Riftswarm is an action indie RPG built around online co-op bullet heaven gameplay for one to four players on PC. Players enter expeditions across a mainland map where gates spawn monsters, and the goal centers on closing those gates through rune-based spell crafting before a thirty-minute timer triggers the Apocalypse.
Gameplay
The core loop revolves around engraving runes into a single weapon to create and modify spells in real time. A weapon consists of a row of slots that fire from left to right, with each rune altering the behavior of those that follow it. Basic effects like Fireball can expand into walls when combined with Fan and Size runes, while Multicast groups multiple runes for simultaneous casting and Trigger attaches payloads that activate on impact or timer.
Mana management adds tension, as overloading the slot row silences the weapon until adjustments are made. Thirty-six runes cover projectiles, beams, pulses, multicasts, triggers, and boosts. Five weapon forms offer trade-offs, such as the dagger with five slots and fast casting versus the grimoire with ten slots and larger mana reserves. Runes drop into a backpack for mid-fight rearrangement rather than permanent card selections, and four tiers allow merging copies at a Forge for stronger versions.
Exploration spans 560 tiles of varied biomes including forest, grassland, swamp, civilization, crypt, and volcanic areas. The Danger Meter escalates from Calm through Dusk and Dread to Ruin, summoning Heralds with distinct dodgeable attack patterns. At the thirty-minute mark the Apocalypse activates, erupting remaining gates and introducing a world boss.
Game Modes
Expeditions support solo play or groups of up to four via online co-op, with shared XP and gold pools that keep all participants progressing equally. The mainland serves as the central arena where players manage multiple gates simultaneously. Entering a gate shifts to an instance with objectives revealed only after arrival, such as breaking a swarm, hunting a boss, channeling a ritual, or holding a node.
Clearing a gate opens a thirty-second extraction window amid continued spawns. One in six gates is a Red Gate that functions one-way, requiring full clearance or teammate assistance to exit. Two players can tackle a gate while others defend the mainland field. Revive tokens are limited to three per party, with downed players remaining in place until retrieved.
Between expeditions the group moves through a shared hub to spend gold on power-ups and rune packs, select from three characters, test builds on a training dummy, and prepare the next run. Expeditions can be suspended and resumed later with the same party.
Character and Progression Systems
Three characters are available for selection at the hub mirror, each compatible with the five weapon forms. Progression occurs through repeated expeditions that unlock new runes and power-ups via gate clears, boss defeats, and survival against the world ender. Gold from prior runs funds merchant purchases in the hub, while rune packs expand options without relying on random draws during combat.
The system emphasizes experimentation because every rune addition or reordering immediately changes the next cast output. Order matters critically, as runes modify everything to their right, encouraging frequent mid-fight adjustments from the backpack inventory.
Is It Worth Playing?
Riftswarm suits players who enjoy real-time build crafting within a co-op horde survival framework that mixes exploration, timed objectives, and escalating pressure. The rune engraving mechanic provides depth through combinatorial spell creation that changes with every slot adjustment, rewarding quick thinking and party coordination over static loadouts.
Solo expeditions maintain the full map and mechanics with reduced team support, while groups can split tasks across the mainland and individual gates. The fixed thirty-minute structure and revive token limit create clear risk-reward decisions around gate priority and extraction timing.
Those who prefer flexible spell experimentation, shared progression in small teams, and a consistent expedition loop with high replayability through rune combinations will find the systems engaging. The game remains in active development with community input shaping balance and features.
