Riffing on the classics
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 encourages this behaviour by being nice to look at. Created by a trio of developers includingHidden Folksdesigner Adriaan de Jongh, it’s a world of spacey, sun-carved mountains, forests and monoliths. The towers resemble the sacred architecture ofMonument Valley, and the colour scheme and general ambience remind me ofCocoon. There’s a demo, if you fancy it.
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.
In the demo, you get rapidfire turrets, tall sniper’s eyries, AOE-lobbing cannons, and thumpers which slow attackers nearby. There are more towers and upgrades to unlock between dimensions, while roaming an Eschery hive of obsidian staircases.
