ruggnar LadiesGamers

Ruggnar Review

Game: Ruggnar
Genre: Action, Platformer, Puzzle, Adventure
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Steam,(Windows))
Developers | Publishers: Sword N’ Wands | PID Games
Age Rating: US E10+ | EU 3+
Price: US $13.99 | UK £12.59 | EU € 13.99
Release Date: June 26th, 2022

Review code used, with many thanks to PID Games.

I rarely review a platform game as I’ve found as I’ve gotten older, my reaction time isn’t as good, and platforming requires quick reactions. However, when we got the press release for Ruggnar, I wanted to try out the game. Ruggnar is a platform/puzzle game without enemies, which is what appealed to me. Instead, you have to avoid the many traps hidden in darkness.

ruggnar LadiesGamers
Whistle while you work!

Meet Ruggnar

The city of Murlodar mine was once a productive place for the local dwarfs. But now, the mine is depleted and the city is abandoned.

While in the pub having a pint, Ruggnar the dwarf overhears rumours that the neighbouring Bibibine dungeons are full of gold and treasures. What’s that he hears, gold for the taking? Ruggnar’s ears perk up with the thought of riches galore if he can brave the dark dungeons.

ruggnar LadiesGamers
Many riches to find.

Grab your Equipment

So Ruggnar packs his bag with his most vital and only equipment, candles, and sets off to make himself rich. The game is a platformer at its heart, and Ruggnar can jump surprisingly well for a short-legged dwarf and can reach higher heights than you would expect.

The only foe Ruggnar is up against in the dungeons is the darkness, as this is a non-combat game. There aren’t any enemies in the dungeons to kill Ruggnar, except for the many traps, swinging axes, fireballs and other nasty things that can damage a dwarf.

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Entrance to Exit

In each dungeon, your job is to get Ruggnar safely from the entrance to collect all the gold and treasure and find the key to the exit. It is not a difficult game and there are candlestick save points every so often in each dungeon to save his progress. However, when Ruggnar meets his doom by walking into a trap or falling a great distance, he loses everything he has collected and its lights out for Ruggnar.

ruggnar LadiesGamers
Hat with a candle

Use Candlesticks to light to Way

After it’s lights out, he starts at the last save point or the beginning of the dungeon again. When Ruggnar retraces his steps back to where he met his doom, he finds a gravestone but no dropped loot to collect. The gravestone is a nice touch, but where’s the loot Ruggnar collected? Well, it is gone completely, and I felt cheated as you have to go and collect it all over again. Usually, in games of a similar vein where instant death happens and a gravestone marks the spot, your loot is waiting for you to pick it up again.

ruggnar LadiesGamers
Visit the merchant

In the dungeons, Ruggnar will meet a merchant from whom he can purchase extra candles, spellbooks, and equipment to make his journey easier. Ruggnar can also buy colour changes for his beard; they don’t add anything to the gameplay; it is just something to spend Ruggnar’s gold on. I guess he is conscious of his appearance!

ruggnar LadiesGamers
Mind the sticky slime!

Beware the Darkness….or Not!

The darkness doesn’t mean much to a dwarf wearing a hat with a candle stuck to the top. As long as Ruggnar has his candles, he can see where he is going and avoid the many traps. He can throw a candle into the darkness to light up his way and avoid the traps ahead.

In fact, even without candles, the dungeons are not particularly dark; you can still see, though not just as well. The lack of darkness is a bit of a letdown for a game that revolves around being in the dark. I was expecting to feel trepidation about what could be waiting below in the darkness for Ruggnar. Unfortunately, that was not the case as it’s not dark enough, and you can still see enough even if Ruggnar runs out of candles or the light gets extinguished when he walks under flowing water.

ruggnar LadiesGamers
Light fires using the candles

Visuals and Controls

The game’s highlight for me is its humour and the voice acting. Enlisting the skills of Pierre-Alain de Garrigues (voice actor for Hearthstone and many other video game characters) and Jordan Harrelson (voice actor for My Time at Portia) to lend their talents to Ruggnar made the game enjoyable.

Visually I like the retro look that Ruggnar is styled in. You control the game with the joy-cons and they work well and feel intuitive which is great for the platforming.

ruggnar LadiesGamers
Dwarfs don’t like lava, be careful Ruggnar!

Conclusion

Overall I enjoyed playing Ruggnar. Even the platform jumping was pleasant to play and not frustrating. I would have liked to have more of a challenge in the game, especially in a game that centres around how dark it is meant to be. But I like that the game’s main focus is exploring the enemy-free dungeons, not everything revolves around combat.

Final Verdict: I Like It  I like it

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