Riff Racer

About

Riff Racer is a multiplayer casual racing game. It was developed by FOAM Entertainment and was released on May 12, 2016. It received positive reviews from players.

"Riff Racer: Race Your Music" is a rhythm-based racing game where you race on tracks generated by your own music library. The game provides a unique experience as the tracks are created in real-time to match the rhythm and tempo of the song. Your driving skills and the beat of the music sync up to give you a thrilling ride.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Multi-Player

Skip User Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,060 reviews

music438 positive mentions

grinding30 negative mentions

Unique concept of racing on tracks generated from your own music library.
Visually appealing with vibrant colors and engaging gameplay.
Fun and addictive, especially when racing to fast-paced songs.

Requires an internet connection to generate new tracks, making it unplayable when servers are down.
Track generation can be inconsistent, leading to poorly designed tracks that don't sync well with the music.
Limited customization options for cars and repetitive visuals can lead to a lack of variety.

music
2,721 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
81%
3%
The music aspect of "Riff Racer" has garnered mixed reviews, with many players praising the unique concept of racing on tracks generated from their own music libraries. While the game excels in providing an immersive experience with vibrant visuals that sync to the beat, players have noted inconsistencies in how well the tracks reflect the music's tempo and intensity, leading to a disconnect between the gameplay and the audio. Additionally, the inability to import music from popular streaming services and issues with file compatibility have been significant drawbacks for some users. Overall, the game is appreciated for its fun and casual approach to music-based racing, but it could benefit from improved track generation and broader music support.
- “The sense of constant competition globally for every new music track made really made this game feel alive as a community.”
- “What I really liked about this game was that it was far more interactive than something like Audiosurf and had competitive multiplayer with the ghost cars and online scoreboards.”
- “Drifting to your own music is amazing.”
- “Great game but it's a shame you can no longer add your own music.”
- “The biggest issue I wish they would solve is that sometimes slow songs are given a fast paced, high difficulty race track, and crazy songs are given a boring, 1-star race track.”
- “Doesn't reflect music - many times the music feels like background music, rather than the essence of the track.”
gameplay
262 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
69%
6%
The gameplay of this rhythm-based racing game is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the smooth driving mechanics and the unique track generation based on music, while others find the drifting mechanic frustrating and the overall gameplay repetitive. Although it offers a fun and engaging experience, especially for high-score enthusiasts, many feel that the gameplay lacks depth and variety, with little differentiation between cars and tracks. Overall, it provides a satisfying fusion of racing and music, but improvements in mechanics and content could enhance the experience significantly.
- “Overall, a solid arcade rhythm racing game with smooth gameplay, which is definitely worth a buy if you are into that sort of stuff.”
- “The gameplay itself is really good too, it's easy to learn, but challenging to master, which is always a good thing.”
- “The gameplay is a mixture of avoiding obstacles, collecting boxes for points/boost, collecting tokens for in-game customization, jumping off ramps (and landing them) all while staying in sync with the song you are playing.”
- “The gameplay loop is really boring, just driving on a randomly-generated track that I don't even think syncs with the music you played.”
- “Every car steers the same, there is no variety and the drift mechanics aren't fun either, because it breaks the combo chain way too fast and doesn't really reward you for doing it.”
- “I was not impressed with the gameplay and how slow everything felt.”
graphics
203 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
51%
7%
The graphics in the game are generally well-received, featuring a vibrant and psychedelic aesthetic that syncs well with the music, although some players note a lack of variety in track designs and color schemes. While the visuals are described as appealing and suitable for low-end computers, there are concerns about chaotic elements that can obscure gameplay and limited graphic options. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, but improvements in variety and optimization could enhance the experience further.
- “The graphical style of this game is amazing too, lots of psychedelic colors that pulsate and flash in time to the music, suits a techno track down to the ground, and I have found also suits rock, pop, almost any type of music you can play in this game.”
- “This game has brilliant atmosphere, stunning visuals (epileptics be warned) and simple yet fun gameplay.”
- “The visuals do a good job of syncing up with the beat of the music despite the collectibles having somewhat random placements throughout the track.”
- “I could connect to play my songs but this game is unplayable because even with full release after early access it has no graphic options, optimization and my PC can't run it decently, so I can't say anything about gameplay, driving, etc.”
- “The handling is terrible, even worse than some flash games that were made in ten minutes, the race track (collectibles, walls and the track itself) doesn't follow your music, the only way to change the language is by placing a text file in the game directory (since January of 2016), monotone colors, no graphic settings aside from a full screen toggle and resolution... a huge disappointment since I like casual racing games and rhythm games.”
- “Comically amateur visuals, sparse features and worst of all, awful at interpolating music.”
replayability
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
72%
9%
The game's replayability is highly praised, primarily hinging on the size of the player's music library, which allows for endless variations and challenges. Players can also engage in leaderboard competitions and unlock various cars and skins, adding to the game's addictive nature. However, some reviewers suggest that additional game modes could enhance the replay experience further.
- “Amazing game with a replay value that is limited only by your music collection.”
- “The game offers replay value in the form of unlockables; each car is sort of expensive and has its own set of skins that can go up to 25,000 in-game currency, with each track giving you between 200-500 in-game currency if you’re good.”
- “It can be difficult at times, but that just adds to the replayability of trying to get a higher score the next time around.”
- “For a game that's hinging on its procedural generation to create replayability, it really could use a bit of tweaking/polish.”
- “Isn't worth $15 and even Distance has more replay value for $20.”
- “We just need some more modes to spice things up and increase replayability.”
grinding
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious, requiring players to invest hundreds of hours to unlock cars and achievements, particularly the challenging "wild style" achievement that demands a staggering amount of in-game currency. While some players find enjoyment in grinding while listening to their own music, the overall sentiment is that the coin rewards are insufficient and the process can become monotonous. Despite these drawbacks, some still recommend the game for its other qualities.
- “Have fun grinding for 400 hours to unlock them all, because coin rewards are pitiful (300 coins per 3 minutes if you're lucky enough), and you need a whopping 475,000 of them!”
- “The game is very grindy as you will spend most of your time trying to unlock new cars and trying to level up.”
- “One thing that may trouble many people about this game is that if you like getting all of the achievements, the last one called 'Wild Style' will take lots of grinding to get because all of those paint jobs require quite a lot of coins (in-game currency that you can pick as objects on the track when you are racing, and only that way. You can't buy those coins.).”
optimization
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
70%
10%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many users reporting solid performance and consistent 60 FPS on modest hardware. However, some players express frustration over the lack of graphic options and performance differences between cars, which may hinder the experience for those with lower-end PCs. While the game runs well for most, there are calls for more customization and performance-related features.
- “The game is quite optimized; it can run on typical modern hardware (basically anything above an Intel HD 3000).”
- “The performance optimization is solid, with a constant 60 fps throughout gameplay with an i5 3570k and GTX 760. The recommended requirements are pretty low, and I am impressed by that.”
- “Very optimized (most games are laggy on my PC but not this one).”
- “I could connect to play my songs, but this game is unplayable because even with the full release after early access, it has no graphic options or optimization, and my PC can't run it decently, so I can't say anything about gameplay, driving, etc.”
- “There's also zero performance difference between all the cars, which whether or not that's a flaw is up to you.”
- “The 'in sync' markers are just some arbitrary markers and will catch up regardless of performance.”
story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
55%
30%
The game is largely described as lacking a traditional story, with many users noting that it focuses more on gameplay and music rather than narrative. While some appreciate this approach, suggesting it enhances the experience, others feel that a story could have added depth and immersion. Overall, the consensus is that the absence of a story is intentional and fits the game's design.
- “Epic story.”
- “I enjoy the story aspect of the game.”
- “The story really immerses you in the experience.”
- “This game has no story.”
- “There isn't a story.”
- “I'm saying that because there isn't a story, which would of course immerse you more.”
stability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
78%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant bugs and glitches, particularly related to gameplay mechanics and server issues. While a few users report a generally smooth experience, many express frustration over the lack of developer support and unresolved issues, suggesting that the game feels abandoned in its current state. Overall, it appears that while the game has potential, critical stability problems need to be addressed for a more reliable experience.
- “Really fun and runs great”
- “I know it's an early access game, and I know there's no such thing as a bug-free game, but these problems are the things they really need to iron out first.”
- “Tried to scour the community or support pages, but none of the old fixes I tried worked and the devs seem to have abandoned it in a buggy state.”
- “Instead, just let the game die a buggy death and then put a message in the game itself saying the servers would shut down.”
- “They never respond on the forums, or even on their bug tracker when I found a pretty nasty couple of coin-eating glitches.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The game is widely regarded as extremely funny, with players enjoying humorous outcomes such as unexpected track speeds and amusing crashes that coincide with song climaxes. The blend of humor and relaxation contributes to an entertaining experience, with even bugs adding to the comedic charm.
- “Extremely funny racing game!”
- “Crashing into a barrier or hitting the edge of the track right as the climax of a song hits is kinda funny, to be honest.”
- “Funny and relaxing at the same time.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its brilliance and stunning visuals, which vary depending on the chosen music genre. Players appreciate the immersive experience, although those with epilepsy should be cautious due to the intense visual effects.
- “This game has a brilliant atmosphere, stunning visuals (epileptics be warned), and simple yet fun gameplay.”
- “The atmosphere changes drastically depending on your music genre.”
- “The atmosphere varies significantly based on the genre of music you choose.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is negatively impacted by frustrating mechanics, such as losing drift points from minor contact with railings, which players find unfair and detracting from their overall experience. This inconsistency in gameplay can lead to feelings of annoyance and disappointment.
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the game's monetization model, highlighting that it allows them to earn in-game currency through gameplay, such as leveling up or collecting it on tracks, without the presence of microtransactions or in-game purchases. This approach is seen as a refreshing change in a gaming landscape often dominated by monetization schemes.
- “You can earn the in-game currency by leveling up or just driving over it on the track. In an age where it seems every game has in-game purchases, it's nice to see one without it.”