
Sneak away from your boring family vacation and delve into ANCIENT RUINS! Borrow equipment from dead explorers and uncover the secrets of a lost civilization as you leave your parents worried sick. WARNING: The Ruby Chest may contain traces of an ancient curse (and gluten).
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About
Play as Alex, a kid who’s itching to explore the nearby ruins while everyone else is busy attending a lecture about… rocks?! As a mysterious voice calls you into action, unraveling the secrets of The Ruby Chest becomes the only way to go back home.

Set out across a world filled with tricky puzzles, mischievous enemies, and retro handheld vibes! Leave no stone unturned (or better yet, unbroken) as you earn new abilities, discover hidden passages, and vandalize a priceless landmark in search of donuts and broccoli. Yep, that’s what kids did when they got lost before cellphones were invented.
Explore over 5 different regions filled with puzzles and bosses
Find new equipment to gain game-changing combat abilities and earn access to new areas
Enjoy vibrant visuals and catchy chiptune music, true to Game Boy Color palette and sound limitations
Collect stickers! Because everything is better with stickers
Stats
All-time low is the lowest price we've recorded for this game since we started tracking it.
Languages: English, Portuguese - Brazil, Spanish - Latin America
Engagement
Hours played at review time, across 44 reviews with recorded playtime.
Reviews
Themes across 44 recent reviews and how positive each mention is. A keyword signal, not full sentiment analysis.
positive critical· bar length = how often the theme comes up
Reviews
An absolutely delightful mini metroidvania in the style of a gameboy color game. Got all the hallmarks of the genre in a compact bite-sized package. A perfect example that you don't need dozens of hours of gameplay to create a full experience. Didn't encounter any bugs or issues, the controls are basic but functional and the bosses are varied enough given the inherit limitations of the chosen graphics and gameplay style. Can definitly see this becoming a franchise. It's also cheep. Strong recomendation if you like the genre. Got some tricky hidden treasures and upgrades, including one that's hidden behind a move the game never really outright tells you that you can do (there is some in game hints). Nothing is missable, in the achievements, there is a "bad" ending and a true ending but you can start again from just before the final boss fight if you have more to do for the true ending.
Nowadays, it's believed that a game, in order to be good, needs to be big. Raider kid proves that it's not true. It's a round, short, fun game, It kept me motivated to discover the secrets of the map and the skills gathered through the gameplay were well thought and fun. It's a great game. I really enjoyed playing it.
cara jogasso da peste, nossa nao fica devendo em nada
The best microvania ever made. There's little to say because this is an almost completely flawless video game. Quality is on par with games Pipistrello and the cursed yo-yo and Shovel Knight. If you're a fan of sidescrolling platformers and/or you once owned a gameboy, this video game is a must buy. If you are using a steam deck for playing this, you are advised to make some adjustments to both the in game settings as well as the performance settings on the steam deck for the perfect experience. See protonDB for instructions (might take a few days before the instructions are published).
I great little Metroidvania game. Cute graphic, old-school style, which I really like. Enjoyed every minute of it. Would play another game by the same developer if the opportunity should arise.
Raider Kid and the Ruby Chest is a charming retro-inspired action-adventure that pays tribute to the golden age of handheld gaming while incorporating modern Metroidvania design principles. The story follows Alex, a young boy whose ordinary family vacation takes an unexpected turn after he hears a mysterious voice echoing from ancient ruins. Drawn by curiosity, he embarks on an adventure filled with forgotten temples, hidden relics, dangerous creatures, and the legendary Ruby Chest. Although the narrative remains simple and approachable, it succeeds in creating a strong sense of mystery and excitement that encourages players to keep pushing deeper into the game's interconnected world. Exploration forms the heart of the experience, with every new area rewarding curiosity through hidden passages, useful equipment, and clever environmental design. As Alex discovers tools left behind by previous adventurers, he gradually gains new movement abilities and combat options that open previously unreachable sections of the map. This constant loop of discovery and backtracking captures the essence of the Metroidvania genre without becoming unnecessarily overwhelming. The world feels carefully planned, allowing players to steadily uncover secrets while maintaining a satisfying pace that never drags. Combat is straightforward but enjoyable, providing enough variety to complement the exploration rather than dominate it. Enemy encounters encourage players to make good use of their expanding arsenal, while boss battles introduce memorable mechanics that test both reflexes and observation. Instead of relying on excessive difficulty, the game focuses on fair challenges that reward learning enemy behavior and making smart use of newly acquired abilities. Optional difficulty settings also allow both newcomers and experienced players to tailor the adventure to their preferred level of challenge. The presentation is one of the game's biggest strengths. Its pixel art faithfully recreates the appearance of classic Game Boy Color titles while adding smoother animations and expressive environments that give each location its own identity. Ancient ruins, forests, caverns, and hidden chambers all possess a nostalgic charm without feeling visually repetitive. The chiptune soundtrack complements the retro aesthetic perfectly, delivering energetic melodies that enhance exploration and action while reinforcing the game's old-school personality. Small touches of humor scattered throughout the dialogue, collectibles, and item descriptions add warmth to the adventure and prevent the story from taking itself too seriously. Raider Kid and the Ruby Chest also rewards players who enjoy searching every corner of its world. Hidden collectibles, optional secrets, and amusing discoveries provide worthwhile incentives for thorough exploration beyond the main objective. While the overall campaign is relatively short compared to some larger Metroidvania titles, the compact structure works in its favor by ensuring that nearly every location, upgrade, and encounter feels meaningful. There is very little filler, making the adventure consistently engaging from beginning to end while encouraging replayability for completionists seeking every hidden secret. Overall, Raider Kid and the Ruby Chest delivers an entertaining blend of exploration, platforming, puzzle-solving, and light combat wrapped in an authentic retro presentation. Cacareco Games demonstrates a clear understanding of what makes classic adventure games memorable, offering a polished experience that values strong level design and rewarding progression over sheer size. Although players looking for an expansive epic may find its runtime somewhat brief, the game's focused pacing, charming atmosphere, satisfying progression system, and nostalgic appeal make it a standout indie adventure that successfully captures the spirit of the handheld classics that inspired it. Rating: 9/10
Годная метроха на вечерок. Без проблем выбил все ачивки и прошёл игру на 100%.
Jogaço! Metroidvania clássico! <4hrs e tu zera. Duração perfeita! Recomendo!
Pretty sweet little microvania. Definitely worth a pick up
Интересная маленькая метроидвания. Можно пройти за вечер на 100%. Без всяких заморочек с платформингом. Нет ачивок за прохождение на время или низким процентом, что для меня плюс, еще одна простая идеальная игра в копилку.
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Trends
Concurrent players on Steam, sampled daily since tracking started.
Audience
Estimated from the language of this game's reviews — a proxy for where players are, not official Steam demographics.
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