The first time I picked up the Nintendo 64 controller and jumped into a painting in Mario Kart 64 remains a core memory for myself, and gamers everywhere. While it’s lofty to say I felt exactly the same playing Ruffy and the Riverside, the creative magic and game mechanics of this game are something very special. The game combines elements of many famous game series like Kirby, Banjo Kazooie, Super Mario 64, and Paper Mario. Does it all work flawlessly or is it a little ‘Ruffy’ around the edges? Let’s turn the page.
Pop Up Paper
Ruffy and the Riverside is an action packed platformer where players copy and paste textures to change the world around them with the magic swap mechanic. Along the way, Ruffy meets a colourful cast of friends. These last two sentences sound familiar to most seasoned platforming veterans. Swap out Groll for Bowser, King K Rool, the list goes on. The magic SWAP ability really takes this indie platformer past nostalgic heights.
Soarin’ and a Swappin’
Changing textures goes beyond aesthetics. The amount of puzzles and Easter eggs of sorts in this open world are ‘triple a’ worthy. Exploring is a joy and the animations are breathtaking. Nothing in this paper presentation stays still. The game performs well nevertheless when streaming or playing natively on Xbox Series S for example. The variety is great too as when the open world feels a bit too ‘open’ I found solace in skating on a hay barrel or fighting a boss. The dialogue is also just as high quality as the gameplay, though at times I felt the cutscene chatter was a bit lengthy in pacing.
Musical Mapping
The music in Ruffy and the Riverside is outstanding. It’s quirky, upbeat and fits the world. Overall, the game looks and feels ‘cool’ as a cucumber. While it bares repeating, dialogue can be long, I found the music and overall presentation made Ruffy’s friends worth fighting for. The nods to the games of yesteryear also kept me hooked. The biggest flaw is occasionally what makes Ruffy and the Riverside great; it’s vague.
Objectives are vague, and the overall world is thrown at players from the get go. For the already uneven pacing, the dialogue could be used to explain what exactly the world is. Once I settled in, it was passable, but getting stuck on objectives due to very little direction given, and finding some actual bugs (that are planned to be patched soon) hindered the otherwise solid experience.
Overhaul Overall
Creating high quality and fresh platformer is no easy task in 2025. This is a genre of game that has definitely become tired. Ruffy and the Riverside freshens it up with a very unique mechanic, a diverse crew of buds along the way, and an eye catching graphic design. It’s a fantastic package for a reasonable entry price and should definitely be on your radar for a great summer play.
Ruffy and the Riverside
Summary
Ruffy and the Riverside is a bit ‘ruff’ around the edges. But what it gets right far exceeds its menial flaws. If you’re looking for a fresh new platformer to jump into, magic SWAP into this charming new adventure. The Riverside is waiting for you!
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