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Ritual Studios · 2025 · Windows

Steam: 98 % positive of 1,424 reviews, as of Oct 28

In this turn-based RPG, wield powerful legendary instruments, gather mighty riff attacks and save the land from Rick Riffson's devilish goons and musical hybrid monsters!

24 games that play like Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson and 24 that look like it. Closest by gameplay: People of Note, Deathbulge: Battle of the Bands and Everhood.

Player tags

  • Cute
  • Indie
  • Music
  • Rhythm
  • Fantasy
  • Cartoony
  • RPG
  • Exploration
Map region: JRPGs & Anime RPGsSynthwave games
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Steam reviews

What players say

Overwhelmingly positive: players love the music, pixel art and rhythm-based turn battles, though many call it short and easy with some bugs.

Many players praise the soundtrack, the music references and the rhythm-based combat, where timed inputs on each attack and a deckbuilding system with four instruments give varied builds. Several enjoy the cheerful, cameo-filled story and the pixel art and animations. Some complain that the game is short, often finished in about 5 to 10 hours, and too easy, with the bass and synth instruments considered overpowered. Others mention bugs such as softlocks, crashes and UI glitches, and that the stealth level feels out of place. Recent reviews are similarly positive, with a few more mentioning difficulty spikes in some bosses and a wish for a sequel or DLC. Steam's totals are overwhelmingly positive.

Praised

  • Music and references

    Players love the soundtrack and the many music-themed names, jokes and cameos from musicians and YouTubers.

    Many players
  • Rhythm-based turn combat

    The QTE timing on attacks, combined with turn-based fights and instrument decks, is described as fun and engaging.

    Many players
  • Pixel art and animation

    Players praise the charming pixel art, expressive animations and attack effects.

    Many players
  • Short, focused length

    Players like that the game is short and does not overstay its welcome, making it good for a few evenings.

    Many players

Criticised

  • Too short and easy

    Reviewers finish it in about 5 to 10 hours and find most fights easy, with some wanting more content.

    Many players
  • Bugs and softlocks

    Players report crashes, softlocks, UI glitches and collision issues that required reloading the game.

    Some players
  • Overpowered instruments

    The bass and synth are often called overpowered, letting players defeat bosses in one or two rounds.

    Some players
  • Tough boss balance

    Players find some bosses and the potion limit frustrating, while others call the midgame encounters repetitive.

    A few players
Who it suits
Players who enjoy music, rhythm games and light turn-based RPGs, and fans of Rob Scallon, will likely enjoy it.
Who should skip it
Players seeking a long or challenging RPG, or anyone who dislikes buggy, very easy games, should skip it.

Short vs. long playtime: Players with more hours tend to mention the short length and easy difficulty more, while newer players praise the music and combat without that complaint.

Summarised by AI from 76 Steam reviews (English, helpful and recent), as of Oct 28, 2026.

Best matches

Plays and looks like Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson

These games are close to it by gameplay and by look, so they appear in both lists below.

By gameplay

Plays like Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson

Matched from Steam descriptions and player tags. The tags under each game are the ones both games share.

More matches

  1. Everhood 273 % positive of 2,222Shared: Music · Rhythm · RPG
  2. Epic Battle Fantasy 498 % positive of 2,825Shared: Fantasy · RPG · Strategy
  3. Keylocker | Turn Based Cyberpunk Action83 % positive of 229Shared: Music · Rhythm · RPG
  4. Nocturne: Prelude96 % positive of 400Shared: Rhythm · Fantasy · RPG
  5. Ikenfell92 % positive of 708Shared: Fantasy · RPG · Tactical RPG
  6. Chained Echoes87 % positive of 7,840Shared: Fantasy · RPG · Exploration
  7. Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Edition81 % positive of 1,865Shared: Fantasy · RPG · Strategy
  8. HEARTBEAT84 % positive of 564Shared: RPG · Turn-Based Combat · Pixel Graphics
  9. Tinyfolks93 % positive of 1,075Shared: Fantasy · RPG · Tactical RPG
  10. Shogun Showdown95 % positive of 6,286Shared: RPG · Tactical RPG · Turn-Based Strategy
  11. Knights of Pen and Paper 285 % positive of 2,385Shared: Fantasy · RPG · Strategy
  12. Ultimate Drummer97 % positive of 179Shared: Rhythm · RPG · Third Person

By look

Looks like Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson

Matched from screenshots. Each card shows the screenshot closest to the look of this game.

More matches

  1. OneShot: World Machine Edition98 % positive of 5,505
  2. Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo96 % positive of 2,053
  3. UNSIGHTED93 % positive of 1,890
  4. Crossing Souls77 % positive of 1,421
  5. Nocturne: Prelude96 % positive of 400
  6. Jack Move: I.C.E. Breaker94 % positive of 525
  7. Monster Sanctuary90 % positive of 10,454
  8. Mining Merchant86 % positive of 422
  9. Eastward82 % positive of 14,457
  10. Kingdoms of the Dump93 % positive of 1,035
  11. Brutal Orchestra97 % positive of 1,901
  12. OVIS LOOP88 % positive of 1,101

At a glance

What games like Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson have in common

  • The tags they share most often with Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson: RPG (21 of 24), Fantasy (10) and Rhythm (8).
  • They came out between 2013 and 2026, 3 of them after Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson (2025).
  • Best rated by Steam players: Epic Battle Fantasy 4 (98 % positive of 2,825).

How these matches work

Matches come from embeddings of Steam descriptions, player tags and screenshots, computed offline. “Plays like” compares what the games are about and how players tag them; “Looks like” compares their screenshots. The share of positive reviews is based on Steam user reviews.

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