Rift of the NecroDancer is a rhythm game that has the player press specific buttons in time with the music.

The player controls Cadence, returning protagonist from Crypt of the NecroDancer as she progresses through a series of stages in 3 different game modes.

Different enemy types have different behaviors such as moving between lanes, or requiring multiple button presses to defeat.

Players can alternatively select individual stages from the menu and choose to play on one of four difficulty levels.

[6] Rhythm rift stages also have a remix mode, where enemy types and positions are shuffled for a different experience each time.

"[6] Reviewers praised the game's soundtrack, noting its use of multiple composers across a variety of music genres.