I didn’t really know what to expect when I fired up The Drifter. A Melbourne-made, point-and-click thriller with Monkey Island-style gameplay? Yes please. But by the time the demo wrapped up, I was completely hooked and desperate for more.
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You play as Mick, a drifter trying to process his mother’s passing, hitching a ride on a train when things take a sharp turn. The story wastes no time dragging you into its gritty, fast-paced mystery — unexpected encounters, creeping tension, and a sense that Mick’s just stumbled into something way over his head (and my own for that matter).
The Drifter
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What starts as a simple hitchhiking trip quickly spirals into a wild, supernatural conspiracy thriller. After a deadly opening sequence and swift escape, you awaken under a rail bridge by the water.
You’re not alone. There’s a familiar face standing just outside a dark tunnel. Inside, people are desperate to stay warm and there’s a reporter asking questions. As someone who’s worked within the news landscape for over a decade, it was almost an authentic situation… It gets crazy — fast.
While there’s no complex animations on show, visually, the pixel art is stunning — dark, grimy, and packed with atmosphere. The lighting, the shadows, the little details — it all amplifies the unsettling tone.
Just when I thought I had a handle on what’s happening, The Drifter pulled the rug out from under me with a brutal cliffhanger. Then the demo ends… Damn it! I need more.
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A new trailer has also just been unveiled. That said, I’d recommend jumping into the demo without looking too much further into it.
The Drifter is getting a full release on July 17th this year, it’s coming to PC and the developer has confirmed there’s a Nintendo Switch version in development. The demo’s up on Steam — go play it.
