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Reviewed On: PlayStation 5
Also Available On: PC, PS5, Nintendo Switches, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One
Price: $19.99
Developer: Zockrates Laboratories UC
Publisher: Phiphen Games
Release Date: June 26, 2025
Please note: A review code was provided for this review, but it does not influence the opinions stated here in any way.
Riverside is in ruins thanks to an evil cube named Groll, who basically obliterated everything in sight. As the only bear in town (looks more like a squishy raccoon to me), you’re tasked with saving the world by restoring sacred letters tied to the newly devastated world core. The kicker? You’ve got magical powers that let you copy and paste elements of the environment—yes, literally. And so, the chosen one sets off to restore peace to Riverside, one textured tree at a time.
At its core, Ruffy and the Riverside is a platformer, but it throws in a clever twist: you’re not just jumping from ledge to ledge, you’re remixing the world itself with a unique ability called swap. See a tree? Copy it. Slap that texture on a rock. Turn waterfalls into climbable vines. It’s like Photoshop meets Super Mario in the best possible way. If you’ve watched any of Zockrates Labs’ promo clips, you’ve probably seen Ruffy transforming Riverside’s terrain on the fly, and yes—it’s as fun as it looks.
Of course, what’s a platformer without a few low-level enemies to knock around? Ruffy’s got a simple but effective arsenal: a basic 1-2 combo, a charged spin attack, and a suspiciously familiar butt-stomp (shoutout to Mario). And while the game wears its inspirations on its sleeve—Super Mario 64 and Crash Bandicoot fans will definitely feel at home as it carves out its own identity through its copy-and-paste mechanics. For all of you puzzle lovers, RATR brings the brain-busters in full force. Some are clever, some are just cruel, and a few made me question my own intelligence (I’m ashamed to say I have a witness to this).
You’ll run into shady ravens offering riddle-based puzzles that require a healthy dose of outside-the-box thinking (and sometimes a bit of trial and error). These aren’t your standard “What walks on four legs in the morning?” kind of riddles either. Instead, they rely on abstract statements and visual cues that require you to experiment with your swap technique. And if you feel like giving up? No worries—you can bribe the ravens to solve it for you. Thank you, capitalism!
Still, these puzzles force you to flex Ruffy’s swap ability in creative ways. Some solutions are obvious, while others make you feel like you found the secret doorway to Narnia. Rewards range from collectibles to in-game currency, and while not all of them hit the mark, they mostly justify the effort (you can buy more hearts and really be O.P.). Where the game starts to stumble is in the boss department—or rather, the lack of one.
You travel between dimensions through gateways scattered across Riverside, and it feels like each new area should end with a unique boss battle. But aside from two encounters (one of them doubles back as the final boss), there’s not much variety. And sadly, the final boss is actually a repeat battle. Don’t get me wrong…I wasn’t expecting a souls-like beatdown, but I was hoping for something more. The world of Riverside itself isn’t massive, but that works in its favor.
It’s compact, charming, and easy to navigate. Still, I would’ve loved the option to fast travel or to drop a waypoint, especially when I just wanted to head straight to my next objective instead of running around like a lost tourist in Times Square. On the audio side, Ruffy and the Riverside absolutely delivers. It enhances the tone of the game beautifully, bringing a sense of rhythm and personality to each environment.
Even while writing this review, I caught myself nodding to the background music. It’s not just good—it elevates the whole vibe of the game. So, does Ruffy and the Riverside stick the landing? Absolutely! It’s creative, colorful, and packed with heart. While it could’ve used more boss battles and a few quality-of-life tweaks, the core experience is genuinely fun and refreshingly different. With its clever copy-paste mechanics and memorable soundtrack, Ruffy and the Riverside earns a solid 8/10 from me. If you’re into charming indies or quirky platformers with a twist, don’t sleep on this one!
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