Riverbond

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 59 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • story
Riverbond Game Cover
Riverbond is just a very fun time, perfect for youngsters but oddly therapeutic for all of us grumpy old adults.
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Riverbond is a Kids Arcade game set in a stunning voxel world, playable in single-player or with up to 4 players in local multi-player, co-op mode. The game challenges you with objectives, battles adorable enemies and bosses, and offers a variety of melee and ranged weapons. You can destroy the cubic environments and explore depths of Riverbond in this fun and frantic adventure.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 59 reviews
graphics7 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Charming voxel art style with beautiful environments and smooth animations.
  • Fun and accessible gameplay, perfect for casual play and family-friendly co-op experiences.
  • Variety of unlockable skins and weapons, providing a lighthearted and enjoyable collection aspect.
  • Lacks depth and character progression, making the gameplay feel repetitive and shallow over time.
  • Short playtime with limited replayability, as the game can be completed quickly without much incentive to return.
  • Combat mechanics can be frustrating due to poor controls and enemy balance, leading to a less satisfying experience.
  • graphics12 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming voxel art style, which stands out in a market dominated by realistic visuals. Players appreciate the fluid animations, vibrant colors, and humorous character designs, noting that the visuals enhance the overall experience, even if some feel the focus on graphics overshadows gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game's aesthetic is considered a significant strength, making it appealing for both casual and family-friendly play.

    • “The voxel art style is the game's strongest attribute; I just love how it looks and how different it is compared to most other games.”
    • “Riverbond has some of the most amazing voxel visuals in a game, and the fluid animation makes it all the more impressive.”
    • “This game is one of those graphics over gameplay.”
    • “In a medium full of ever-increasingly realistic graphics, Riverbond is a breath of fresh air with its colorful world and characters.”
  • gameplay11 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by its simple mechanics and forgiving difficulty, making it accessible and enjoyable for players of all skill levels. It features a colorful art style reminiscent of Minecraft Dungeons, with a focus on co-op play and various unlockable skins that enhance the visual experience without affecting gameplay. While some players appreciate the fun and satisfying nature of the game, others criticize aspects like gun mechanics and enemy health that can detract from the overall experience.

    • “I love it, not too hard but really satisfying gameplay, very replayable too.”
    • “The mechanics are easy to grasp and the difficulty is very forgiving.”
    • “Good co-op game, great music, fun if simple mechanics, and a gorgeous world.”
    • “They overpower you with bad gun mechanics, their large health pool, and swarm you while you try to avoid getting stuck on a pebble, a crack in the floor, or a blade of grass.”
    • “This game is one of those that prioritizes graphics over gameplay.”
    • “Many skins can be easily unlocked, but they have no effects on gameplay; they are only for visual and animation purposes.”
  • story10 mentions

    The game's story is minimal, lacking a cohesive narrative or character development, which some players found disappointing. While the missions provide a variety of adventures and challenges, the abrupt ending and absence of a main storyline detract from the overall satisfaction of completing the game. Players may enjoy the gameplay but could find the repetitive nature of missions and the lack of a compelling story unengaging over time.

    • “We had fun and we were always happy to start the game every day to play a mission.”
    • “The missions/levels are a tad long so it takes a while to get to the final bosses.”
    • “Not much of a story, like at all, but it doesn't really need one either.”
    • “There isn't a mainline story to go from in this game, just a handful of adventures with characters to talk to, some different enemies to fight, and it ends with a boss.”
    • “The lack of a story and the abrupt ending removes most of the satisfaction from completing the game.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players enjoy the satisfying gameplay and the collection of skins that encourage replay, others find it lacks depth and challenge, resulting in limited replay value.

    • “I love it! Not too hard, but really satisfying gameplay; very replayable too.”
    • “There's a whole bunch of skins to find, so if you want to collect them all, that helps with replay value.”
    • “Lacks depth and challenge; very little replayability.”
  • music3 mentions

    The music in the game is described as cute and enjoyable, contributing positively to the overall experience. While it complements the game's art and enhances the atmosphere, some players feel it may not sustain long-term engagement. Overall, it is appreciated as part of a fun co-op experience.

    • “Cute soundtrack.”
    • “Good co-op game, great music, fun if simple mechanics, and a gorgeous world.”
    • “Apart from that, the art and music are cool.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The game features a blend of serious themes and humorous moments, enhanced by a vibrant art style that includes quirky character skins like bacon and hamburger man. Players appreciate the humorous writing and memorable character names, alongside a great variety of randomized weapons that contribute to the overall comedic experience.

    • “The premise is serious, but there are also some funny moments.”
    • “The art style is cool and offers a wide variety of funny and wacky skins like Bacon Man or Hamburger Man.”
    • “Excellent visuals and art style, humorous writing, and memorable character names, along with great randomization of weapons.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, often feeling that the effort put into achieving high scores is not justified, as it may only be rewarding enough to experience once. Additionally, there are no notable achievements tied to grinding, further diminishing its appeal.

    • “It's mainly about getting a high score per adventure, which after so much grinding and trifling, may only be worth going through everything just once.”
    • “Grinding achievements: no”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Users feel that the game's optimization is lacking and could be significantly improved for a better overall performance.

    • “It can be optimized better.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    While the game presents frustrating mechanics, such as moving forward with each attack and taking damage from certain enemies upon contact, these elements can detract from the overall emotional engagement and enjoyment of the experience.

  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is described as fun and upbeat, contributing positively to the overall experience.

    • “It's fun with a good atmosphere that is very upbeat.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in the game is largely criticized, with players noting minimal growth for characters, a lack of meaningful consequences for dying, and an overall unengaging storyline that fails to invest them in the characters' journeys.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

69% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
5-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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