Last Updated on Oct 27, 2025 @ 17:37:08 PM.
From the developer Powerhoof comes a brand-new title, The Drifter, that brings players back to the point-and-click genre as they solve puzzles, search locations, and unveil mysteries as they attempt to survive the horrors that plague The Drifter. Recently, I got the opportunity to review The Drifter, as I was able to explore all the different locations the game has to offer, as well as meet the unique and colorful characters that awaited me around each corner.
The World and Story of The Drifter
Jumping right into it, let’s talk about the world and story of The Drifter that I was able to explore during my review. As said above, The Drifter is a point-and-click adventure that is filled with moments of horror and dread, and the world itself adds to this with the grimy and dark locals that I was able to explore.
Whether it be a sewer, a graveyard, or even the streets of the city, there were numerous locations that I was able to explore that added plenty of dread to the title, as each location felt as dark and dingy as the last, while also having small amounts of life that made it feel real.
What impressed me the most about the world of The Drifter was how the locations were seen by the player. Some of these locations were fairly standard, allowing the player to view them as they would in a normal game; however, on some occasions, the game view changed slightly as the camera would change to a perspective as if the player were a simple bystander in this story.
One example of this is when the camera is fitted within a frame shaped and styled like a window, as if the player is a citizen watching the story unfold. For me, this was an incredible addition by the developers, as it allowed me to feel as though I wasn’t just controlling a character but rather witnessing this story from an outside perspective within the game world.
For those who are looking for a horror-filled point-and-click adventure full of surprises, twists and turns, and puzzles to solve, The Drifter is your type of game. From start to finish, I was constantly surprised by The Drifter, as it always kept me guessing in terms of its story. Without going into spoilers, there were numerous moments in which I had created a theory in my head as to what was going on within the story, only to have it completely flipped on its head and turned into a completely new theory as new information was passed on to me.
Due to the impeccable writing and story, I was never bored within The Drifter; even if a puzzle felt a little too hard, I was always hellbent on progressing the story to find out what was happening and how it would progress further down the line, which for me is a massive positive.
Along with being a powerful story, it wasn’t just a simple horror story that scared the player constantly, but was instead filled with moments of horror, despair, and even humor. For a game like The Drifter, it was clear that the developer wanted to create a story full of poignant moments that stuck with the player in more than one way, and from what I saw, this was achieved in numerous ways.
Point-and-Click Logic Makes a Triumphant Return
For those who may not be old enough to remember classic point-and-click adventures, they were a genre of video game that was played on PCs that allowed the player to interact with a game world by simply pointing and clicking their mouse on certain objects.
This may seem relatively simple in this day and age in terms of puzzles; however, point-and-click adventures were always notorious for having their own logic. In a game nowadays, if you come across a locked door, you just need to find a key, but with point-and-click games, players would need to go through a massive chain of events to gather what they need.
This trend is continued within The Drifter, as it is never too simple to complete a puzzle. Whether you are just attempting to jump-start a car, escape a deadly pursuit, or using your mother’s ashes as a weapon, there are plenty of point-and-click shenanigans taking place within The Drifter that make the puzzles challenging but fun to complete, as the unorthodox routes make you forget what you know about traditional gaming.
The Voice Acting Goes Above and Beyond
For me, I felt this deserved some attention, as the overall voice acting from The Drifter is absolutely phenomenal. Whether it is Mick Carter, the main character, or a simple bum on the street, each character is fully voiced, and if I do say so myself, incredibly well.
However, I do feel the voice actor Adrian Vaughan, who voices numerous characters within the title but mainly Mick Carter, does deserve a specific shout-out. Throughout the entire game, I found that this voice acting stood out amongst the rest, as yes, it was the main character’s, but the passion behind the voice was clear and powerful.
Each line of dialogue had enough passion behind it that Shakespeare would be impressed upon hearing it, as each line delivers emotion, shock, and depth to the character, making you feel what he is feeling throughout the entire game.
The Drifter
The Drifter is a pulp Thriller adventure from the developer Powerhoof that puts the players in the shoes of Mick Carter as he attempts to solve numerous mysteries that surround him, as well as surviving the horrors that lurk around each corner.
Summary
By the end of my time with it, I found The Drifter to be a fun and haunting experience throughout, as it constantly kept me engaged both regarding the puzzles I had to solve through the game and the story itself, being both interesting and gripping, as each new piece of information led me to want to discover more.
HOURS PLAYED: 12
PLAYED ON: PC
- The story is incredibly gripping and has numerous twists and turns that will leave players in shock.
- The point-and-click aspect works well with the story as well as the world the game inhabits.
- The voice acting is incredible with numerous noteworth performances by those involved.
- Some of the puzzles were rather challenging and would require a long time period to solve.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out our deep dive on some of the highlights for Ghost of Yotei, or check out our review of Ready or Not long awaited arrival on consoles.
Liam is a Senior Editor, Writer, and Critic for Thumb Wars and has been working with the team since day one. Liam is a big fan of all things gaming, as you will catch him playing all of the new releases from every genre you can imagine. Whether you find Liam gaming just for fun or spending his free time streaming, you will always find a smile on his face when it comes to all things gaming.
