Rooftops & Alleys: The Parkour Game

As it stands, I'm better off respecting the angle from a distance. Rooftops & Alleys isn't for me, but it's good at what it's interested in doing.

Rooftops & Alleys is an incredibly addictive but challenging game. The core gameplay—complex, skill-based parkour—is immensely satisfying once you overcome the high learning curve and clunky controls. Unfortunately, this excellent movement system is set in an empty world that offers almost no content or motivation for solo players to keep playing. The game is thus saved only by its surprisingly fun multiplayer mode, where chases with friends become the highlight of the experience. If you’re desperately looking for a new extreme sport and have a group of friends, Rooftops & Alleys can offer you a few fun evenings. Solo players, however, should look elsewhere. Above all, be prepared to put in plenty of hours of practice.

Rooftops & Alleys is well-made, the animations are fluid, the tricks are well executed, but mastering it will take time. The sandbox aspect offers both a lot of freedom and too few objectives to guide us. A niche game for enthusiasts?

Sadly, R&A does not deliver the experience I have been dreaming about for so many years. What is here is a very promising technical demo of parkour in video game form, which is great in terms of the technical accomplishment, but it lacks the game experience. Instead, it becomes a test of your dedication and patience to walk away feeling anything but frustration.

There's big potential in Rooftops & Alleys: The Parkour Game that, unfortunately, was not reached due to certain limitations from the game's concept. [...] Even so, I had fun with my initial blunders and with learning the leaps and pirouette sequences that the game has to offer in its combinations. Photo Mode is a welcome extra and it's possible to feel that the base for a great sequel is already done.

Rooftops and Alleys is close to being a flipping great parkour game. This trick-filled, point-scoring, freerunning experience has a banging soundtrack and hilarious online play, but the fussy and frustrating controls stop it from climbing to the next level.

Rooftops & Alleys: The Parkour Game is a decent game that just doesn’t have quite enough content to keep me going back for more. Whilst the multiplayer is undoubtedly the most enjoyable aspect, the single-player mode’s lack of activities does let it down. If you’re as starved for extreme sports games as I am, then this will satiate your appetite somewhat. Best to grab some friends for this one, though. Rooftops & Alleys: The Parkour Game get the Thumb Culture Silver Award.

Rooftops & Alleys offers a solid foundation, with responsive controls and interesting maps. Remarkably crafted by a solo developer, it's a well-packaged experience. However, limited content and modes make it feel more like an early access beta than a complete game. Still, fans will find enjoyment in its free play while waiting for updates, or perhaps a sequel.

Rooftops & Alleys has a great foundation of parkour gameplay. But with a handful of levels and no great variety of missions that'll have you tripping over your feet, this won't keep players around for long; unless they're hardcore into parkour.

Rooftops & Alleys is a rare thing: a movement-focused game that respects your time and skill. It doesn’t try to be flashy. It doesn’t try to be easy. It just asks one question—how far can you push yourself? For players who love Mirror’s Edge, Skate, or Titanfall 2 for their movement systems, this is a must-play. It won’t be for everyone. It’s light on traditional-style content and tough to learn. But if you click with the movement, you’ll find yourself chasing that next perfect run for hours. This is a game built for the few who love the grind. And if you’re one of them, it delivers in spades.