Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson Is a Sweet Riff on the Rhythm RPG

By Bee Wertheimer | July 25, 2025 | 9:40am

Video Games Reviews fretless

Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson Is a Sweet Riff on the Rhythm RPG

In a world where every creative industry is collapsing, it is a breath of fresh air to play a game about the joy of making art. Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson is a musical RPG made by and for musicians, but it’s approachable even for the tone-deaf, and resonant among anyone who has ever experienced love.

In Fretless, you play as the real-life popular YouTube musician Rob Scallon as he goes on a fantastical quest to save the world from an evil record company and their musical monsters. The game knows its premise is silly, and even if you’re not a Scallon fan and the references to his channel fly over your head, there’s still plenty to enjoy in the humor of the dialogue. As you explore the pixellated world of Fretless, it becomes quickly apparent that everything is music-themed, from the giant stone pillars carved to resemble speakers to the bell reeds that chime as you walk through them. Even the spider webs are made of guitar strings.

It’s up to you to defeat the evil musical monsters and win the battle of the bands. When you encounter an enemy, you are transported to a battlefield where your weapon is the instrument on your back (you begin with an acoustic guitar, but there are more to unlock later). In the turn-based battle, you are tasked with stringing together three riff cards from your instrument’s deck to play a delightful tune that seamlessly weaves into the background music when you execute the play. The riff cards work like standard RPG battle actions, with interesting synergies that complement the deck-building aspect of the game.

My favorite part of battle, however, is the execution of your turn. When you play an attack card, there is a rhythm-based Quick Time Event (QTE) opportunity that increases the efficacy of your move (according to the game’s documentary, this was inspired by Paper Mario). Similarly, when an enemy attacks, there is a QTE that allows you to block their attack and take less damage. While not particularly complex, these rhythmic elements are so satisfying to land, and they invite you to admire the absolutely stunning animation work Fretless boasts. The combination of strategic battle planning and jamming out is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in a game, and I never tire of it.

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Each instrument has three modulator slots that give you passive effects in battle. Your weapons also have their own decks of riff cards, encouraging you to try out a variety of playstyles. One instrument has you slewing negative status effects on your enemies, so that, when you play the card whose attack power correlates to how many effects are on your opponent, it’s absolutely devastating. Another instrument has you building up a “slap” meter that directly increases the strength of your attack, resetting the turn after it hits 10 or higher (I’ve gotten it up to 30 with a riff that doubles your slap). As you explore the world you discover more riffs as well as materials to upgrade them, which allows you to customize your playstyle even further through building your deck.

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There’s also an amp meter that, when filled, triggers a full-screen ultimate ability accompanied by a short rhythm game that makes your attack more stronger. Each instrument has its own amp ability, kickass song, and gorgeous animation.

Obviously I have to mention the soundtrack. Simply put, bangers through and through. I love that the battle music changes depending on which weapon you’re using. The procedural music throughout the game is elegant and, like any good design, invisible. Every song is delightful, from the gorgeously mellow title screen track to the blood-pumping boss fight music (guest artists include Northlane, whose track is killer).

Fretless does have some shortcomings. In order to heal, you have to visit one of several identical blonde nurse ladies scattered throughout the world, whose design and musical theming feels uninspired. While the game’s employment of tropes usually works in its favor, in this instance it rubbed me the wrong way. Moreover, the art style of the opening cutscene and box art don’t mesh well with the game’s content, and the story could have leaned further into its own goofiness. Many of the victories feel cheap, and consumables are overabundant. I wanted more of a challenge while playing; there’s so much untapped potential in the complexity and depth of the combat that could have been realized if the game were harder.

What makes Fretless unforgettable, though, is that you can tell how much fun the devs had while making it. There’s boundless whimsical touches that are always a delight to discover, which is inevitable when you’re making a game about your passion. And there aren’t enough games about passion. When I played Outer Wilds, I was dazzled by the love and excitement that went into portraying the principles of quantum physics; it felt like listening to a friend gush over their significant other. Fretless gives me this same feeling of sheer joy at the human capacity for love.

While Fretless may not fully realize its own potential, the game is such a fun time with so many clever ideas that it’s absolutely worth experiencing.

Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson was developed by Ritual Studios and published by Playdigious. It is available on PC.

Bee Wertheimer is a games writer based in New York City. You can find them on Bluesky or visit their site beewertheimer.com.