Review | The Drifter: 'Bold, Bizarre, And Full Of Surprises' (PC)

Some games take a while to get going. The Drifter had me hooked from the first mouse click.

Melbourne-based Powerhoof are best known for their tongue-in-cheek party brawler Crawl — but The Drifter shows a very different side of the studio. This is a grim, slow-burn thriller drenched in pixelated dread. It’s a love letter to classic point-and-click adventures wrapped in psychological horror and Aussie edge.

It opens with a gritty, pixel-art world and a man named Mick — a classic drifter, skipping from town to town after losing someone close to him. He’s been hitching rides, keeping to himself, mingling with other rough sleepers. But after a family member passes, he’s forced to return home… And immediately finds himself at the centre of something horrific.

The Drifter

Within minutes, I watched Mick witness a brutal murder, only to be captured himself and dumped in a reservoir. Mick was dead (that was a quick game!). But then — in a moment that truly opened my eyes — his consciousness was thrust back into his body, just seconds before his death. Damnnn.

Each time Mick dies, the clock rewinds just slightly, and I had to figure out a new way to survive. It’s not just a time loop gimmick either — it ties into a twisting, paranoia-laced conspiracy that had me constantly second-guessing what was really going on.

Why is this happening to Mick? Who are the armed men following him? The mystery just gets wilder, and I loved every moment of trying to piece it together.

*Mick’s complex relationship with his wife takes centre stage.*

I don’t want to spoil where the story goes, because discovering it is half the thrill — but if you’re into dark sci-fi, strange horror, and slow-burn tension that keeps escalating, The Drifter absolutely delivers.

G’Day, Mate!

What really helped sell the tone for me was the voice acting. It’s fully voiced and very Aussie — thick accents, great slang, a grimy sense of humour. The characters feel like people you’d actually run into in a small-town pub, they avoid falling into tired tropes or clichés.

That said, there were a few American voices mixed in (like the detective), which stood out a little awkwardly, though I suspect they were going for a classic noir vibe. There was even a mention of the coveted Australian journalism awards: The Walkeys.

Real Noodle Scratchers

The game plays like a traditional point-and-click adventure — think Monkey Island, but way darker. I was constantly on the hunt for items, trying to figure out who to talk to and what obscure object I could combine with what.

Most of the time, the puzzles made sense and felt satisfying to solve. But I’ll admit, on more than one occasion, the solution was simply to leave an area and come back again to trigger a new event. That got a bit frustrating. I kept wishing the game would just give me a small time skip or visual cue to signal something had changed.

Still, when the puzzles worked, they really worked. One early gag involving a cemetery caretaker and his leaf blower had me giggling — and scratching my head — until I finally figured it out. You’ve really got to use your noggin here. Sometimes the answer is staring you right in the face; other times, I had to wander off and poke around until something clicked.

Accessibility and Controls

There’s a few handy accessibility features, including cursor lock, HD dialogue font mode and the game changing Hotspot Highlighter — especially handy if you need a hint. You can also mix the music, dialogue and sound effects to your liking, the soundtrack is great, but this game does lend itself to your own tunes.

I played on PC using a mouse, but the game also supports a controller. I briefly gave the controller a go but it was not for me; it uses a wheel mechanic to switch between items and dual sticks to select what you’re interacting with — I’m a simple man.

Powerhoof has already confirmed a Nintendo Switch version is on the way, which I imagine will be a great fit for handheld play. Hopefully it features touch controls, otherwise the Switch 2 mouse controls will lap this up!

Should I buy The Drifter?

The game is beautiful in that grimy, pixel-art way — lots of mood and shadow, with scenes that feel carefully composed. It nails that ‘dusty Aussie thriller’ vibe perfectly.

There were moments where I got stuck, annoyed, or just clicked everything in sight hoping for progress — but once I pushed past those rough patches, I fell completely in love. The Drifter is bold, bizarre, and full of surprises. It’s the kind of game that lingers long after the credits roll.

The Drifter is out now on Steam for about $25.

Quest Daily scores The Drifter:

8.5/10

Early access to The Drifter was supplied to Quest Daily by the publisher.