RITA is a Masterpiece

By Drawza

RITA is a masterpiece.

From the story to the gameplay, there wasn't much about RITA that I didn't enjoy. Even some of the simplest parts of the game, along with the music and sounds, had me invested in Rita and her journey.

At its core, this is a love letter to a beloved family member, and I think that is a big reason why there is so much heart behind the game.

Created by Martin Stradling of Sporktank, RITA is a cosy puzzle adventure where you play as a chicklet named Rita. You explore the world, meet different characters, do some platforming and collect letters along the way.

Those letters are important, because they are what you will need to solve the different word puzzles found in Rita's newspaper.

The general idea is that you explore until you reach a point where you can't go any further. You might be missing something or need to make a change to the world, so you open the newspaper and see what puzzles you can solve with the letters you have collected.

Complete the right puzzle and it can open up the next part of the game.

Martin describes RITA as having some Metroidvania elements to it, but at its heart it is a puzzle game, and I think that is probably the best way to describe it.

It is a pretty simple concept, but it works really well.

There were plenty of times where I would find another letter and immediately go back to the newspaper to see what I could now solve. Other times I knew exactly which letter I needed, which then gave me another reason to keep looking around the world.

It means the exploration and puzzles work together rather than feeling like two completely different parts of the game.

The puzzles themselves also hit a nice balance. There were times where I had to sit there and think about the answer, but I never felt like the game was trying to be difficult just for the sake of it. There is a really satisfying feeling when you finally work out the word you need and see what effect it has on the world.

It was those little moments that kept me wanting to see what was around the next corner.

The presentation also deserves plenty of credit. RITA has a simple visual style that suits the game, while the music and sound add so much to the atmosphere without needing to be the centre of attention.

It all adds to the charm of the game.

But while I enjoyed the puzzles, the exploration and just playing through the game, what stayed with me the most was the story behind it.

Knowing that RITA comes from such a personal place changes the way you look at the journey. There is clearly a lot of love that has gone into making this game, and I think you can feel that while playing it.

By the time I finished playing, I wasn't just impressed by RITA.

I cared about it.

And for me, that is what made RITA something special.