Driftwood

Driftwood is a charming indie longboarding game featuring a sloth protagonist, praised for its smooth and satisfying physics, relaxing atmosphere, and engaging soundtrack. Players enjoy the variety of boards and wheels, with gameplay that balances accessibility and depth, appealing to both casual and more competitive players. The exploration elements and map design receive positive mentions, with many appreciating the vibe and art style.

However, the game suffers from numerous bugs, including camera issues, high control sensitivity, clipping, and multiplayer synchronization problems. Many players feel the game was released prematurely as a 1.0 version, with performance and graphical pop-in issues especially on lower-end hardware like Steam Deck. The content is considered somewhat limited at full price, with calls for more maps, multiplayer modes, and customization. Developers are actively patching, showing dedication, though some design choices like "cheese runs" and leaderboard restrictions divide opinions.

Highlights

Players highly praise the game's longboard and drift physics, which feel intuitive and fun. The soundtrack and art style create a relaxing and immersive vibe, enhancing the overall experience. Customization options for boards and characters add meaningful variety. The exploration map mechanic and level design are enjoyable, with a good balance of challenge and chill gameplay. The developer's active support and frequent updates also receive commendations.

Criticisms

Common criticisms focus on persistent bugs such as spinning glitches, clipping issues, and multiplayer desynchronization. Control sensitivity is often described as too high with no adjustable settings. Graphics suffer from pop-in and low optimization, particularly on Steam Deck. Some players find the content light for the $20 price, with limited multiplayer progression and lack of advanced game modes. The tutorial and documentation are considered insufficient by some, and the camera can feel jerky and unrefined.