis
67
Ruffy and the Riverside charms players with its engaging story of a lovable bear on a quest to save his home, praised for its fun characters and unique gameplay mechanics. However, critics point to its simplistic narrative and clichéd plot twists, with issues of low-quality dialogue and convoluted storytelling that could frustrate seasoned gamers. While enjoyable, it lacks depth and innovation, making it a delightful yet unremarkable addition to the adventure genre.
SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR STORY
Story Score
67
Positive Reviews (80-100)
17%
Mixed Reviews (50-79)
58%
Negative Reviews (0-49)
25%
Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the story and narrative.
TL;DR
story and narrative
Ruffy and the Riverside charms players with its engaging story of a lovable bear on a quest to save his home, praised for its fun characters and unique gameplay mechanics. However, critics point to its simplistic narrative and clichéd plot twists, with issues of low-quality dialogue and convoluted storytelling that could frustrate seasoned gamers. While enjoyable, it lacks depth and innovation, making it a delightful yet unremarkable addition to the adventure genre.
Gameplay Mechanics
Expand for full analysis
72
"Ruffy and the Riverside" impresses with its innovative swapping mechanic and engaging platforming but suffers from repetitive gameplay and unclear objectives. Critics praise its smooth controls, yet some find them floaty and the mechanics underutilized. Overall, while the game offers a promising foundation, it ultimately lacks the depth and coherence needed for a fully satisfying experience.
SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR GAMEPLAY
Gameplay Score
72
Positive Reviews (80-100)
25%
Mixed Reviews (50-79)
75%
Negative Reviews (0-49)
0%
Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the gameplay mechanics.
TL;DR
gameplay mechanics
"Ruffy and the Riverside" impresses with its innovative swapping mechanic and engaging platforming but suffers from repetitive gameplay and unclear objectives. Critics praise its smooth controls, yet some find them floaty and the mechanics underutilized. Overall, while the game offers a promising foundation, it ultimately lacks the depth and coherence needed for a fully satisfying experience.
Graphics and Visual Design
Expand for full analysis
82
"Ruffy and the Riverside" impresses with its vibrant, nostalgic visuals that blend hand-drawn 2D sprites with 3D environments, earning praise from critics for its charm. However, significant graphical glitches and a lack of polish detract from the experience, suggesting it falls short of its potential despite its appealing aesthetic.
SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR VISUALS
Visual Score
82
Positive Reviews (80-100)
75%
Mixed Reviews (50-79)
25%
Negative Reviews (0-49)
0%
Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the graphics and visual design.
TL;DR
graphics and visual design
"Ruffy and the Riverside" impresses with its vibrant, nostalgic visuals that blend hand-drawn 2D sprites with 3D environments, earning praise from critics for its charm. However, significant graphical glitches and a lack of polish detract from the experience, suggesting it falls short of its potential despite its appealing aesthetic.
Music and Sound Design
Expand for full analysis
81
"Ruffy and the Riverside" impresses with its upbeat and nostalgic sound design, earning praise for its engaging soundtrack and character effects that enhance the game's atmosphere. However, some critics note a lack of variety in character sounds, which could lead to monotony over time. While the audio elements contribute significantly to player immersion, there's potential for improvement in diversifying sound effects for a richer experience.
SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR SOUND DESIGN
Sound Score
81
Positive Reviews (80-100)
67%
Mixed Reviews (50-79)
33%
Negative Reviews (0-49)
0%
Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the music and sound design.
TL;DR
music and sound design
"Ruffy and the Riverside" impresses with its upbeat and nostalgic sound design, earning praise for its engaging soundtrack and character effects that enhance the game's atmosphere. However, some critics note a lack of variety in character sounds, which could lead to monotony over time. While the audio elements contribute significantly to player immersion, there's potential for improvement in diversifying sound effects for a richer experience.
Voice Acting
NA
TL;DR
voice acting
Description unavailable
Technical Performance
Expand for full analysis
63
"Ruffy and the Riverside" delivers a mixed bag of technical performance across platforms. The Nintendo Switch and PS5 show promise with minor issues, while the Xbox Series X faces severe bugs and instability. PC offers the smoothest experience but lacks polish in spots. Overall, the game needs significant refinement to meet player expectations.
SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE
Tech Score
63
Positive Reviews (80-100)
27%
Mixed Reviews (50-79)
55%
Negative Reviews (0-49)
18%
Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the technical performance.
TL;DR
technical performance
"Ruffy and the Riverside" delivers a mixed bag of technical performance across platforms. The Nintendo Switch and PS5 show promise with minor issues, while the Xbox Series X faces severe bugs and instability. PC offers the smoothest experience but lacks polish in spots. Overall, the game needs significant refinement to meet player expectations.
Replay Value
Expand for full analysis
64
"Ruffy and the Riverside" offers a rich world with abundant side missions and collectibles, appealing to completionists and explorers. However, critics highlight gameplay depth issues and repetitive challenges that could diminish replay value. While some find the experience revisitable, many feel the lack of meaningful rewards and structural flaws may deter players from returning after their first run.
SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR REPLAY VALUE
Replay Score
64
Positive Reviews (80-100)
20%
Mixed Reviews (50-79)
60%
Negative Reviews (0-49)
20%
Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the replay value.
TL;DR
replay value
"Ruffy and the Riverside" offers a rich world with abundant side missions and collectibles, appealing to completionists and explorers. However, critics highlight gameplay depth issues and repetitive challenges that could diminish replay value. While some find the experience revisitable, many feel the lack of meaningful rewards and structural flaws may deter players from returning after their first run.
Overall Verdict
72
MONSTER
OVERALL SCORE DISTRIBUTION
Monster Score
72
Positive Reviews (80-100)
51%
Mixed Reviews (50-79)
49%
Negative Reviews (0-49)
0%
Based on analyzing all available reviews that scored and critiqued the game.
TL;DR
"Ruffy and the Riverside" charms with its nostalgic visuals and engaging puzzles, earning praise for creativity and heartfelt design. However, critics highlight significant flaws, including technical issues, a simplistic narrative, and uneven gameplay that hinder the experience. While it shows promise for fans of the platformer genre, the game ultimately falls short of its potential, suggesting room for improvement in a future sequel.
72
MONSTER
Reviews
52 reviews found90
Checkpoint Gaming
Jun 25, 2025
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
Ruffy and the Riverside is a charming modern platformer with engaging puzzles, beautiful visuals, and delightful writing, making it a must-play for genre fans.
80
Noisy Pixel
Jun 25, 2025
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
Ruffy and the Riverside is a creative and heartfelt platformer that, despite some flaws, delivers an engaging experience with its innovative mechanics and charming world.
78
Game8
Jun 25, 2025
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
Ruffy and the Riverside is a charming and engaging platformer worth its price, despite minor flaws like a hard-to-read UI and an overly excitable main character.
75
Loot Level Chill
Jun 25, 2025
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
Despite its issues, Ruffy and the Riverside is a creative and enjoyable platformer with a unique swap mechanic and colorful world, though it could benefit from more polish.
75
NintendoWorldReport
Jun 25, 2025
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
Ruffy and the Riverside is a charming adventure that, despite its flaws, offers a unique experience with engaging puzzles and vibrant visuals.
74
XboxEra
Jun 25, 2025
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
While Ruffy and the Riverside has charm and creative ideas, it suffers from execution issues that may detract from the overall enjoyment, making it more appealing to hardcore platformer fans.
70
IGN Deutschland
Jun 25, 2025
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
Ruffy and the Riverside presents a fresh take on the 3D platformer genre with its puzzle focus and unique design, but suffers from uneven difficulty and some technical issues.
70
Cubed3
Jun 25, 2025
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
Ruffy and the Riverside is a charming and creative game with a nostalgic feel, though it suffers from some gameplay inconsistencies and technical issues.
60
Eurogamer Germany
Jun 25, 2025
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
Ruffy and the Riverside is a delightful game for families and puzzle enthusiasts, with a unique gameplay mechanic that stands out despite some technical issues and design flaws.
60
IGN Benelux
Jun 25, 2025
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
While Ruffy and the Riverside has potential with its unique mechanics and visual style, it ultimately falls short due to its incoherent story and structure. It leaves room for improvement in a potential sequel.