‘Ruffy And The Riverside’ Launch Review: Platforming Done Right

When I first came across Ruffy and the Riverside, I immediately took a liking to the character design, inspired by the likes of the Paper Mario series. That combined with the platforming and “Swap” mechanic, made it perfect for me. I eagerly awaited the opportunity to try it out myself.

Ruffy and the Riverside follows the titular character, Ruffy, a bear who’s gifted with the magical ability to swap textures between objects. One day, he’s called upon by a gem-loving mole named Mister Eddler and his life changes forever.

Right off the bat, I need to admit how much fun I’ve had with this game, from the moment you complete the tutorial, there are so many puzzles you can solve just from the starting town. I think I did encounter a glitch during my time because with some puzzles, you have the option to purchase hints. However, I managed to bypass that until I met the relevant NPC who explained this puzzle type.

There is still that linear aspect, I couldn’t roam outside the town’s walls without progressing the story due to invisible barriers and that trend did stay strong for the rest of the playthrough. In terms of difficulty, I’d say that every story puzzle is simple, though I will admit it took me leaving and coming back at a later date to solve some of the optional ones and I still have quite a few left to finish the remaining quests.

There are tons of collectibles in this game which encourage you to search every inch of this expansive world. One aspect I liked was the freedom in obtaining some of these, for example, I simply went to a high place and glided down to the reward. Each collectible grants you a certain number of coins which brings me to the upgrade system.

The upgrade system is relatively simple, you’re able to increase the number of hearts you have by purchasing it from a vending machine while each individual cape (armor) can be upgraded by a slot machine mechanic, I’m not sure how random it actually is but as I was close to maxing out each cape I did get exactly what I needed.

Those features above also made the game feel like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and it’s not just limited to collectibles and armor. The graphics gave me a similar feeling as well as the overall plot, the environment changing as the story progressed was also a neat touch to keep the world feeling alive. There were also a multitude of animals across each zone to liven the place up as well.

I played Ruffy and the Riverside on PlayStation 5 so I felt pretty confident about the game running smoothly but there were a few hiccups here and there. While not game-breaking by any means, it did distract my immersion from time to time. Mainly, I noticed some characters/objects clipping through the ground. I also noticed in some cutscenes my hay bale (the source of transportation in the game) would appear, causing further clipping and finally, there was some stuttering as I moved between areas.

Speaking of the cutscenes, I really enjoyed each, they were all animated quite well and very charming in its own right where it’s just a few jokes to lighten the mood or the opening cutscene that’s set in the future that instantly made me want to learn more (and it’s followed up on quite well). The game also does an amazing job when it comes to music, it gives the game such a relaxing vibe and it’s been stuck in my head ever since!

Overall, Ruffy and the Riverside is definitely one of my favourites, all the puzzle solving and collectibles kept me hooked and eager to keep exploring. The characters are beautifully designed with entertaining dialogue. Finally, the inspirations taken from Paper Mario and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are used in excellent ways that make me love the game all the more.

Ruffy and the Riverside is developed by Zockrate Laboratories UG. The game launches on Steam, Epic Games, PlayStation and Xbox for $19.99 USD on June 26th, 2025.

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