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Röki

Backed by a gorgeous hand-drawn art style and enhanced by incredible sound design, Röki is a magical and touching adventure that will have you captivated until the very end
Röki Game Cover
86%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
grinding, stability
93% User Score Based on 1,722 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 25 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Mac OSPlaystation 4XboxSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
Röki Game Cover

About

Röki is a single player action adventure game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Polygon Treehouse and was released on October 28, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

"Röki" is a modern adventure game inspired by Scandinavian folklore, where players join Tove on a journey through a wintry world filled with strange creatures and ancient puzzles. The game features a rich cast of 'creepy-but-cute' characters and a unique take on Nordic folklore, as players explore a living fairy tale forest and search for long-forgotten items to save Tove's family. With its atmospheric exploration and touching narrative, Röki offers a contemporary fairy tale for all to enjoy.

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93%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,722 reviews
story780 positive mentions
grinding74 negative mentions

  • Beautiful art style and music that enhances the emotional storytelling.
  • Engaging puzzles that are challenging but logical, providing a satisfying gameplay experience.
  • Touching narrative that explores themes of family, loss, and acceptance, resonating with players on a personal level.
  • Controls can be clunky and frustrating, especially with the lack of a mouse cursor for inventory management.
  • Significant backtracking required, which can make the gameplay feel tedious at times.
  • Some puzzles can be obscure or rely on trial and error, leading to moments of frustration for players.
  • story
    1,418 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of Röki is a heartfelt and emotional journey centered around family, loss, and the exploration of Nordic folklore. Players follow Tove as she embarks on a quest to rescue her brother, encountering various mythical creatures and uncovering her own past along the way. While the narrative is praised for its depth and emotional resonance, some players noted pacing issues and a desire for more engaging dialogue, yet overall, the storytelling is considered a standout feature of the game.

    • “Röki has a sweet, engaging story with interesting puzzles and a beautifully designed world.”
    • “The story is beautifully well-done, the graphics are very cute and the puzzles were perfect!”
    • “Röki tells a touching story about family and loss spiced up with northern folklore.”
    • “The story wasn't really that deep for me.”
    • “Unfortunately, I felt like the story fell through; it was just a little too simple and didn't feel like it fully delivered.”
    • “The story is predictable.”
  • graphics
    468 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of Röki are widely praised for their beautiful, cartoony art style that effectively complements the game's narrative and atmosphere, drawing inspiration from Scandinavian folklore. Many reviewers highlight the stunning visuals and charming character designs, noting that the simplistic yet detailed graphics create an immersive experience. While some mention that the graphics may not be high-end or realistic, they serve the game's aesthetic and emotional storytelling well, contributing to a cozy and engaging adventure.

    • “The visuals and soundtrack created a magical ambiance, while the gameplay balanced exploration, puzzles, and emotional connection.”
    • “Röki is a wonderful slow-paced puzzle game, with stunning visuals, and a lovely story.”
    • “The graphics are stunning, the soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful and you will absolutely fall in love with the story.”
    • “Despite offering an original tale presented in a lovable aesthetic, Röki is held back by its core gameplay mechanism.”
    • “A few graphical glitches crop up here and there, but otherwise this is a solid and fun adventure filled with puzzles, action, and intrigue.”
    • “First impressions weren't great (art style aside), but gosh, once it gets going, it really is fantastic.”
  • music
    357 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful, atmospheric quality that enhances the overall experience, creating a magical ambiance that complements the art and story. While some reviewers noted that the soundtrack can be repetitive or occasionally mismatched with the game's emotional moments, the majority found it soothing and evocative, contributing significantly to the game's immersive world. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, with many recommending it as a must-listen outside of gameplay.

    • “What a masterpiece of a game, from the art style to the soundtrack to the story to the puzzles!”
    • “The soundtrack is absolutely gorgeous, it's totally worth buying the deluxe edition if you like to relax with a soft soundtrack in the background.”
    • “The music sets the mood perfectly, and I would recommend buying this with the soundtrack.”
    • “The soundtrack for the dialogues are basically just gasps like 'argh!', 'urgh', 'hrrmmh', etc. sometimes the characters say each other's name like 'lars!', 'roki!' and 'tove!', but that's it.”
    • “Music: the soundtracks do not match the intense situation in which the character is in.”
    • “I'd rather have good voice acting (with more than just names screaming in my ears) or then just the soundtrack, but the combination they ended up with in the game is a big turn off for me.”
  • emotional
    326 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of Röki is widely praised, with many players highlighting its heartfelt narrative centered on themes of family, love, loss, and grief. The game evokes strong emotional responses, often leading players to tears, particularly through its touching character arcs and connections to Scandinavian folklore. While some found the gameplay mechanics occasionally frustrating, the overall emotional journey and beautiful art style create a memorable and moving experience.

    • “Röki is a beautiful emotional story.”
    • “Röki tells a touching story about family and loss spiced up with northern folklore.”
    • “The story is beautiful and touching, something that would stand by itself, like in a comic.”
  • gameplay
    305 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Röki is characterized by a blend of point-and-click mechanics and 3D exploration, featuring simple yet engaging puzzles that balance exploration and emotional storytelling. While many players appreciate the intuitive controls and the relaxing pace, some criticize the slow progression, repetitive dialogue, and occasional lack of clarity in item interactions, which can lead to tedious backtracking. Overall, the game is recommended for its charming visuals and narrative, though it may not appeal to those seeking more challenging or fast-paced gameplay.

    • “The gameplay is enjoyable; it's a well-done point-and-click style puzzle-adventure game.”
    • “The visuals and soundtrack created a magical ambiance, while the gameplay balanced exploration, puzzles, and emotional connection.”
    • “That aside, Röki has a wonderful gameplay experience, with puzzles that are really fun and just the right level of difficulty.”
    • “However, the gameplay was somewhat annoying to me at times.”
    • “What further slows the gameplay down, straight up bordering on interrupting it unnecessarily, are the incessant dialogue box pop-ups.”
    • “The worst offender here is gameplay; many items blend into the background, so much so that a highlight feature was added but still cannot bring forth some of the most minute ones. This, combined with the absence of a quick travel option and the slow nature of it, makes it a bore. I'm sure that more than ¾ of my time was spent aimlessly wandering around in a plot where it asks you to hurry.”
  • atmosphere
    116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its enchanting blend of art and music, creating a whimsical and immersive experience rooted in Scandinavian folklore. Players appreciate the beautiful visuals and sound design, which enhance the storytelling and evoke a range of emotions, from coziness to tension. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature that invites players to explore and revisit the game.

    • “The mystical atmosphere that leaves you in wonder - yet never feeling completely safe - is just executed so well.”
    • “This game is full of this breathtaking mystical atmosphere, the art style of this game is also very beautiful, and it definitely made me appreciate Scandinavian folklore a lot more.”
    • “Gorgeous, atmospheric gameplay supported by beautiful sound design, and a story full of quests and puzzles.”
    • “I love the art style and atmosphere; I was obsessed with how cute the little brother is, but I think what I imagined the game was going to be was better than the game actually was.”
    • “However, if you’re looking for a game with more complex, logic-based puzzles and don’t have a soft spot for the game’s Nordic, fairytale-like atmosphere, this might not be your cup of tea.”
    • “At first, I was a bit sad about no voice and only some emotional verbal reactions and name-calling for the characters, but after a short time, this also fits very well with the atmosphere.”
  • grinding
    74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game is frequently criticized for its tediousness, particularly due to excessive backtracking, slow character movement, and the need to meticulously search for small clues. Many players found the puzzle-solving experience enjoyable but marred by repetitive tasks and a lack of fast travel options, which detracted from overall engagement. While some appreciated the art and design, the overall sentiment leans towards frustration with the game's pacing and the grindy nature of its mechanics.

    • “My only complaint is the very tedious boring ending that was just clicking and running and having to watch all the credits to get the ending you want after all that.”
    • “The whole running around and around and around and around over the same spots/routes is tedious and sucked the fun right out of the game for me.”
    • “I had high hopes for it based on its demo, but playing the full game felt more tedious than most point & click games, particularly if you find yourself holding down run or spamming the ping objects button to find the pixel-sized collectibles.”
  • humor
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is described as subtle and occasionally quirky, with moments that elicit laughter through broken English dialogue and amusing animations, such as a character getting stuck in a loop. While some players found the humor to be minimal compared to other titles, others appreciated the balance of funny, emotional, and dark elements in the story, making it a unique experience. Overall, the game offers a blend of humor that complements its artistic and narrative qualities.

    • “The mother turning around every single cut-scene and then her nose bleeding just made me laugh.”
    • “Which was more hilarious than anything, and the odd time pappa bear got stuck in an animation loop after picking something up - e.g. putting the floor board back down in the castle, he was then unable to move anywhere and just did the same animation of placing the plank down in the direction I tried to move.”
    • “Just a lot of single name usage and humorous sounds when you figure something out (Tove's 'woohoo' is my fave).”
  • character development
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is highlighted through memorable character designs and engaging side stories, with a notable influence from Norse mythology. While the storytelling and graphics are praised, some character designs may be unsettling for sensitive players. Overall, the game is recommended for those who appreciate a focus on narrative and character depth rather than action.

    • “Love that there are side stories with character development and (as someone from the US) the hint of Norse mythology in the creatures.”
    • “The storytelling in it is lovely, and the character designs are amazing.”
    • “It's a $20 more than well spent if you enjoy games more focused on story and character development rather than action.”
    • “However, I can't fully recommend it for kids (at least squeamish or sensitive ones), given that a few of the scarier creature/character designs nearly gave me nightmares myself, including humanoids with bleeding eyes (ugh!).”
    • “Character design is like YouTube advert animation; not that it's bad, just a bit basic.”
    • “Love that there are side stories with character development and, as someone from the US, the hint of Norse mythology in the creatures.”
  • stability
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is marked by occasional bugs and glitches, including freezing issues and odd character movements, which can disrupt gameplay but are generally fixable. While some players found the navigation and pacing slow, these issues did not significantly detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is considered stable enough for enjoyment, despite its quirks.

    • “Just a few caveats: there are some bugs that freeze the game (nothing blocking, just force quit and restart), but it's a nuisance, and one timed puzzle that is troublesome.”
    • “Drawbacks: some segments of the game felt a bit drawn out/slow (lots of walking back and forth or just drawn out walking segments) which took away from the overall feeling of engagement with the game at times; a few glitches such as the character disappearing into the ground or floating into the sky if I was holding the shift key while moving into some areas, or the camera being set in a fixed position where I could not see the character (these were fixable but may have caused me to panic if I wasn't experienced with such things); the game doesn't tell you how to get to the pause menu and for a couple of other parts the key(s) you need to press don't show up on screen until you start pressing buttons, which would be off-putting and needlessly difficult for a gamer with little to no experience.”
    • “That being said, it can be a bit buggy sometimes; like one time I went into a new area and went flying.”
  • optimization
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is highly praised for its optimization, with users reporting no bugs or technical issues, resulting in a smooth and enjoyable performance throughout.

    • “There's also 0 bugs to ruin your experience and performance was great.”
    • “Game performance was great; no technical blimps.”
    • “Performance - I didn't have a single issue, period.”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many users noting that its short length and limited content make it unlikely for players to return after completing it.

    • “Overall, I really enjoyed it - but I will say I think there's basically no replay value. It's short, and once it's done, I don't think most people would play again.”
    • “Replayability?”
    • “Overall, I really enjoyed it - but I will say I think there's basically no replay value. It's short, and once it's done, I don't think most people would play again.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for misleading advertising, as players feel that the promotional materials suggest a different gameplay experience than what is delivered. Many users express disappointment that the game leans heavily on graphic adventure mechanics, which may not align with their expectations based on the trailers.

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10h Median play time
9h Average play time
10-12h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 12 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Röki is a action adventure game with fantasy theme.

Röki is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 9 hours playing Röki.

Röki was released on October 28, 2021.

Röki was developed by Polygon Treehouse.

Röki has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Röki is a single player game.

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