Game: Rita
Genre: Casual, Indie, Puzzle
System: Steam (Windows, MacOS, SteamOS + Linux)
Developers | Publishers: SporkTank
Steam Deck: Unknown
Controller Support: Yes
Price: US $ TBA | UK £ TBA | EU € TBA
Release Date: July 30th, 2026
A review code was provided; many thanks to SporkTank.
The Premise
In the word puzzle game Rita, we play as a little chick named Rita who has just hatched but already loves solving crosswords and other word puzzles. As Rita solves her puzzle, she transforms the world around her. We follow Rita’s story across lands and generations, meet her family, even her grand chicklets, and get to be part of her legacy.
The Gameplay of Rita
In Rita, we move freely in a colorful world with different biomes and challenges. Rita needs to collect letters of the alphabet so we can solve the newspaper’s crossword puzzles and change the world in-game. What do I mean by changing the world? Well, if we need to find a way across, a bridge might come in handy. Whatever we need to pass onto the next stage of the game is in the crossword puzzle. Solving it is a question of collecting the needed letters and coming up with the right word.
In terms of the crossword puzzles themselves, the game starts easy, but as we progress, the puzzles get a little bit harder and more complicated. Also, while we have a variety of puzzles, we also see some other challenges, such as races we need to win, music puzzles, and so on. Even the crossword puzzles have some variety – we have classic or poetical clues. We will also see word searches, rebus, anagrams and more.
Rita also features some light platforming with obstacles, which we overcome by completing word puzzles, such as the bridge mentioned above. We will also create platforms and, in some cases, power lifts to reach higher areas. Since Rita is a chicken, she cannot fly, but she can jump and swim, and as we solve puzzles, we also obtain items that help us move more quickly and freely in the world.
And speaking of the world, it’s not empty – it’s populated with some endearing characters – family and friends and even some worthy rivals. All the character designs and the world are pixel-based and cute, and the game reminded me strongly of A Short Hike and Haven Park in the way the story is set up and in the visual style. It is worth noting that the soundtrack is also great and suits well the rest of the game.
The story progresses as we move through the word puzzles, but it also features some “memory levels”, which are self-contained and smaller in scale. This is where we will search for words on a page full of letters to solve an obstacle course that moves Rita from point A to point B, the exit. Upon successful completion of the level, we get a retrospective memory of Rita from the point of view of another character. It is an interesting storytelling mechanic that works quite well in-game.
Some Other Things
Rita has basic audio and video settings. The game can be played with a keyboard, keyboard and mouse, or a gamepad. It also has Steam achievements, but no Trading cards yet.
Conclusion
Back in November last year, I had the pleasure of reviewing Rita’s demo. As I said back then, I didn’t have any expectations when I started Rita, but it’s safe to say that afterwards, I was very excited for the final release of the game. I am happy to report that Rita is exactly what I was hoping for. If you liked A Short Hike and Haven Park, and you like word-based puzzles, I think you will also enjoy Rita.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up: 