On Rusty Trails

About

In "On Rusty Trails," play as a shape-shifting robot named Elvis in a world suspicious of appearances. Adapt your look to manipulate the environment, solve puzzles, and avoid hazards in this comic-styled platformer adventure. Run up walls, across ceilings, and through lava streams in a visually dynamic world.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 246 reviews

gameplay56 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Charming art style and smooth controls enhance the overall experience.
Creative level design encourages fast-paced action and exploration, making it ideal for speedrunning.
The unique mechanic of switching between two color states adds depth to the gameplay and keeps it engaging.

The game suffers from inconsistent difficulty spikes, leading to frustrating moments.
Some levels feel repetitive and lack variety in design, making the experience less dynamic.
Input bugs and graphical glitches can detract from immersion and overall enjoyment.

gameplay
172 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
65%
2%
The gameplay is generally well-received, featuring enjoyable platforming mechanics and a unique color-switching mechanic that adds depth to the experience. While some players appreciate the fluid controls and clever level design, others feel that the gameplay lacks innovation and can be simplistic, especially in comparison to other platformers in the genre. Overall, it offers a fun and engaging experience, though it may not stand out as much as some competitors.
- “The platforming is very fun and has enough mechanics to stay interesting throughout.”
- “The gameplay consists of short but very clever and satisfying platforming challenges which keep the player interested and eager to learn.”
- “Overall the gameplay itself is fun and challenging. I like how you change suits to get on certain blocks like water and fire, etc. This really adds a whole new mechanic to platforming that worked really well here.”
- “- while On Rusty Trails offers a well thought out story and unique aesthetic, the gameplay leaves far too much to be desired in an extremely competitive platformer genre.”
- “The second issue I have with the title is that its pretty graphics are a cover for some shallow gameplay... the mechanics are basic, and are introduced very slowly, and don't provide a ton of challenge when they are introduced.”
- “In case it’s not clear, the gameplay is fairly simplistic.”
graphics
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
49%
5%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their unique art style and charming visuals, creating an enjoyable atmosphere that complements the gameplay. However, some users noted issues such as graphical glitches, a lack of variety in environments, and occasional blurriness, which detracted from the overall experience. While the aesthetics are appealing, they are sometimes seen as a cover for shallow gameplay mechanics.
- “A charming platformer with a striking art style and smooth controls.”
- “The experience, both visuals and sound, are really pretty and very enjoyable.”
- “The worlds look wonderful in a unique art style which, accompanied by an ambient industrial soundtrack, creates a dark and memorable atmosphere.”
- “Also, there were multiple graphical glitches like the text turning black, or the fade to black being the Steam logo.”
- “There isn't much variety in the graphics.”
- “The second issue I have with the title is that its pretty graphics are a cover for some shallow gameplay... the mechanics are basic, and are introduced very slowly, and don't provide a ton of challenge when they are introduced.”
story
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
53%
4%
The game's story is generally described as minimal and straightforward, often revolving around a character named Elvis whose house is destroyed, leading him on a quest for insurance. While some players appreciate the unique storytelling methods, such as environmental cues and stylish panels, others find the plot thin and not particularly engaging. Overall, the narrative serves as a light backdrop to the gameplay, with some players noting its charm and relevance despite its simplicity.
- “The story and world were interesting and unique enough to be a nice wrapper to justify the gameplay and your actions.”
- “A very interesting precision platformer based around the ability to run on any wall or ceiling as well as the floor, which uses its story of two alien races and their hatred of each other to inform a mechanical flow of moving back and forth between two worlds.”
- “Elvis’ story is engaging and does a good job of tying all of the levels together, but really it’s the relationship between the two factions in the game that I found to be the most interesting story element.”
- “The story is minimal, but fine for what it is, and so the only problem I have with the game are its two boss fights.”
- “The story is also very barebones, told through panels spread through the levels (very stylish ones!) and some hidden rooms.”
- “Charming and nicely crafted, but unspectacular platformer with some neat ideas slightly devalued by its overly politically correct story told via comic panels to get some German tax money.”
music
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
48%
7%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its unique and ambient qualities that complement the game's visuals and themes. While some players found the soundtrack to be great and fitting, others noted moments of atonality and wished for more dynamic music during gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack contributes to a memorable atmosphere, though opinions vary on its overall impact and effectiveness.
- “Great controls, great look, great music.”
- “The worlds look wonderful in a unique art style which, accompanied by an ambient industrial soundtrack, creates a dark and memorable atmosphere.”
- “The sound track and the sound effects are great; they really help to make the world 'come alive'.”
- “The soundtrack here is more subtle and ambient, but never impressive.”
- “I just muted the soundtrack and had my own music playing.”
- “[*] music can be atonal, not to my tastes.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing performance dips and input lag on certain levels, particularly on mid-range hardware. However, many noted that after initial issues, the game eventually runs smoothly, suggesting that optimization may improve over time or with updates. Overall, while there are concerns, the frustration level appears manageable for most players.
- “Since then, everything runs smoothly.”
- “At the end of every level, you get your completion time, your number of 'growbacks' (restarting from checkpoints), the number of tokens you saved, and a number corresponding to 'where you clocked in at,' aka your performance in relation to other players.”
- “On my rig, the performance sometimes tanked.”
- “The optimization of the game seems to be a little questionable while the options and fullscreen didn't work.”
- “While performance dipped and I struggled with input dropping on certain levels, I never was too frustrated.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game has been criticized for its very limited replayability, primarily due to its short completion time of 3-4 hours. Reviewers suggest that the addition of leaderboards for each level could enhance replay value, particularly for players interested in time-trial challenges.
- “My problem with the game is twofold: first - lengthwise, it lasts right about 3-4 hours total to complete with very minimal replay value.”
- “What’s already there is good but an actual leaderboard for each level, preferably in the level select screen, would be great and I imagine it’d add a fair bit of replay value (currently lacking) to the game for those who like to go back in time-trial style games to improve their score.”
- “Very little replayability.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a captivating atmosphere characterized by its unique art style and an ambient industrial soundtrack, which together create a dark and memorable environment. Players appreciate the atmospheric approach to gameplay and the innovative storytelling methods that enhance the overall experience.
- “The worlds look wonderful in a unique art style which, accompanied by an ambient industrial soundtrack, creates a dark and memorable atmosphere.”
- “The game takes a very cool and atmospheric approach to the gameplay, and the non-traditional way it tells the story is excellent.”
- “It has a nice environment and atmosphere.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Users report significant stability issues, highlighting multiple graphical glitches such as text turning black and unexpected visuals like the fade to black displaying the Steam logo. These problems detract from the overall gaming experience.
- “There were multiple graphical glitches, such as the text turning black and the fade to black displaying the Steam logo.”
- “I encountered several stability issues, including frequent crashes and graphical glitches.”
- “The game suffers from numerous stability problems, including unexpected freezes and visual artifacts.”

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