ColdRidge

About

ColdRidge is a single player casual puzzle game. It was developed by Frog Collective and was released on October 28, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

REVIEWS “ColdRidge, offers a unique blend of the rugged frontier vibe [...] and the strategic depth of the Civilization series.”80LVL“Play just the first exciting turns of a Civilization-like 4X over and over”PC Gamer ABOUT THIS GAME Coldridge is a push-your-luck board game: Explore and Exploit, with gambling and roguelike mechanics. THE GOLD RUSH: HIGH RISK, HIGH REWARD Pick contracts, g…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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71%

Audience ScoreBased on 59 reviews

gameplay11 positive mentions

emotional3 negative mentions

ColdRidge offers a unique blend of turn-based strategy and exploration, with a charming aesthetic and engaging atmosphere.
The game features rewarding strategic decisions and a satisfying risk-reward mechanic that keeps players engaged.
The art style and music are well-crafted, enhancing the overall experience and immersing players in the mystical Wild West setting.

The gameplay can feel overly reliant on RNG, leading to frustrating experiences where players may feel their success is out of their control.
Some players find the difficulty curve steep and the planning requirements restrictive, which can dampen the excitement of exploration.
The narrative and dialogue have been criticized for being cringey and lacking depth, detracting from the overall immersion.

gameplay
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
58%
11%
The gameplay of Coldridge is characterized by a blend of tactical decision-making and narrative exploration, requiring players to navigate resource management and environmental challenges. While some players appreciate the risk-reward mechanics and the unique gambler gameplay, others criticize the excessive reliance on RNG and a lack of engaging decisions, leading to a repetitive experience. Overall, the game has carved a niche for its atmospheric world and strategic depth, though opinions on its enjoyment and replayability vary significantly.
- “Unlike many strategy games that focus purely on combat or resource accumulation, Coldridge incorporates a rich narrative element woven into its gameplay, inviting players to carefully plan each move while unraveling the mysteries of the land.”
- “The core gameplay revolves around navigating the rugged terrain of Coldridge, where every step must be measured against limited resources and environmental hazards.”
- “Every move had me thinking carefully about how to balance my resources and tackle contracts, and the risk-reward mechanics are so satisfying.”
- “The gameplay loop is boring, repetitive, and just not enough to make me want to overcome the difficulty.”
- “I would not recommend Coldridge due to RNG mechanics detracting from fun, and lack of engrossing gameplay or decisions to make other than counting hexagons.”
- “I was under the impression this was an exploration/puzzle game, but it's more of a 'hidden item that isn't hidden' type of game with no real gameplay, challenge, or reason to keep going.”
story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The game's story is a mixed bag, praised for its atmospheric setting and engaging overall arc, but criticized for cringeworthy dialogue and uneven delivery. While some players appreciate the strategic depth and how the narrative influences gameplay, others find the plot uneventful and poorly written, detracting from the overall experience. Ultimately, the storytelling adds flavor to the game, but many feel it falls short of expectations.
- “The game’s design strikes a balance between strategic depth and atmospheric storytelling, creating a sense of adventure that rewards patience and thoughtful decision-making.”
- “In summary, Coldridge is a compelling title that successfully merges turn-based strategy with immersive exploration and storytelling, set within a vividly imagined, mystical wild west.”
- “Although the dialogue was pretty cheesy, I enjoyed the storyline and how it affected gameplay.”
- “The only downside is that the dialogue in the story is a bit cringey, even though I did enjoy the overall story arc.”
- “Story is uneventful and I don’t really care.”
- “Unfortunately, the writing is dull and I couldn't tell you what the story is about, I'm just clicking through it now.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
25%
19%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their evocative art style, which blends rugged wild west aesthetics with a fantasy twist, creating a visually appealing experience. While some players appreciate the clean and effective graphics, others note that they are not on par with larger titles, suggesting a more cartoonish and vivid approach that suits the game's simple yet engaging concept. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, though opinions on their quality vary.
- “Visually, Coldridge stands out through its evocative art style that captures the rugged beauty and mystique of the wild west, but with a subtle fantasy twist.”
- “Clever resource strategy roguelike with clean, effective graphics.”
- “It's a simple concept that is rather addicting and calming, especially given that they choose to make their graphic elements more cartoonish and vivid.”
- “Graphics aren't a huge priority for me in games, and these graphics are alright, but it's a small game so don't expect to see Civ 6 level or any of the other big 4X games.”
- “$15 is honestly maybe a bit high for what you get, and I think if it didn't have the decent graphics it would probably be a $5 game, but it's not bad or anything.”
- “[h1] [b] Graphics (Quality/Performance) – [4/10] [/b] [/h1]”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
15%
21%
The game's music is praised for its blend of traditional western motifs and ethereal tones, enhancing the mysterious atmosphere and dynamically shifting to match gameplay moments. While many players appreciate the soothing and authentic soundtrack, some have noted a desire for greater variety to avoid repetition during extended play sessions. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's immersive experience and is well-received by fans of the genre.
- “The audio design further enriches the experience, with a soundtrack that blends traditional western motifs with more ethereal tones to underscore the game’s mysterious ambiance.”
- “Music shifts dynamically to reflect moments of calm exploration or heightened tension, aiding players in immersing themselves in Coldridge’s world.”
- “And wonderful music, being a fan of westerns, while putting the game together I was delighted that the background music was extremely authentic.”
- “The music and ambiance was chill.”
- “Mostly calming western music.”
- “The music and unique setting get bonus points as well.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its detailed environments and atmospheric lighting, which effectively convey a sense of adventure, isolation, and discovery. Players appreciate the balance between strategic depth and storytelling, although some note minor issues with interface and audio. Overall, the atmospheric presentation and art direction contribute to a memorable gaming experience, despite mixed feelings about gameplay enjoyment.
- “The game’s design strikes a balance between strategic depth and atmospheric storytelling, creating a sense of adventure that rewards patience and thoughtful decision-making.”
- “The environments range from dense forests to barren deserts, each rendered with careful attention to detail and atmospheric lighting that enhances the mood of isolation and discovery.”
- “Although it has minor shortcomings in interface polish and audio variety, the game’s strengths in atmosphere, art direction, and strategic depth make it a memorable and rewarding journey.”
- “It’s like stepping into a board game but with way more atmosphere and surprises.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as limited, with some players noting a lack of incentive to revisit once everything is unlocked. While it features roguelite elements that suggest high replay value, many feel that the experience becomes repetitive and lacks engaging progression, diminishing the desire to play again.
- “Decent replay value.”
- “Even though it has roguelite elements, the progression isn't particularly exciting, and I don't think it's going to be endlessly replayable.”
- “I think the replay value is absolutely not there once you unlock everything.”
- “In theory, the replayability is high; however, I don’t see the point in going back to have a very random struggle again.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
Players have noted that while the emotional impact of the game is significant, the repetitive soundtrack and effects can detract from the experience during extended play sessions. Additionally, some have criticized the story as lacking depth, which further diminishes the overall emotional engagement.
- “The story felt incredibly boring and failed to evoke any emotional response.”
- “I found the narrative to be dull, lacking the depth needed to connect with the characters.”
- “The emotional impact was nonexistent; I couldn't care less about what happened to the characters.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with a score of 4/10 for graphics quality and performance. While it offers a fun and challenging experience, players note that resource management and optimization are crucial elements of gameplay.
- “All in all, a fun and challenging strategy/puzzle game that necessitates managing resources and optimization.”
- “The graphics quality and performance are lacking, resulting in a frustrating experience.”
- “The game is fun and challenging, but the optimization issues make resource management a headache.”
- “Overall, the optimization feels rushed, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is enhanced by well-crafted designs and animations that effectively immerse players in the game's world, creating an authentic and imaginative experience.
- “Character designs and animations complement the setting, helping to bring the world to life in a way that feels both authentic and imaginative.”