Rift Wizard 2

About

Rift Wizard 2 is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Dylan White and was released on January 31, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

Rift Wizard 2 is a challenging roguelike wizard simulator where you build unique spell repertoires and gather magical artifacts in each run. With procedurally generated levels, you'll encounter different challenges every time, requiring strategic planning to navigate through and reach your build's end goal. The game's unique portal system lets you choose the levels you visit, giving you agency over the challenges you face.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 640 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

Rift Wizard 2 offers a vast array of spells and build options, allowing for deep customization and experimentation.
The game features a refreshing mechanic where spells and health are restored after each level, making it less punishing than its predecessor.
The addition of equipment and pets adds new dimensions to gameplay, enhancing the overall experience and variety.

The game can be overwhelmingly difficult, with many players feeling punished for experimenting with different builds due to enemy immunities.
Some spells and items feel underwhelming or situational, leading to a lack of viable strategies in certain runs.
The UI can be cluttered and confusing, making it hard to track enemy abilities and resistances, which can lead to frustrating deaths.

gameplay
59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
71%
5%
The gameplay of this roguelike wizard game is praised for its depth, unique mechanics, and engaging gameplay loop, allowing for both short and long play sessions. Players appreciate the strategic elements and the challenge of mastering complex spell synergies, though some find the learning curve steep due to a lack of clear explanations for mechanics. While the game retains core elements from its predecessor, it introduces significant changes that enhance the experience, making it a rewarding yet punishing adventure for those who enjoy tactical gameplay.
- “This game is the very essence of roguelike wizard gameplay distilled to perfection and bottled for your enjoyment.”
- “The gameplay is fast-paced, strategic, and has incredible depth.”
- “I truly felt like a wizard, and the puzzle/complexity of exploring what works and what doesn't is an amazing loop of gameplay.”
- “The gameplay itself can be a bit tedious.”
- “The game still needs more explanation or at least precise definitions of all the mechanics.”
- “However, there are many core gameplay changes that make Rift Wizard 2 completely different.”
music
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
48%
12%
The music in the game has received a mixed response from users, with many praising its catchy and nostalgic qualities, while others find it repetitive or lacking in variety. Some players appreciate the improvements over previous installments, noting that the soundtrack enhances the overall experience, though a few express that certain tracks can become annoying after extended play. Overall, the music is generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's vibe and atmosphere.
- “I love the style and the music gets stuck in my head for hours with this one.”
- “The soundtrack in this game absolutely rocks in a very nostalgia-inducing way.”
- “Fantastic soundtrack and spells elaborate and diverse enough to take some true diligent wizarding studies to unlock its secrets and master.”
- “Music is also annoying after 20 minutes.”
- “There's one song that is just immediately annoying on the first listen.”
- “My only critique is the music/sound design.”
graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
64%
12%
The graphics of the game are predominantly described as retro and primitive, with a charming pixel art style that some players find immersive despite their simplicity. While many reviewers acknowledge that the visuals are not cutting-edge, they emphasize that the gameplay mechanics and music compensate for any graphical shortcomings, making the overall experience enjoyable. Overall, the graphics are seen as a secondary aspect, with players prioritizing gameplay over visual fidelity.
- “These features, plus the charming art style, evoke the same sense of wonder and dread that a roguelike should instill in its players.”
- “This game is pure spell combo fun with charming pixel graphics.”
- “The visuals are clean and intuitive, and the level generation adds a unique flavor to the levels you will beat on your way to the boss.”
- “The graphics are so bad that next to this, Pong looks like Red Dead Redemption 2.”
- “The graphics are primitive, which I'm fine with, but the interface is also extremely primitive (keyboard and/or mouse only).”
- “Objectively they're bad graphics, but nobody plays roguelikes for graphics.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
35%
15%
The game is widely praised for its high replayability, with players enjoying the challenge of learning new strategies, experimenting with diverse builds, and exploring randomly generated dungeons. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to provide fresh experiences with each playthrough, making it an engaging choice for fans of roguelikes and classic RPGs. While some players note that interest may wane after mastering certain builds, the overall consensus is that the game offers immense replay value and keeps players coming back for more.
- “It's very difficult, but it's quickly replayable, so it's one of those games that is fun to lose because there is so much to see and learn every time.”
- “This game captures everything a roguelike should be: short game sessions, highly replayable and relentlessly fun.”
- “So many builds to try and so much replayability, it just eats up hours without you noticing.”
- “Game that should offer a lot of options and replayability hampered by its own design.”
- “This is not a game that will have replay value for eternity; once you see a build work out, the interest for me is trying out something different.”
- “The complexity doesn't even really add replayability, because you'll be leaning on the same few low-level spells 90% of the time.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
88%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often requiring extensive knowledge of spells and their upgrades, which can be frustrating due to frequent changes by the developers. While some improvements have been made to reduce resource management burdens, the late-game still demands meticulous attention to detail, making it a grindy experience that may not appeal to those averse to lengthy combat scenarios.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The gameplay itself can be a bit tedious.”
- “Not for critics of long, painful, grindy combats.”
- “That being said, particularly in the late game, it becomes quite a tedious task to check every possible threat every possible turn.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The game features minimal storytelling, focusing instead on gameplay mechanics with a vast array of spells and skills. Players engage in a classic roguelike experience, where the narrative is largely absent, and progression is centered around character development rather than a traditional plot. While some may find the lack of story disappointing, others appreciate the straightforward approach.
- “I trained myself in the arts of pyromancy and slowly ascended the floors on my quest to defeat Mordred.”
- “Btw, no metaprogression beyond filling out the bestiary, and the plot is near nonexistent, but that's fine too as I like classic roguelikes.”
- “There is no story or roleplaying -- or even character classes -- just a huge (and I really mean huge) list of spells and skills to develop as you descend deeper and deeper.”
- “This is the story of how I died again.”
- “The moral of the story is get summon spells.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing mechanics of slime amalgamation, which adds a lighthearted touch while preventing gameplay from becoming tedious. Players find the challenge of combining abilities to be both entertaining and comical, especially as they progress and dominate earlier levels.
- “Slime amalgamation is funny and stops you from 2cating yourself and slowing the game down to a crawl, by the way.”
- “Eventually the game will challenge your ability to put together a combination of abilities that would crush its earlier levels so utterly and comprehensively it wouldn't even be funny.”
- “I think it would be funny.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players appreciate the game's optimization mechanics, noting that health and mana restoration at the end of each floor alleviates some of the more tedious resource management challenges. In contrast, the sequel emphasizes build optimization, encouraging players to balance raw power with efficiency. Overall, both games cater well to fans of optimization within the roguelike genre.
- “Awesome game if you like optimization and roguelikes.”
- “Rw 2 is more of a build optimization game where you primarily focus on acquiring the most raw power while still needing to meet a minimum threshold of efficiency.”
- “Health and mana restoration at the end of each floor makes one of RW1's more annoying optimization constraints less tedious - you don't have to ration your spell casts in between floors.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
Reviews indicate a mixed perception of the game's monetization strategy, with some users suggesting it may lean towards being a cash grab, while others appreciate the effort to maintain a fair approach amidst prevalent microtransaction practices in live service games. Overall, there is a sense of cautious optimism regarding its monetization model.
- “In the time of live service games, microtransactions, and other harmful practices, you show the world that there is still hope.”
- “The monetization model is fair and transparent, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend.”
- “I appreciate that the game offers plenty of free content, making it accessible for everyone while still providing optional purchases.”
- “I'm not saying it's a cash grab... but I'm not saying it's *not* a cash grab, either.”
- “In the time of live service games, microtransactions and other harmful practices, you show the world that there is still hope.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted for its highly replayable nature and a unique atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- “The game has a highly replayable nature and carries a distinct atmosphere that draws you in.”
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of the world.”
- “Every detail contributes to a rich atmosphere that enhances the overall gaming experience.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers express deep appreciation for indie developers, highlighting their innovation and passion as vital to preserving the emotional essence of gaming. This gratitude underscores the connection between creativity and the emotional impact of games.
- “I just want to finish this review with a heartfelt thank you to all indie developers for keeping on innovating, exploring new things, working on passion projects, and ultimately for keeping the essence of gaming alive.”