Skip to main content

Rethm: Once Upon a Time

Rethm: Once Upon a Time Game Cover
47%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:music, character development
Most mentioned negative aspects:story, gameplay
67% User Score Based on 21 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
Buy NowGet on Steam
Rethm: Once Upon a Time Game Cover

About Rethm: Once Upon a Time

Rethm: Once Upon a Time is a single player role playing game with anime and science fiction themes. It was developed by Boyagers Games and was released on February 9, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

An RPG that takes you on a journey through inverted time. Rain falls from below to above, and defeated enemies come back to life. Encounters become partings, and the story moves toward its beginning.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Rethm: Once Upon a Time screenshot
Rethm: Once Upon a Time screenshot
Rethm: Once Upon a Time screenshot
Rethm: Once Upon a Time screenshot
Rethm: Once Upon a Time screenshot
Skip Games Like Rethm: Once Upon a Time

Games Like Rethm: Once Upon a Time

Looking for games like Rethm: Once Upon a Time? Here are top role playing recommendations with a anime and science fiction focus, selected from player-similarity data — start with Terra Incognita Chapter One: The Descendant, Heartbound or ANNO: Mutationem.

Terra Incognita Chapter One: The Descendant Image
63%536reviews

Terra Incognita Chapter One: The Descendant

2015Role Playing
PCWindows
Games like Terra Incognita Chapter One: The Descendant
Heartbound Image
51%2.9kreviews

Heartbound

2018Role Playing
LinuxPCSteam Deck+1
Games like Heartbound
ANNO: Mutationem Image
83%2.2kreviews

ANNO: Mutationem

2022Hack and Slash
Nintendo SwitchPlaystation 5Playstation 4+11
Games like ANNO: Mutationem
Nocturne Image
97%300reviews

Nocturne

2020Role Playing
PCWindows
Games like Nocturne
Illusion Carnival Image
97%1.9kreviews

Illusion Carnival

2024Role Playing
PCMac OSWindows
Games like Illusion Carnival
Edge Of Eternity Image
76%1.6kreviews

Edge Of Eternity

2021Role Playing
PCXbox Game PassAmazon Luna+5
Games like Edge Of Eternity
vivid/stasis Image
94%2.1kreviews

vivid/stasis

2025Casual Puzzle
PCWindows
Games like vivid/stasis
UNBEATABLE Image
85%4.6kreviews

UNBEATABLE

2025Arcade Action Adventure
Xbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5+3
Games like UNBEATABLE
Metal Slug Tactics Image
79%625reviews

Metal Slug Tactics

2024Tactical Role Playing
Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPC+9
Games like Metal Slug Tactics
Creepy Castle Image
89%179reviews

Creepy Castle

2016Role Playing
PCWindows
Games like Creepy Castle
More games like Rethm: Once Upon a Time
Skip User Reviews

Reviews

67%Audience ScoreBased on 21 reviews
music6 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Unique and innovative reverse time story concept with charming characters and world-building.
  • Excellent soundtrack praised as one of the best indie game OSTs, enhancing immersion and atmosphere.
  • Free to play with engaging rhythm-based battle mechanics and nostalgic pixel art style reminiscent of Undertale and Mother.
  • Buggy and sometimes unplayable due to hit registration issues, stuck progress, and camera problems.
  • Mixed graphical quality with outdated pixel visuals that may deter some players.
  • Gameplay can be confusing or frustrating, with difficult or inconsistent battle mechanics and a story that is sometimes hard to follow.

  • music

    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    35% positive mentions, 47% neutral mentions, 18% negative mentions

    The game's music is highly praised for its creative, funky, and memorable soundtrack reminiscent of Undertale, effectively enhancing the atmosphere and world-building. While some note the soundtrack DLC requires purchase despite the game being marketed as free, the variety and quality of tracks, including a battle mode with multiple difficulties and hidden songs, significantly contribute to the overall enjoyment and charm of the rhythm gameplay.

    • “I don't usually do this, but the soundtrack in this game deserves a short mention by itself. I don't know what it is about these funky JRPGs, but they always seem to have some of the best music.”
    • “(+) So far my favorite OST this year, and while certainly subjective, I think you did an amazing job with these songs, not just having awesome individual tracks, but also how you are using them in the game, continuously building the atmosphere, characters, and the overall mood.”
    • “There is something about having those unlimited possibilities within the world-building that translates to very creative music, having no limitations on the design of the characters can be a recipe for some of the most memorable OST.”
    • “This is accompanied by some crappy rock-like music.”
    • “The game seems to partially focus on the actual rhythm of the music, you just have to play it on normal+ because it reduces the number of symbols you have to hit, making it feel more empty on the lower difficulty.”
    • “This is only free in a rudimentary sense... the developer has their hand out for a $4 USD "donation" for this as you're expected to buy soundtrack DLC from Steam to "support" the "developer"... digital panhandling.”

  • story

    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    18% positive mentions, 55% neutral mentions, 27% negative mentions

    The story is innovative and unique, featuring a time-reversed narrative where players progress backward through events, but it is often described as confusing and hard to follow. While some appreciate the lore revealed through a codex and character charm, others find the narrative scattered and in need of clearer structure. Overall, the storytelling adds an intriguing layer, but may challenge players seeking a straightforward experience.

    • “- You start the story at the end (you've already defeated the last boss), then you literally walk backwards to see what happened before - this is innovative.”
    • “I have played many games where you could experience the story from a different timeline, but having the constant moonwalk is something else entirely. It's undeniably charming how the characters are facing the wrong way.”
    • “The story is kind of hard to follow but gives you small connections and details about the world and the lore in the codex along the way.”
    • “Downsides are that the charting can be a bit weird sometimes and that the storyline can sometimes be a bit confusing.”
    • “The story is a bit everywhere and confusing, but I'm jamming in a free game so I don't see the issue?”

  • gameplay

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    38% positive mentions, 24% neutral mentions, 38% negative mentions

    The gameplay, centered around a rhythm-based battle system, received mixed feedback; some found it frustrating and overly simplistic, likening it to mobile hypercasual games, while others appreciated its integration with character design and music, making it more enjoyable than similar titles. Mechanical issues have been addressed in updates, improving clarity. Overall, the gameplay's uniqueness is acknowledged but may not appeal to everyone, especially those not fond of rhythm genres.

    • “The actual gameplay (battles with monsters) is a rhythm game where you need to press either D or F at the exact moment an icon of a sword or shield reaches a circular area in the center of the screen.”
    • “Now I am not an expert on the 'QTE beat gameplay', but I still found this game more enjoyable than many similar games, largely because of the characters, and you not just using it as a gimmick; it feels like the soundtrack is part of the overall theme.”
    • “You sometimes may need to strategize. You can choose difficulty levels; I picked easy first and will move on to others if I can.”
    • “4/10 a nice idea for a time-reversed story but the gameplay is just garbage.”
    • “The actual gameplay (battles with monsters) is some idiotic rhythm game where you need to press either D or F at the exact moment an icon of a sword or a shield reaches a circular area in the center of the screen.”
    • “At the moment, I can't pass through the first enemy, as the mandatory reversing doesn't go through the selection of difficulty as I could see in gameplays.”

  • graphics

    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 25% neutral mentions, 75% negative mentions

    The graphics are widely criticized for being outdated and low-quality, resembling crude pixel art from the early 1980s. While some players acknowledge that similar games have succeeded despite simple visuals, the lack of polished graphics here is seen as a major detriment.

    • “The game universe is in reverse time, just like how the game was partially made in 2023 before being abandoned, yet has crappy graphics from 1982.”
    • “This features really godawful pixelcrap art instead of real graphics.”
    • “It's hard to say if this was because the developer didn't have the skill to do the job of creating 3D visuals, or couldn't afford to hire someone who does, but it also doesn't matter.”

  • character development

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game features strong character development with unique and well-designed characters that enhance its charm and appeal. The distinct and memorable character models contribute significantly to the overall world-building and player engagement.

    • “Like with any 'mother'-like game, it's all about the characters. The character design in this game is top tier, with very unique models that really stand out.”
    • “One of the most charming free games I have played, with stellar world-building and character design, plus some of the best indie music. The game feels very generous in content.”
    • “Although I'm not usually a fan of the rhythm genre, I found this game more enjoyable than many similar games, partly because the character design and music are excellent.”

  • atmosphere

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    Users praise the game's atmosphere for its masterful use of sound and music, highlighting how the soundtrack not only features outstanding individual tracks but also effectively enhances the world-building, character development, and overall mood throughout the game.

    • “I did get a sense of the overall 'sound' mastery, not just having good music in the game, but also having music that builds the world and the atmosphere.”
    • “So far my favorite OST this year, and while certainly subjective, I think you did an amazing job with these songs, not just having awesome individual tracks, but also how you are using them in the game, continuously building the atmosphere, characters, and the overall mood.”

  • emotional

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The emotional aspect is praised for being brief yet deeply impactful, delivering a heartfelt and poignant experience.

    • “Short, very sweet, to the (heart-wrenching) point.”

  • stability

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The game is reported to be very buggy and unstable, negatively impacting the overall experience.

Skip Game Offers

Buy Rethm: Once Upon a Time

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Rethm: Once Upon a Time is a role playing game with anime and science fiction themes. Common tags for Rethm: Once Upon a Time include free to play, indie, 2d, time manipulation and early access.

Rethm: Once Upon a Time is available on PC and Windows.

Rethm: Once Upon a Time was released on February 9, 2023.

Rethm: Once Upon a Time was developed by Boyagers Games.

Rethm: Once Upon a Time has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Rethm: Once Upon a Time for its music but disliked it for its story.

Rethm: Once Upon a Time is a single player game.

Similar games include Terra Incognita Chapter One: The Descendant, Heartbound, ANNO: Mutationem, Nocturne, Illusion Carnival and others.