Rift of the Necrodancer

About

The NecroDancer's back in a brand new rhythm game spinoff! Help Cadence navigate the modern world while repairing the rifts that have torn her life apart. Do rhythmic battle via rift mode, minigames, and boss battles! All to the beat of a brand new soundtrack from Danny Baranowsky & friends.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 570 reviews

music116 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features an incredible soundtrack with a variety of bangers that enhance the gameplay experience.
Rift of the Necrodancer offers a unique twist on traditional rhythm games by incorporating enemy patterns that players must learn and adapt to, making it both challenging and rewarding.
The game includes a variety of modes, including a story mode, mini-games reminiscent of Rhythm Heaven, and workshop support for custom tracks, providing extensive replayability.

The visual clarity can be overwhelming, especially with off-beat monsters, making it difficult for players to read the charts effectively.
Some players may find the gameplay frustrating as it requires memorization of enemy patterns rather than relying solely on rhythm skills.
The story mode and boss fights, while charming, may feel underdeveloped compared to the main gameplay experience.

music
278 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
57%
1%
The music in "Rift of the Necrodancer" has been widely praised for its high quality and engaging variety, featuring a mix of original tracks and remixes that resonate well with players. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout element, describing it as "banger after banger" and noting its ability to enhance the gameplay experience, despite some challenges in chart readability. Additionally, the inclusion of custom song creation tools and community support adds significant replayability, making the music a central and enjoyable aspect of the game.
- “The music, visuals, and sound effects are all amazing.”
- “A rhythm game lives or dies by its soundtrack, and I can verify that every single song is an absolute blast.”
- “The music is phenomenal and the gameplay/minigames are amazing.”
- “The focus on a variety of enemies with unique patterns makes the game feel too much about reading the chart and memorizing enemy abilities as opposed to flowing with the music and letting the subconscious and muscle memory take over.”
- “Add in that the music was all just generic rock that went on for way too long (every track going over 5+ minutes while demanding absurd amounts of intense screen reading), and I'm really not vibing with this game.”
- “My least favorite part of games like this is that higher difficulties seem to turn songs into rote memorization of tricky patterns instead of being able to figure them out on reaction.”
gameplay
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
48%
3%
The gameplay of this rhythm game is praised for its unique mechanics that blend traditional rhythm elements with strategic enemy patterns, creating a challenging yet engaging experience. Players appreciate the addictive gameplay loop, diverse minigames, and a standout soundtrack, although some express concerns about the overwhelming introduction of mechanics and occasional visual clutter. Overall, it is seen as a refreshing evolution of the genre, appealing to both rhythm game veterans and newcomers alike.
- “Engaging gameplay, downright amazing music, cute story mode, fun minigames and challenges, what more could I have asked for really?”
- “The gameplay loop is very addicting and the mechanics really make this stand out from the rest of the rhythm game genre.”
- “The way they blend the music and gameplay is just fantastic and makes you want to get better at the tracks to groove with them more, and to get the best score you can!”
- “That's my biggest gripe is that they just shove every single mechanic at you at the beginning and by the time you are done you remember almost none of it.”
- “The gameplay is mostly a 3-key rhythm game, but the main issue I personally have with it is the complete lack of being able to tell what the hell is happening on screen even at medium difficulty.”
- “Limited health and punishing chart mechanics means that the songs are much easier to fail than your average rhythm game, and once you make a mistake, it's easy for it to snowball resulting in chain misses which can end your run quickly.”
story
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
64%
4%
The story in the game is generally described as cute and engaging, serving as a light-hearted follow-up to "Crypt of the Necrodancer," though it is often criticized for being short, predictable, and at times incoherent. While the narrative may not be groundbreaking, it effectively ties together the gameplay and features charming characters, fun mini-games, and enjoyable music, making it a pleasant addition to the overall experience. Many players acknowledge that the story mode is not the primary reason for playing, but it adds a layer of enjoyment and context to the rhythm-based gameplay.
- “The story mode is very cute, the music is really well charted, the references to the previous game are immaculate, and it completely captured my attention from start to finish.”
- “The story is a fun addition to bring more life and character into the game with appearances from the cast of the original game.”
- “The story mode so far is great fun and it's difficult not to be charmed by the personalities of characters you met in the first game; the beatmaps are fun and decently challenging at higher difficulties without feeling impossible and the music, of course, absolutely rules.”
- “My only complaint is the story and characters.”
- “Basically some minimally voice-acted visual novel segments that last about 30-60 seconds, often jumping around in a way that makes the story feel borderline incoherent at times.”
- “The main story is quite simple and uninventive, but it throws one joke or another from time to time.”
graphics
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
51%
8%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and polished art style, which enhances the overall experience with vibrant visuals and cute character designs. Players appreciate the combination of engaging animations and a catchy soundtrack, although some note that the clarity of visual cues for gameplay could be improved. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a delightful rhythm game with a unique aesthetic.
- “The art style is top notch and the whole game just feels very polished.”
- “The soundtrack is an absolute banger, and the art style & visuals are so charming and give the game much life and memorability.”
- “I've given a negative review, not because I hate the game, there is nothing wrong with the game outside of the visuals clarity and of course the annoying elements since it's using a mixture of up, down, left, right using all (4) and then sometimes just (3) making it annoying to follow along.”
- “The problem is the design behind the notes visuals, each one represented by a different monster.”
- “The artstyle is total eye candy, the OST is banger after banger, and the gameplay is addictive and fun.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game boasts high replayability due to its impressive remix mode, which procedurally generates new charts, alongside multiple difficulty levels and modifiers. Players can enjoy unique remixes for each song, daily challenges, and user-submitted custom songs, further enhancing the experience. Additionally, modding support and various fun minigames contribute to its lasting appeal.
- “On top of that, each song has its own unique 'remix' with an entirely new beatmap for truly impressive replayability along with 'challenge of the day' and user-submitted custom songs.”
- “The game has modding support, custom music support, challenges, and other such goodies that make the game quite replayable.”
- “There's a lot of replayability that other rhythm games lack - this game's remix mode, which essentially procedurally generates a new chart from an existing one, is very impressive, not to mention the multiple difficulties and modifiers.”
- “Replayable, tough as heck when you want it to be, and full of fun minigames that remind you of a time when Nintendo cared about the Rhythm Heaven series.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its amusing mini-games, such as the funny music wizard working at McDonald's and the entertaining rhythm challenges. Players appreciate the comedic elements woven into the visual novel format, with fun tracks and hilarious boss fights enhancing the overall experience. There is a desire for more original characters to be featured in future humorous mini-stories.
- “They made the funny music wizard work at McDonald's, and you have to play Rhythm Heaven to serve burgers.”
- “Mini-games so far are really fun, and the story experience, while just being a visual novel with songs in between, is funny and I enjoy it.”
- “The music is good, the tracks are fun, and the mini-games are hilarious.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Reviewers express a positive sentiment towards the character development, highlighting the charming art style and diverse character designs that enhance the overall experience. The attention to detail in character design, alongside strong gameplay and music, reflects the developers' dedication to creating an engaging game.
- “The art style and different character designs are another thing I was afraid I wouldn't like, but they're actually very charming, and I've warmed up to them a lot since playing the demo!”
- “Art, character design, gameplay, voice acting, the soundtrack… you can tell how much love was put into it.”
- “Really good game, music is incredible, character design is great, satisfying amount of content.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unbalanced, with medium difficulty feeling slow and hard difficulty requiring prior experience from easier modes. While some enjoy the challenge, many feel that the need to memorize patterns detracts from the overall fun, leading to a frustrating experience that contrasts with their initial expectations.
- “You can turn off these effects, but that lowers the visual quality of the experience. Medium difficulty is too slow and tedious, while hard is too complicated if you didn't play through easy and medium practice modes. You're just memorizing the patterns and following along; at that point, the game is somewhat fun but still the polar opposite of what I was expecting.”
- “To be more specific, here are the things I found tedious:”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The game is praised for its effective optimization, offering a wealth of content at launch without significant performance issues. Additionally, it intelligently adjusts gameplay suggestions based on player performance, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The genius part comes after, where it gives you a bit of gameplay and based on your performance suggests tweaks to optimize your experience.”
- “Tons of content at release with no performance issues is a rare sight these days.”
- “The optimization is severely lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Despite the game's potential, the poor optimization makes it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
- “I was disappointed to find that even with a high-end setup, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express deep appreciation for the emotional impact of the game, highlighting its timely release and the heartfelt connection it fosters, which resonates strongly with players.
- “A heartfelt thanks to Brace Yourself Games and Klei for giving us another winner at just the right time.”

83%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews

Buy Rift of the Necrodancer

4h Median play time

3h Average play time

2-4h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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