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The Drifter

The Drifter Game Cover
98%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music
Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, replayability
98% User Score Based on 3,456 reviews

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The Drifter Game Cover

About The Drifter

The Drifter is a single player action game with horror, mystery, thriller and science fiction themes. It was developed by Powerhoof and was released on July 17, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

- Chapter 1 Demo - A Pulp Adventure Thriller - A murdered drifter awakens. Alive again, seconds before his death. Hunted and haunted, help him untangle a mad web of conspiracy in this fast-paced point 'n click thrill-ride. Play Chapter 1 here on Itch... Then check out the full game on Steam! A Pulp Adventure Thriller from the minds that brought you Peridium and Crawl. An engrossin…

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Reviews

98%Audience ScoreBased on 3,456 reviews
story1.5k positive mentions
grinding16 negative mentions
  • Engaging and well-paced story with intriguing plot twists and emotional depth.
  • Outstanding voice acting and narration that greatly enhance immersion and character development.
  • Beautiful pixel art with detailed lighting and animation, paired with an atmospheric synthwave soundtrack.
  • Some puzzles are occasionally convoluted or rely on trial-and-error, causing frustration.
  • Certain scenes rely on narration over black screens instead of animations, which can disrupt immersion.
  • The ending and later chapters lose momentum and feel rushed or less satisfying compared to the strong start.

  • story

    2,462 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    61% positive mentions, 38% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The story of "The Drifter" is widely praised as a gripping, fast-paced, and emotionally engaging sci-fi noir thriller with numerous twists that keep players invested from start to finish. It features well-developed characters, excellent voice acting, and a unique narrative that blends mystery, horror, and dark humor, although some find the latter parts a bit convoluted or less compelling. Overall, the story is considered the game's standout aspect, expertly woven into gameplay and enhanced by atmospheric art and sound design.

    • “The story is gripping and kept hooking me in at every twist and turn.”
    • “The voice acting is fantastic and the story is not only engaging, but authentically Australian in a way that not many other games are able to capture.”
    • “The plot twists from chapter to chapter, providing thrilling moments almost all the way through - truly immaculate storytelling.”
    • “While the game is admittedly described as pulp adventure thriller, the actual storyline seems over the top, with the rapid escalation of stakes in each chapter quickly going from unbelievable to outright nonsense that you stop trying to comprehend.”
    • “Although cold opens are popular, this one is too cold; you're given no reason to care about the main character, despite a technically heavy backstory being available. It ends up feeling like someone added threads mid-way to give it more depth.”
    • “The story becomes more ridiculous and illogical towards the end, riddled with time travel plot holes, incoherent character shifts, and absurd sci-fi tropes that undermine the earlier psychological intrigue.”

  • music

    504 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    67% positive mentions, 32% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The music in this game is widely praised for its outstanding 80s synthwave soundtrack that perfectly complements the moody, atmospheric, and tense tone of the story. It effectively enhances the immersion, supports narrative beats, and is considered a standout feature alongside the excellent voice acting and pixel art. Many reviewers found the soundtrack both nostalgic and fresh, making it a key element of the game's appeal.

    • “The soundtrack is absolutely top-notch, with great synth tracks.”
    • “An absolutely stellar retro synthwave soundtrack with some progressive noises and the overall sound design deserves an extra mention.”
    • “The music is absolutely superb - dark synth wave.”
    • “Music overall is serviceable but forgettable.”
    • “- sometimes the soundtrack hits at the right spot it works well, unfortunately it's only in a few moments”
    • “Com/album/the-drifter-original-soundtrack (track 42) but it fades out too soon and sounds different from the ingame track.”

  • graphics

    496 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    64% positive mentions, 35% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The game features a stunning, well-executed pixel art style that masterfully evokes nostalgic 90s point-and-click adventures while delivering a gritty, atmospheric sci-fi noir aesthetic. Its visuals are praised for detailed animation, effective lighting, and strong art direction, though some scenes resort to narration over animation due to budget constraints. Overall, the graphics blend classic retro charm with modern polish, perfectly complementing the immersive storytelling, voice acting, and soundtrack.

    • “Excellent pixel art style graphics and animations, incredible voice acting quality, awesome gritty atmosphere, a main character I loved in voice delivery and writing, a groovy and 'Stranger Things'-esque electronic soundtrack, interesting but never obtuse object-based puzzles; I was blown away by the quality on display here, especially considering this is a two-person project.”
    • “The art style is brilliantly executed, where even though it's pixel art, every scene is not just legible, but presents a living breathing world.”
    • “The drifter's production values are a legitimately high watermark for the genre: art style is gorgeous, voice acting's on point, and the story is extremely engrossing.”
    • “The artwork quality feels hit and miss, while never actually degrading the experience it's certainly not the greatest pixel art you've ever seen; a particular annoyance is that all the inventory items are just grey splodges.”
    • “Budget constraints are noticeable at times, as the visuals will fade to black and be narrated by Mick whenever the devs couldn't or didn't want to animate a particular scene.”
    • “Some of the puzzles make no sense at all and even if you figure them out you cannot solve them until something in the game lets you do it, so overall it is frustrating due to that and lacking logic; also, the graphic style makes it hard to see what you can interact with and what you can't.”

  • gameplay

    380 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    38% positive mentions, 59% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions

    The gameplay of "The Drifter" is a polished, modernized point-and-click adventure that masterfully blends classic mechanics with innovative elements, such as a unique death-loop/time-travel feature that adds tension without frustration. Puzzles are generally logical, well-designed, and supported by an intuitive UI, making progression engaging though occasionally linear and occasionally reliant on trial-and-error. Overall, the gameplay seamlessly integrates with the strong narrative and voice acting, enhancing immersion and delivering a fresh, intense experience within the genre.

    • “Perfect pulpy sci-fi action noir point and click adventure, with enough mechanical innovation to keep you on your toes.”
    • “The gameplay follows the traditional point-and-click graphic adventure formula, but it introduces unique mechanics tied directly to the plot that you can creatively use to your advantage.”
    • “The drifter is a rekindling of the point-&-click genre; no obtuse puzzles, no outdated inventory or mechanics system but an insanely good story with great pacing due to the puzzles being logical and not ridiculous.”
    • “I found myself getting more annoyed by the gameplay the more I played, often looking at walkthroughs.”
    • “The gameplay is too linear and leaves no freedom; you have to do everything in the right sequence.”
    • “This game has really bad gameplay, on the level of Space Quest or King's Quest where you are forced to notice one little pixel out of place or you can't progress.”

  • atmosphere

    194 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    62% positive mentions, 36% neutral mentions, 2% negative mentions

    The game is universally praised for its dense, immersive atmosphere, expertly crafted through moody pixel art, evocative lighting, and a haunting synthwave soundtrack that perfectly complements its dark, noir sci-fi tone. High-quality voice acting and tight pacing further enhance the cinematic experience, drawing players deeply into its gripping, mysterious narrative. While some note a shift in tone late in the game and occasional visual simplicity, the overall atmosphere remains a standout element that captivates and sustains player engagement throughout.

    • “It's the incredibly dense atmosphere, the cinematic storyline, the music and sound design, and voice acting of a quality I genuinely don't think I've experienced in an adventure game before.”
    • “The atmosphere, the pacing, the mystery—it's all incredibly well done.”
    • “The atmosphere: the game leans into a dark, gloomy tone that never feels gratuitous; it supports the story and keeps you invested in every scene.”
    • “And while the narration is incredible, I can't help but feel like it covers for the inability, or expense, in animating way too many incidental interactions, where the screen just cuts to black instead, killing the atmosphere.”
    • “All the mystery, intrigue, atmosphere and suspense set up during the first half, gives way to contrived sci-fi nonsense and melodrama.”
    • “The final chapters especially lose some of the interactive depth you get earlier on, and I personally found the reliance on narrated black screens instead of cutscenes a bit of a shame, the atmosphere deserved more visual punch there.”

  • emotional

    96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game delivers a deeply emotional experience, driven by strong, heartfelt voice acting—especially from the protagonist—and a multi-layered story that explores grief, personal struggles, and character relationships with genuine weight. While some find the narrative occasionally pulpy or clichéd, most praise its compelling, touching moments, surprising emotional twists, and a satisfying, resonant conclusion that elevates the thriller and sci-fi elements. Overall, it offers players an immersive, intense emotional journey balanced with humor and smart storytelling.

    • “The story is multi-layered: you have your main adventure full of exciting and crazy moments, a deeper emotional journey dealing with grief, and evolving character relationships.”
    • “Voice acting: Adrian Vaughan's performance as Mick Carter (the main protagonist) is the standout — he carries the game and gives the whole experience emotional weight.”
    • “The characters are profoundly believable, to a heartbreaking extent in some places, and the story woven around them is the best kind of sci-fi: the kind that uses the medium to tell stories that are achingly real.”

  • humor

    85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    99% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The game's humor is widely praised for its clever blend of dark, noir-inspired, and quirky Australian wit that balances the serious, often gritty storyline. Players appreciate the sharp, well-written dialogue and character-driven comedic moments, with standout voice acting enhancing both the humor and emotional depth. While not slapstick, the humor consistently adds charm, levity, and engagement throughout the suspenseful and atmospheric experience.

    • “Great art, one of the best narrations and all around cast of voice actors, superb writing that conveys a carefully crafted balance of humor and thrills, and an intriguing story that will hook you from start to finish.”
    • “The writing is also quite good, tackling themes of grief, responsibility, relationships that don't resolve cleanly... it handles all of it with a delicate grace, and then drops some dark humor right when the tension needs somewhere to go.”
    • “The voice acting is fantastic, the characters are fun, the humor is both silly and dark, the story is engaging, full of mystery, and intrigue, and the puzzles, and adventure pieces approachable enough for newcomers to jump in to the genre without hitting the frustrating snags that one may experience in the deep end.”

  • optimization

    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    69% positive mentions, 31% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game is well optimized, running smoothly on modern devices including the Steam Deck, with low system requirements and optional framerate locking for extended battery life. Its polished performance complements the standout voice acting, especially Adrian Vaughan's emotionally charged portrayal of the protagonist, enhancing the overall immersive experience.

    • “It features excellent pixel art and runs smoothly on the Steam Deck.”
    • “Top tip for Deck users: though this game isn't very performance/battery intensive, you can get even more battery life if you lock the framerate below 60fps.”
    • “Only 1.2 GB, runs smoothly on any modern system (device).”

  • grinding

    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    6% positive mentions, 5% neutral mentions, 89% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game is generally minimal, with puzzles and narrative-driven tasks avoiding typical tediousness, though some chapters involve repetitive backtracking or trial-and-error sequences that some players find tedious. While a few sections, especially in the middle and seventh chapter, require more item collection and dialogue repetition, overall the game balances complexity with engaging storytelling, keeping grinding to a manageable level.

    • “Interesting story, no 'click on everything' to solve puzzles, no grinding, just a few repetitive tasks. Highly recommend if you have a few hours to spare.”
    • “Getting thrown into a loop where you have to trial and error your way to a solution seeing the same scenes, hearing the same dialogue over and over again is just tedious to me especially when they're timed.”
    • “I found the middle chapters to be somewhat tedious with the amount of back and forth necessary to move forward; including that there is way too much exposition rather than actively experiencing or showing important details to the story.”
    • “☐ you'll need a second life for grinding”

  • stability

    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    67% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 33% negative mentions

    The game runs very smoothly and is stable on the Steam Deck, with excellent controller support, especially when trackpads are enabled. While some minor graphical glitches may occur, particularly on other devices like the Surface 7, they do not impact overall playability, and no major bugs or crashes were reported. The game also performs well on Mac systems.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck, and controller controls are perfect.”
    • “Runs great on Steam Deck if you enable the trackpads.”
    • “Also, it runs great on the Steam Deck, and works perfectly with a controller.”
    • “Although it has some graphical glitches, I often had to restart my Surface 7 twice before it would run fine.”
    • “I did notice some glitches, but I never got soft locked at any point and they were always minor.”

  • replayability

    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    38% positive mentions, 24% neutral mentions, 38% negative mentions

    The game offers limited replayability due to its linear structure and relatively short length, typical of point-and-click adventures. While achievements may encourage some additional playthroughs, most players are unlikely to return frequently. However, its strong story, art, and atmosphere make the initial experience well worth it.

    • “Not sure how much replay value it has, but I can definitely see myself coming back to it in a few years.”
    • “I will say that this game is fairly quick, and there's probably not much replay value unless you want to obtain every possible achievement; it is rather linear, but still an excellent game for the price.”
    • “For those it understandably matters to, this isn't the kind of game with much replay value, but the excellent music, voice acting, art direction, and character writing makes it well worth grabbing, especially after how much myself and my friends loved their prior game crawl.”
    • “Like most point & click adventures, the replayability is fairly low unless you're one to rush through on the first playthrough.”
    • “It's relatively short (I clocked 10-11 hours start to finish), there's not much deviation or replayability either... but the main story is a wild roller coaster.”
    • “There's no replay value here, it's a point-and-click game; the price for the game feels just right.”

  • character development

    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    60% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 40% negative mentions

    Character development is generally praised for being genuine and well-integrated, especially highlighting the protagonist's story and interactions with relatives. However, some reviews note a rushed and weaker development toward the later parts, causing certain characters to feel forgotten. Overall, the expressive character designs and concise storytelling contribute to an engaging experience without unnecessary backstory.

    • “The story and history of our main protagonist is well written - with some open questions or weird developments toward the end - but by and large it's good sci-fi and character development.”
    • “It's also not just the action, but there is genuine character development and I especially liked the interactions between the protagonist and his relatives.”
    • “The character designs are expressive, making the emotions of the story feel more immediate.”
    • “Then there is the rushed story and lack of character development later in the game to the point that I forgot about some of them, until they were required to advance the story.”
    • “The plot and character development wasn't slowly dragging you along a gravel road giving you long, unnecessary backstories; it was really good at just getting to the point.”

  • monetization

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Users criticize the monetization as misleading and feel that promised investigative gameplay is undermined by random, pay-to-win mechanics.

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Play Times

10h Median play time
9h Average play time
8-10h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 22 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Drifter is a action game with horror, mystery, thriller and science fiction themes. Common tags for The Drifter include indie, pixel graphics, supernatural, 2d, conspiracy and others.

The Drifter is available on PC, Mac OS, Steam Deck, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 9 hours playing The Drifter.

The Drifter was released on July 17, 2025.

The Drifter was developed by Powerhoof.

The Drifter has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked The Drifter for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

The Drifter is a single player game.

Similar games include Loco Motive, Kathy Rain, The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer, STASIS: BONE TOTEM and others.