Ruffy and the Riverside review

Growing up in the 90s, I was pretty much raised with a PlayStation controller in my hand, learning lessons from Croc and Earthworm Jim, among others. Those 3D platformers have a special place in my heart, and I’m always looking for a new one to enjoy in my spare time. With Ruffy and the Riverside, I may just have found one that’s pretty special. 

Ruffy and the Riverside is a 3D, hand-drawn platformer inspired by those old-school games from yesteryear, the ones that we all remember from our childhoods. With a meaningful main story that packs a punch, hundreds of collectables in various forms, and countless puzzles to solve, you’ll find something to capture your attention. 

A copy-and-paste world that’s entirely unique

Ruffy and the Riverside Review

8.0Great

PlatformsPC, Switch, PS5, Xbox X|S

Release DateJune 26, 2025

DeveloperZockrates Laboratories

PublisherPhiphen Games

As soon as you start a new game of Ruffy and the Riverside, you’re thrown into complete and utter chaos. There’s a half-buried mole, a bee, and Ruffy, all of whom take up residence on a falling piece of cliff that’s hurtling toward your apparent demise. This chaotic introduction into the world of Ruffy acts as your tutorial, teaching you how to “Swap.” 

Who says panic doesn’t encourage learning?

Swapping is the main mechanic of Ruffy and the Riverside. In short, you can “copy” many of the in-game textures like wood, trees, lava, or water, and then “paste” those textures onto many of the other objects within the Riverside. This means that you can completely and drastically change the environment in which you’re playing, and in doing so, allow you to overcome obstacles and reach new parts of the map. 

The sense of chaos from the introduction seems to follow you throughout the entire game, particularly when you come across puzzles that need to be solved and you’re clueless as to how to actually solve them. Some of them require outside-the-box thinking, while others force you very much back into the box, and you’ll find that you’re dramatically overthinking them. Part of the fun is learning to differentiate between the two types of puzzles, while also learning to laugh at yourself when you’ve spent 30 minutes trying to swap every available texture onto a piece of wood, only to discover that you needed to break it. 

Yes, that’s something I did. 

Figuring out all of the puzzles is a fun experience, and there’s a huge amount of satisfaction to be had when you get it right. 

Ruffy is a lovable protagonist

As the parent of a five-year-old, it’s impossible to look at Ruffy and not be reminded of my daughter after she’s gone on a candy binge. He never stops moving. His idle animation is a constant little bop, with him snapping his fingers along to the beat of the background music, and he runs like he’s fuelled by 100% caffeine. 

I did have some concerns that his constant movement would end up being grating, but I’ve played for hours, and I still can’t help but smile at his happy little dance whenever he stops running. Ruffy just seems so excited for life, and happy to be on an adventure that he never asked for, and that’s infectious. His excitement brings me excitement and makes me want to continue the journey at his side. 

The rest of the characters are all lovable in their own ways, as well. Ruffy (who may or may not be a bear, it’s not entirely clear) comes from a city filled with other similar characters, but he also lives in a world alongside moles and birds. They each have their own personalities, although they’re all pretty excitable, which adds to the sense of wonder and joy while playing. 

Hand-drawn meets 3D

I cannot, in all good conscience, write out this review without discussing the art of Ruffy and the Riverside. In a nutshell, thousands of stunning hand-drawn characters, elements, critters, and objects are combined with a delightfully retro 3D world to bring the story and setting of the Riverside to life. Not only is the art style charming, but it’s also an impressive feat. 

When I say that there are thousands of hand-drawn elements, I’m not exaggerating, and I cannot even begin to fathom how long those drawings took to create. Then you have to add in the animation times, because nothing is ever still in Ruffy, and the many variations of each image. That’s a huge amount of work, and it pays off hugely. Not only is the setting itself nostalgic, but the hand-drawn elements remind me of childhood cartoons on a Saturday morning. 

There’s also the option to draw your own pixel textures with Dreamstones, which can then be applied to different objects in the Riverside and beyond. While these self-made textures aren’t likely to help you out in puzzles or with progression, the option to apply them definitely adds to the sense of ownership over the Riverside, allowing you to make it your own, albeit temporarily. 

Collectables for days

I can’t lie, I love collectables. It doesn’t matter what I’m playing, I will always be attracted to those shiny collections that offer rewards when completed. And Ruffy and the Riverside has not one, not two, but 10 sets of optional side collections, and one that contributes toward the main story. That’s 11 collectible sets, which I’m not ashamed to admit, have me entirely distracted from the main story. 

And that’s without taking into account the various puzzles that hide some of the collectables behind them. Etoi are invariably discovered by completing rock stack puzzles, and the various 2D segments displayed on the walls around Riverside are accessed by completing riddles with the birds. It’s all a little complicated. Not in a bad way, necessarily, but it can feel a little overwhelming initially. 

If you’re easily distracted, then Ruffy and the Riverside has an endless wealth of things to pull you away from what you’re supposed to be doing. You’ll often find yourself heading in one direction, only to end up somewhere else and wondering what you were doing in the first place. Thankfully, there’s an easy-to-understand quest list to help with that!

Digging into the details

Ruffy and the Riverside is an astonishing achievement for developers Zockrates Lab, and they have done a fantastic job of bringing this world and the new mechanics to life in a way that’s smooth and utterly enjoyable. However, there are some details that could do with improvement.

While the UI is easy to navigate and understand, I can imagine the chosen font may prove difficult to read for those who are troubled with less-than-perfect eyesight. It’s italic, bold, and upper-case letters are offset when compared to the lower-case ones, making it a little unclear. I realize that this seems like a very small thing to point out, but as someone who struggles with blurry vision, I found myself squinting often to read the dialogue. 

On top of that, one of my pet peeves is struggling to find the quit button. While there are doors that you can go through to quit, those are few and far between. If you want to quit away from one of those, you’ll need to go into the settings, and then scroll to the very bottom to find the “back to titles” button. This will take you back to the titles, and then you’ll need to do it again to find the “exit game” button.

The map is my second major sticking point. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a gorgeously drawn and animated piece of art, but it is a little hard to understand, especially at first. It’s possible to zoom in, but it’s impossible to zoom out far enough to see the whole map, which makes it a little difficult to truly appreciate the work and effort put into creating the expansive world. 

You’ll need a controller to play Ruffy and the Riverside if you want to play comfortably. Sadly, the keyboard controls are filled with bizarre choices that cannot be changed in the settings, such as Z to interact or X to attack, while your fingers are occupied with WASD. The game was clearly set up with a controller in mind, and while it’s admirable that they’ve thought of having keyboard controls as a backup, my old arthritic fingers cannot perform the gymnastics necessary to use the keyboard controls for any length of time.

Last, but not least, is the level of overwhelm that some may experience before they become accustomed to the chaotic nature of Ruffy and the Riverside. For many, the sheer amount of collectables and features will absolutely not be a deterrent, and that’s valid, but there are gamers out there who struggle to maintain focus when presented with so many options and side content. It’s easy for the main story to get lost under the “clutter”, however enjoyable that clutter may be.

If you want a nostalgic gaming experience with a wonderfully inventive new mechanic thrown in, Ruffy and the Riverside will release on June 26 on PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 5.