The Drifter Reviews
The Drifter is a gorgeous and moody point 'n' click adventure with impeccable art, but its pulp leanings undermine its best qualities.
The Drifter might hark back to 20th-century point-and-clicks with its pixel visuals, but its smart controls, streamlined interface and smooth scrolling place it firmly in the modern world. Its adult-oriented graphics and language combine with an undercurrent of humour to bring the schlocky plot to life, and joyful backgrounds and animations keep it fresh from beginning to end.Powerhoof has provided yet more evidence that we're living through the graphic adventure's Golden Age.
The Drifter is a new standard in point and click adventures and deserves to be spoken about in the same breath as the very best the genre has to offer. The look, sound, and feel of the game are all superb and it tells a story that never stops being thrilling. All in all, it's an essential purchase for anybody who has even a passing interest in the genre.
The puzzles are logical, never distracting, often contained within single screens in an escape room style. Excellent voice acting and a cynical narrator complete an experience that demonstrates that adventures can still have a lot to offer, when crafted by skilled hands.
Review in Italian | Read full review
What stumbles there are, though, do little to loosen The Drifter’s sturdy grasp of the genre. With a steady stream of plot twists and storytelling intrigue, the game is a propulsive and polished example of the form, every bit the satisfying pulp adventure it sets out to be.
After tons of time squinting at my monitor trying to solve whodunits and twisting my iPad around to see if my puzzle will cooperate, The Drifter has been the refreshing and innovative experience I’ve been looking for. You’ll find me hard-pressed to find any glaring flaws, as it excels in its characters, writing, puzzling, and everything else. It’s a thrill ride from start to finish that I’d recommend to anyone.
The Drifter, from developer Powerhoof and Dave Lloyd, is a point-and-click adventure that stands out from most modern games in this genre. It brings brilliant control design, a thick narrative that can be felt, and all the right gameplay elements to make the game an impactful experience.
The Drifter is not only one of the best games of the year, so far, I’d consider it one of the best adventure games period. Not only does it buck the genre’s conventions through new, bold ideas, its story is a start-to-finish thriller that blends mystery, horror, and science-fiction while effortlessly dripping cool.
The Drifter is an excellent adventure game with a fantastic story, excellent sound, and lovely pixel art, though sadly drags a bit here and there.
A brutal, lightning-paced take on the point-and-click adventure, The Drifter stands confidently among the greats of Australian horror fiction. Building a uniquely unsettling atmosphere with its chilling prose and narration, it presents a compelling supernatural mystery that will satisfy any adventure game fan. With gorgeous pixel art, killer voice acting, a soundtrack full of bangers, and an engaging gameplay loop, The Drifter is a home-grown triumph.
The Drifter has everything you want from a modern point-and-click adventure – a banging story, excellent characters that are unabashedly Australian, and expertly designed puzzles. It's one of the best adventure games you'll ever play and it feels like an evolution for the genre, and Powerhoof deserves all the acclaim about to come its way.
With flawless pacing and poignant voice acting, paired with a captivating story full of intrigue, The Drifter goes above and beyond all expectations. The novel twin-stick control scheme makes playing with a controller surprisingly comfortable, a first for a point-and-click adventure game, while purists can still enjoy mouse mode using the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con. The art is beautiful and stylish, the music appropriately brooding; The Drifter might be the most polished and expertly crafted adventure game of all time.
While The Drifter mostly succeeds as an immersive interactive novel, the experience, although solid and well paced, never quite evolves into something more than a moody two-evening adventure. What’s really a shame with Powerhoof’s creation is that while it’s a finely crafted point-and-click with great art direction and dark atmosphere, its shift from noir character drama and tense thriller to sprawling sci-fi conspiracy pulp is ultimately a disservice to the emotional potential of its arresting opening chapters.
Exciting and good-looking wild science fiction in the shape of a classic quest that doesn't look archaic.
Review in Russian | Read full review
If concepts like Stephen King, John Carpenter, and low-budget 80s horror films hold a special place in your life, you’ll absolutely love The Drifter.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Deserving of a place in the point and click hall of fame, The Drifter is a pulpy thriller with fantastic storytelling, excellent puzzles and truly stand-out voice acting. Undoubtedly one of the highlights of 2025, make sure this is on your radar if you're a fan of adventure games with unforgettable narratives.
The Drifter is a well-written, fast-paced point-and-click thriller that will keep you glued to your seat. It's a must-play for those who love puzzlers, mystery, and adventure.
The Drifter proves that classic point-and-click adventures still have plenty to offer. Its gripping story, clever puzzles and outstanding pixel art make it one of the genre's strongest modern releases.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Drifter is unflinching in its brazen pain, and it’s the player, not the developer, who might look away first. One of the best modern point and click adventures, The Drifter can ride the rails of the Nintendo Switch safely, at least until the morning comes.
The Drifter is a point‑and‑click adventure that adapts the genre very well to modern sensibilities. Despite a few trial‑and‑error moments and some rather obtuse puzzles, its campaign is extremely engaging, as it blends a unique art style with a fantastic and highly impactful narrative.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review