Bushside Rangers

About

Bushside Rangers is a single player survival action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Team Bushside and was released on March 26, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Disclaimer: The currently public version of Bushside Rangers: Chapter 1 is the original version released on 26th March, 2025. As such, it does not reflect the quality of the upcoming Chapter 1 Overhaul, set to release in 2026. SURVIVE THE HORRORS OF THE DESOLATE LAND.Bushside Rangers® is a first-person survival horror game that forces you to use your wits as you navigate through the dark, dreary …

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 135 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

Impressive atmosphere and very scary jump scares that effectively create tension and fear.
High-quality graphics, character design, and detailed environments that make the abandoned park feel realistic and immersive.
Smooth gameplay with unique mechanics like the Ranger Radio tool and stealth elements, along with good voice acting and music that enhance the experience.

Gameplay can be frustrating due to bugs, glitches, and some poorly implemented mechanics, especially issues in the chimp enemy section and terminal minigames.
The story lacks development and clarity, with insufficient background on the protagonist's purpose and some plot holes.
Voice acting and protagonist dialogue can be annoying or immersion-breaking, and some animations and character models feel stiff or repetitive.

gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
73%
11%
The gameplay is generally smooth and engaging with enjoyable stealth and chase mechanics, though some find it a bit basic or frustrating at times due to certain unclear mechanics and repetitiveness. Inspired heavily by titles like Five Nights at Freddy’s Security Breach, it incorporates unique features like a wristwatch gadget, but some mechanics feel derivative or need refinement. Overall, it’s a solid debut with room for improvement, especially in tutorial clarity, polish, and variety.
- “I liked this game a lot, it was very fun and kept the game interesting. The mechanic where you put your wristwatch with the screen stand and match the numbers is very unique. I like the chase music once you get spotted by the enemy, especially the steampunk sloth one. I really liked the main character's voice acting. She's good at voice acting. Besides that, I just love the game honestly. I will definitely buy the second game once it drops. Keep up the good work, you're going places.”
- “Smooth gameplay and creepy vibes.”
- “The gadget is a fun mechanic that enhances the fear of the gameplay overall and makes for some very tense moments.”
- “Walking simulator with mechanics that are more obnoxious than fun and below average writing.”
- “And again, I know it's an indie dev, but I don't see that as a good excuse for how poor this gameplay is.”
- “The game does not explain its own hacking mechanics and, for some reason, if you go into the options menu while playing the game will freeze consistently.”
story
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
62%
10%
The story of the game receives mixed feedback, praised for its intriguing mascot-themed horror setting, well-placed mystery, and interesting main character, but criticized for lacking clarity and depth, particularly regarding the protagonist Vera’s motivations and backstory. While some find the narrative engaging and suspenseful with effective scares, others feel it is abrupt, contains plot holes, and offers limited development in the first chapter. Overall, players see strong potential and look forward to further story expansion in future installments.
- “But what helps the story stand out is that the mystery is well placed, giving little indications on what might be going on without spoiling the whole thing. We also get to see two major monsters trying to get us instead of just one monster like other mascot horror games. The main character also helps with the story being an interesting and quite different protagonist from standard mascot-themed horror games. Bushside Rangers feels like a real place with little touches that tell stories about what this place was once like when it was still operational.”
- “Absolutely fantastic, the right amount of frustration, storytelling, and jumpy heart-racing fun.”
- “I do recommend wishlisting this game and even putting it in your library. So far, the gameplay is a bit disappointing but the game deserves the 85% rating it has as the idea is there and many things are great like the layout, the story, the graphics, and the design of everything (mainly the initial cutscene that got me really hooked).”
- “Storyline made no sense whatsoever, like why is this little girl trying to barge into an abandoned theme park?”
- “Not to mention the plot holes, like how did Vera crash the sky ride into that pile of rubble and not get stuck?”
- “The story felt non-existent as well since Vera doesn't mention why she is here in the beginning, and I felt that could have been done there as we just get dropped in with no explanation.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
36%
14%
The game's music is widely praised for its fitting, atmospheric tracks, especially during chase sequences, blending spooky and whimsical elements that enhance the overall experience. While most voice acting and sound design receive positive remarks, some players found certain effects, like the monkey chef's voice, goofy or the carnival-style music during certain scenes unexpected but still enjoyable. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong highlight, contributing significantly to the game's immersive and engaging atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack was really good, especially the songs that play during chase sequences which were cool to listen to.”
- “The game's music is actually really good and contributes significantly to the genuinely freaky scares throughout.”
- “Compliments to the music composers for pouring great life into a few of the tracks.”
- “I have seen a lot of criticism over the music that plays when you agro the chimp.”
- “The music felt so different to what I thought it should be.”
- “Drawing the comparison to something like Poppy, especially for the chimp scene, the music felt like carnival music when I thought it should have been tense and unnerving.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
13%
14%
The game's graphics are generally praised for their detailed, colorful, and atmospheric visuals, with well-designed characters and environments that enhance immersion. While some users note minor issues like rough animations, particle effects overuse, and potential performance struggles on lower-end PCs, the overall polish and optimization—especially for an indie title—are impressive and contribute significantly to the enjoyable experience.
- “But the graphics are incredible, the park is interesting to explore and the mascots are super creepy.”
- “The graphics are good, nice and colorful with plenty of good detail that makes you just want to stop and stare for a little bit and just see all the little details of the park.”
- “The graphics are surprisingly good for an indie title, with minimal frame drops, and I only encountered one minor bug, which is impressive.”
- “Unlike similar games like Indigo Park, where the opening cutscene was live action, Bushside Ranger's big cinematic and TV commercial for the park are clearly just the in-game visuals, only with a gray VHS filter over everything.”
- “The graphics are average; when we are in the tram I can barely look out the windows to see the park (probably because I'm a small child), but then what's the point?”
- “This game also lacks personality. The graphics are great and the plants etc. all make sense, but the animations are horrible, I am sorry.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
17%
25%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its eerie, spooky, and immersive qualities, enhanced by great sounds, character design, and a mysterious VHS-style intro. While some find it effectively unsettling and beautiful, a few feel it relies too much on jump scares rather than fully developing the dark, immersive environment. Overall, the atmosphere is seen as a strong, engaging element that greatly contributes to the game's appeal.
- “The VHS-style intro adds a mysterious flair, pulling you into its eerie atmosphere right from the start.”
- “The atmosphere is good, nice and spooky and makes you scared and worried about what is going to pop out.”
- “Adds a good bit of atmosphere and an odd beauty to the desolate park you push through.”
- “And as far as horror goes, I think it relies a bit too much on jump scares rather than leaning into the dark atmosphere a park like this can offer.”
- “Definitely appreciate the effort and the atmosphere feels like it's almost there, but there were a few things that started to bug me:”
- “The atmosphere was alright.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The character development is praised for its creative and fantastic designs, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere. While voice acting is generally good with occasional cheesy lines, overall character design stands out as a strong and memorable aspect.
- “This might be the most phenomenal start to a horror game I've ever experienced. The character designs are fantastic and fun, the voice acting is great albeit a little cheesy in a couple of lines, but I love that about it. The game itself looks amazing and gave me so many scares. I played this back to back with a couple other games, and this was by far the best. I can't wait to see more of this. Thank you devs for making this first chapter free and putting actual effort into your product. It's great. 9.5/10”
- “There were a lot of cool, creative ideas and I really like the character designs!”
- “The atmosphere and character designs are amazing.”
- “First, the character designs are just not good.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences frequent glitches and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, including annoying visual effects and frustrating level design. While the core experience remains playable, the stability issues may detract from overall enjoyment.
- “Buggy and glitchy.”
- “Very buggy, and when Simon spots you, he does an annoying screen flashing animation. I found many bugs during normal playthrough of this game.”
- “It's a perfectly serviceable experience if you don't mind a couple of weird glitches, annoying characters, and frustrating level designs.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, delivering stunning graphics and smooth performance without frame drops or bugs. This level of optimization is notable, especially compared to typical mascot horror games on release.
- “The first chapter was really well made and well optimized graphically while still keeping the game looking stunning. Most mascot horror games are not optimized on release at all.”
- “I gotta admit the game is really well optimized which is a great sign. Overall, I would say play this if you are bored and want to do something.”
- “Performance is amazing, no frame drops or bugs.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is subtle and situational, with moments that highlight the slow pacing in a playful way. However, some players find the comedic timing a bit drawn out, which can affect the overall amusement.
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect tedious and monotonous, especially when it involves waiting for numbers to input on terminals, which detracts from the overall experience.