Ratcheteer DX

 Switch
Ratcheteer DX Image
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews What's this?

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  • Summary: The surface has been claimed by an Impact Winter but beneath the ice and earth, mankind hibernates. As a young apprentice mechanic, you wake up in the dark. The Power Plant is offline. The Water Treatment Plant seems to be too. The Cryo Colony is in danger!

    What begins as a simple trip to    The surface has been claimed by an Impact Winter but beneath the ice and earth, mankind hibernates. As a young apprentice mechanic, you wake up in the dark. The Power Plant is offline. The Water Treatment Plant seems to be too. The Cryo Colony is in danger!

    What begins as a simple trip to fetch your mentor’s wrench sets off a winding journey through the caverns below to a vast Snowcean above to rescue friends, foes, and strangers alike.

    Along the way, you'll find and master eight unassuming tools, each opening new paths for exploration. Starting with just the Crank Lantern to light your first steps into the dark and the Wrench Sword to swing at what you find lurking in it, you'll be bounding, drilling, gliding, stomping, and dashing your way across the world of the Ratcheteer by the time you reach the end.

    Originally released for the black-and-white Playdate, this updated version reimagines the game in full color with a CD-quality stereo soundtrack and support for 10 languages.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Loot Level Chill
    Mar 5, 2026
    80
    Ratcheteer DX is a delightful nostalgia trip to the origins of handheld Zelda, with enough of its own style and a really unique setting.
  2. Video Chums
    Mar 10, 2026
    80
    With swanky gadgets and fun environments to explore, Ratcheteer DX is a retro throwback that I recommend to any fan of Game Boy classics.
  3. Siliconera
    Mar 17, 2026
    80
    Ratcheteer felt really impressive when it debuted on the Playdate, and the DX version is just as enjoyable on the Switch. I do think it felt a little more special when bound to the limitations of Panic’s handheld. It still looks and runs quite well, and this short, top-down action-RPG can be a pleasant way to enjoy an afternoon.
  4. GameGrin
    Mar 6, 2026
    75
    Ratcheteer DX looks and feels just like the classic action-adventure titles you grew up playing. It's a challenging time!
  5. Noisy Pixel
    Mar 5, 2026
    70
    Ratcheteer DX is an enjoyable little adventure while it lasts, falling shy of being something truly great thanks to its own constraints. There are some enjoyable ideas here and the gameplay is rock solid though, it does a lot more things well than it doesn't.
  6. Nintendo Life
    Mar 5, 2026
    70
    Ratcheteer DX may not break new ground, but it's a genuinely charming, lo-fi action-adventure that feels perfectly suited to the Switch eShop. It boasts clever and engaging gameplay, an evocative chiptune score, and its five-hour runtime feels just right. A little more platforming forgiveness and this would be an easy recommendation. As it stands, it's still a very good one.
  7. WellPlayed
    Mar 5, 2026
    50
    Ratcheteer DX taps into nostalgia for simpler times, but it largely fails to translate to a modern console experience. Beyond the low-res pixel graphics that come with a free helping of eye strain, the experience is weighed down by a shallow narrative, humdrum combat, and excessive backtracking.

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Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best Switch Game of 2026