Rivals

About

Rivals is a single player puzzle game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Tim Sheinman and was released on September 21, 2020. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Rivals" is a single-player investigative puzzle game with a good plot and sensational soundtrack. As a detective, you'll inspect sources, documents, and audio logs to solve puzzles and piece together the story of Josh and Luke, experiencing a rich, human drama. The game takes place on one screen, with logical deduction similar to "Return of the Obra Dinn" and "Her Story," and offers an NG+ mode, lasting approximately 2-3 hours.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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100%

Audience ScoreBased on 60 reviews

music32 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

Engaging and well-crafted story that effectively combines music and narrative elements, providing a bittersweet experience.
Clever puzzle mechanics that encourage players to piece together clues from various media, enhancing the detective experience.
High-quality music and audio that enrich the gameplay and contribute to the overall atmosphere of the game.

The game is relatively short, which may leave some players wanting more depth and complexity in the story.
Some gameplay mechanics, such as the ability to place guesses in multiple time slots, can detract from the intended challenge of deduction.
Voice acting quality varies, and the absence of subtitles can make it difficult to catch important details during audio segments.

music
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
50%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the storytelling, with many reviewers noting that it helps players piece together clues and immerse themselves in the narrative. The soundtrack features original songs that resonate well with the game's themes, particularly for fans of late 90s and early 2000s indie and country music. Overall, the combination of engaging music and a well-crafted story contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The best part of the game is the tone, set perfectly by the excellent music.”
- “Fantastic little investigation puzzle game with an amazing soundtrack.”
- “To me, the band references and music tracks were mostly meaningless, but I can see for those interested in 2000's era indie/country music it must have some extra charm.”
- “The music samples and voice recordings made me immersed into the time period and the events, which is the greatest achievement of this game.”
- “There have been a lot of musical biopic movies in the last few years, and Rivals is essentially the game version of that kind of format.”
story
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
68%
6%
The story in this deduction game is a linear yet engaging exploration of the rivalry between two fictional alternative country musicians, enriched with emotional depth and real detail. Players piece together the narrative through various media, such as letters and recordings, creating a compelling behind-the-music experience that is both charming and insightful about the evolution of music in the late 90s and early 2000s. While some reviewers noted the story's simplicity and predictability, the overall execution and atmosphere make it a worthwhile experience for fans of detective puzzle games.
- “The game has two main things going for it: a sudoku-esque system where you deduce clues in various ways ranging from reading diary entries to listening to records and an intriguing, almost bittersweet story about the rivalry between different music currents in the late 90s and early 2000s.”
- “After all that, the story opens up to be a very human story of two friends living their lives in each other's shadows.”
- “Wonderful, sensitive, well-written story coupled with interesting insights on the evolution of music in America in the early 00s.”
- “I wish the story had been more complex; you essentially know the major beats from the start and just need to put everything in order.”
- “I appreciated the commitment to full voice acting, but the audio quality was very different from character to character, which took me out of the story a bit.”
- “The story in this one is a bit more linear than in family, but it's still a classic behind-the-music story, and it's no less enjoyable an investigation than its predecessor.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The gameplay is centered around piecing together a timeline of a rivalry between two musicians, utilizing mixed-media clues and a mechanic reminiscent of "Return of the Obra Dinn," where players check off details after five correct answers. Players engage in cross-referencing dates and making notes, although the game is relatively short, with an estimated completion time of around 45 minutes for continuous play.
- “A well-executed game whose primary mechanic will be familiar to players of Return of the Obra Dinn -- slot details into a list, with a check happening after five correct answers (instead of Obra Dinn's three correct answers).”
- “The bulk of the gameplay is about cross-referencing dates, making notes, and connecting separate events into a neat timeline.”
- “The game is rather short - I think that the 2-3 hour estimate provided is generous and should only take around 45 minutes of continuous gameplay (not counting new game plus).”
- “The main mechanic is piecing together the timeline of a rivalry between two musicians, using mixed-media clues (audio and textual).”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by clever and amusing elements, such as the inclusion of a fake Reddit post about favorite albums, which adds a lighthearted and entertaining twist to gameplay.
- “Having to read a fake Reddit post about someone's favorite albums in order to construct a timeline made me laugh.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a story that, while not particularly complex, delivers surprisingly strong emotional impact, resonating with players on a deeper level than expected.
- “The story is not super deep but is surprisingly emotional!”
- “The story is not super deep but is surprisingly emotional!”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive quality, featuring a believable story and well-developed characters that enhance the overall experience.
- “Excellent atmosphere with a very believable story and characters.”