HomeNewsRift Riff
The co-creator of magic puzzler Hidden Folks is making a sumptuous, spaced-out tower defenderRiffing on the classics
Riffing on the classics
Image credit:Adriaan de Jongh
Image credit:Adriaan de Jongh
Could tower defence be the ultimate “it’s Friday and I am here in body only” genre? I haven’t really thought about it before, butRift Riff’s effusively laidback crowd control has me pondering those optimal moments in any tower defender when the incoming horde hits the flamer-MG trianglejustright, and you can settle back comfortably into the role of clockwatcher.
Rift Riff’s singleplayer offerings are split between several dimensions. In each dimension, you build a home base and surround it with synergistic fortifications to stave off waves of marauding inkblot creatures, using their spilled “juice” to fund additional structures. It’s an “open field” tower defender, with attackers emerging from portals around the map rather than following strict lanes (you’re told how many are coming from each portal before rounds, but not what kind), and construction permitted only on certain sites.
The full game is out in 2025. If I had a request, it would be more playfulness with the fundamentals. Give us some of the old Hidden Folks whimsy - what John Walkercalled"the feeling of a puzzle book that’s magically come alive, a Where’s Wally where you get to poke and prod the characters". Anyway, you can findRift Riffon Steam.
