Synth Riders

About

Synth Riders is a freestyle dance rhythm game where players catch notes, ride rails, and dodge obstacles to the beat of music. With 74 free songs and 67 optional paid DLC tracks from various artists, players can burn calories and have fun while dancing. The game also features customizable player experiences, including cross-platform multiplayer and a custom song editor.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+12

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,870 reviews

music558 positive mentions

monetization8 negative mentions

Synth Riders offers a more fluid and dance-like experience compared to other rhythm games, making it feel more engaging and enjoyable.
The game features a great selection of music, including synthwave and electro-swing, with the ability to add custom songs easily.
It provides a full-body workout, encouraging players to move their entire body rather than just their arms, which is beneficial for fitness.

The game can feel less challenging than other rhythm games, particularly for experienced players, as the difficulty scaling may not be as steep.
Some players have reported issues with visibility and hit detection, particularly with certain songs and custom maps.
The base game has a limited selection of songs compared to the extensive custom song library available in other rhythm games.

music
1,747 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
67%
1%
The music in Synth Riders is generally praised for its engaging synthwave and electronic tracks, with many players enjoying the ability to add custom songs easily, enhancing the overall experience. While the base game's soundtrack has received mixed reviews, with some finding it limited or lacking in variety, the active modding community continually contributes new content, ensuring a diverse selection for players. Overall, the game's music is seen as a key element that complements its dance-like gameplay, making it a fun and immersive rhythm experience.
- “I love synthwave music in general, and some absolute bangers are available.”
- “The game just feels natural and allows you to groove with the music while playing.”
- “Synth riders not only has absolutely amazing music, it also provides for great workouts - without the rage-quit-inducing frustration I sometimes get from Beat Saber.”
- “Bought it based on positive reviews, but the music selection is awful.”
- “The base songs that came with the game I also did not like.”
- “All the 80's songs are DLC, there are very few of them and the songs, in my humble opinion, were not that great.”
gameplay
244 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
6%
The gameplay of Synth Riders is often compared to Beat Saber, with many players appreciating its intuitive mechanics that encourage full-body movement and a more fluid, dance-like experience. While some find the gameplay simple and lacking depth, others enjoy its accessibility and the challenge it presents at higher difficulties, making it a fun and engaging rhythm game. Overall, the game is praised for its solid mechanics, variety of songs, and the ability to customize play styles, though opinions vary on its precision and depth compared to other rhythm games.
- “The gameplay is fantastic, requiring full-body movement without absurd motions required; the best charts will flow in and out of each pattern and let you feel like a professional as soon as you get the hang of knowing where the chart-maker wants your hands to be.”
- “It's so easy to get lost in the music and gameplay!”
- “What I love about this game is that the mechanics encourage me to use a greater range of movement without over-extending myself but I can also set my own pace - lowering difficulty for warm-ups/cool-downs or increasing difficulty for intensity!”
- “Honestly, if you plan to buy this game and are expecting a similar experience to Beat Saber, just don't. The two are nothing alike; this game is way worse than Beat Saber, even more now that Beat Saber had multiple updates to its mechanics.”
- “It felt cheap - gameplay, graphics, attention to detail, and the songs sounded equalized to something more akin to the 128 kbit mp3 area.”
- “Verdict: Synth Riders is a rhythm game that in its default settings doesn't bring anything new and is rather lacking both in game mechanics and score system.”
graphics
172 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
44%
3%
The graphics in Synth Riders are generally praised for their vibrant, retro-futuristic aesthetic, reminiscent of 80s synthwave, which many players find immersive and visually appealing. While some users note that the graphics may not be as advanced as competitors like Beat Saber or Audica, they appreciate the game's unique style and smooth performance, with customizable visuals enhancing the overall experience. However, there are mixed opinions regarding the need for further polish and improvements, particularly in terms of detail and loading times.
- “Dancing, music and amazing graphics, what else can you ask for?”
- “The visuals are outstanding and the supplied music packs are, in my opinion, so much better than Beat Saber.”
- “The visuals inside the songs are breathtaking and definitely made for a VR experience.”
- “First, I do not feel the graphics improved much at all from the Pico version.”
- “It felt cheap - gameplay, graphics, attention to detail, and the songs sounded equalized to something more akin to the 128 kbit mp3 area.”
- “That said, the visuals are pretty weak compared to Audica or Beat Saber.”
story
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
73%
10%
The game lacks a dedicated story or campaign mode, which has left many players wishing for a more engaging narrative experience. Instead, it primarily offers a menu of songs and downloadable content, leading to a somewhat disjointed experience. Overall, while the gameplay is enjoyable, the absence of a story mode is a notable drawback for those seeking a deeper narrative.
- “It just makes me think... 'man, I wish one of these rhythm games had a cool campaign/story mode.'”
- “Not only is it crossplay with Oculus Quest users (and I hope soon with PSVR as of this review) without needing mods, but from what I've seen for a good while, the devs actually respond to your discussion posts!”
- “Make you feel like you're actually dancing and not destroying something in your room due to being really into the game/song.”
- “- no story mode, no nothing... just a very weird menu with songs and DLC.”
- “- story mode.”
- “However, playing them... that is another story altogether.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The game offers significant replayability through a diverse selection of songs, including custom tracks, and various modifiers that enhance gameplay. While some users noted limited replay value in certain aspects, the extensive song library and multiple difficulty levels contribute to a rich replay experience. Additionally, the inclusion of online custom content and different solo modes further boosts its replayability potential.
- “Though tracks have good replayability through modifiers like making the notes come at you from all sides instead of one static line, and many other ways to mix things up.”
- “With an extensive set of songs available for free as well as multiple tight DLCs, the game boasts plenty of replayability.”
- “There's lots of replayability to it with all of the different songs (there are custom songs too!) and modifiers that you can enable.”
- “It's not good enough for exercise routine and has very limited replayability.”
- “It certainly has quite the 'wow' effect when you play it for the first time or show it to your friends and family, though I didn't find much replay value in those.”
- “The spin mode being entirely procedural and not authorable at all renders it mainly just a gimmick, albeit one that can help for replayability, compared to how Beat Saber handles its 180/360 maps (which have rotation specifically authored in).”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
56%
22%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players experience smooth performance on decent hardware, others report significant issues such as dropped frames and stuttering, particularly with custom maps and certain settings. The Steam version has been criticized for a lack of updates to address these performance problems, and players suggest that better optimization and caching for custom songs would enhance the experience. Despite the ability to adjust settings for performance, many users feel the game still requires substantial optimization to run reliably on a wider range of systems.
- “Lots of configuration options for colors and effects, so you can make the game as immersive or as optimized for competitive play as you like.”
- “Good performance, unless you start messing with avatar settings or add in the LIV avatar suite, in which case, you'll need a beefy PC.”
- “It takes a long time to start the game when you have a lot of custom songs; some optimization and caching would go a long way.”
- “Steam version getting ignored by devs and not updating or fixing performance issues, just releasing DLCs.”
- “Even with a top-notch PC, you'll eventually run into horrible performance issues.”
- “It takes a long time to start the game when you have a lot of custom songs; some optimization/caching would go a long way.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional impact of the game diminished due to its mechanics, which involve merely touching markers rather than engaging in more intense actions like smashing blocks. While the game offers interesting dynamics and a better workout, it feels less like a musical experience and more akin to a cheerleading activity, leading to a perception of lower emotional engagement. Overall, the game is praised for its options and music, but the emotional connection may not resonate as strongly with players.
- “It has interesting dynamics - you have the standard orbs you have to touch color-coded to each hand, but then you also have 'green' orbs that you can hit with either hand - the catch is you have to keep touching them with that hand until the chain breaks.”
- “:d great game, great options (boxing / touching mode) and great music!”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its retro wave aesthetics, immersive electronic landscapes, and a vibrant community, all of which create an exhilarating experience that encourages fluid body movement. The combination of music, style, and cleverly designed gameplay elements enhances the overall ambiance, making players feel as if they are dancing through the environment.
- “Retro wave aesthetics and immersive atmosphere with a super active community and devs that really care.”
- “Very immersive and exhilarating tron/retro atmosphere.”
- “(And something that might help people that have played Beat Saber, this game encourages a much more fluid way of body movement. It almost choreographs you with several very cleverly designed mechanics while you are 'skating' through atmospheric electronic landscapes.)”
monetization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for being misleading, particularly in its advertising, which features an 80's song but fails to clearly communicate the reliance on additional DLCs for content. Many users find the DLC advertisements to be excessive and feel that they detract from the overall experience, leading to dissatisfaction and even returns.
- “Now I will admit I usually do better research before buying a game, so part of this is on me, but I also think the advertising is a little misleading.”
- “The DLC ads are just obnoxious.”
- “I initially bought this game (and returned it) for its advertisement of electric swing titles that all seemed to require a DLC to obtain.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
50%
Overall, users report a stable experience with no significant hitches or glitches, indicating that the game runs smoothly even at higher settings. However, there are concerns about the broader VR ecosystem's lack of standardization and the potential limitations of certain hardware options.
- “Runs great for me, I haven't experienced any weird hitches or glitches so far.”
- “It is much easier than, say, Beat Saber and way easier than Audica. The game runs great and you can turn up the supersampling if you like with no FPS dips.”
- “Runs great for me, I haven't experienced any weird hitches or glitches so far.”
- “The headset is more buggy, thus your options are limited.”
- “The more rare the hardware is, the more you are limiting what you can play, as well as increasing the likelihood your hardware won't be future-proofed.”
- “Sadly, VR is not standardized yet.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing interactions and reactions it elicits, particularly during songs like "Kick Start My Heart" and "Staying Alive," which have entertained players and onlookers alike. Despite being an early access title, the game is noted for its polished presentation, adding to the comedic experience. Overall, the humor is a significant and enjoyable aspect that enhances the gameplay.
- “Kickstart My Heart and Staying Alive have had everyone in the household laughing, as well as the dancer with the headset on.”
- “I bet some songs are just there to make you look funny.”
- “It feels more polished than most other VR music games out there, which is pretty funny considering it's an early access title.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players express a strong commitment to grinding, likening their dedication to that of pro players in rhythm games like osu, where they invest significant effort into mastering challenging songs for better scores. This highlights a culture of perseverance and skill development through repetitive gameplay.
- “Grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “The amount of time required to level up is excessive, leading to burnout.”
- “I find myself doing the same tasks over and over, which takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”