Ring Fit Adventure: The ultimate guide

Nintendo succeeded at getting gamers off the couch with its Wii Fit and Wii Fit U titles, but they never seemed to keep us on our toes for very long. Sure, you could plunk down that unwieldy balance board and do some yoga or pushups with dedicated accuracy, but that's about all these games have to offer. Nintendo has upped the ante with its Switch fitness game, Ring Fit Adventure, which incorporates exercise with ... an actual adventure.

Whether you want to get a dedicated work out with the game's focused Quick Play routines or you want to hit the ground running-in-place and explore a unique world created for getting fit while having fun, Ring Fit Adventure has you covered. Here's everything you need to know about it.

Currently, Ring Fit Adventure is out of stock at most gaming retailers. It is currently available at a high markup on Amazon, but we recommend waiting until stock replenishes so you can get it at the regular price of $80.

What is Ring Fit Adventure?

Ring Fit Adventure takes cues from Nintendo's Wii Fit and Wii Fit U but is exclusive to the Switch console. It's a fitness-focused game intended to get players active while playing. However, unlike its predecessors, it integrates workouts into gameplay so the player can go on a story-based adventure, fight monsters, and explore a world while exercising.

How do you play?

Ring Fit Adventure can best be thought of as an RPG, though it's a fitness game on top of that. In it, the main character meets a mysterious talking Ring that joins them to defeat a super muscular dragon named Dragaeux. To play, you'll attach the included Leg Strap to your thigh and use the Ring controller to control the game. In the game's main Adventure mode, you'll move your character forward by walking or jogging in place and may need to traverse obstacles by doing exercises such as squats or by squeezing the ring.

In battles, you can choose different types of exercises to do to fight enemies, with some enemies weak against certain types of exercises. There are around 30 different attacks you can use, and the accuracy with which you complete each exercise will determine the amount of damage it does. You can also defend against enemy attacks by pressing the Ring-Con controller into your abdomen.

Can I do the workouts outside of the adventure mode?

Absolutely. Ring Fit Adventure includes a Quick Play mode where you can jump into the exercises of your choosing, play minigames, or choose sets of exercises based on the part of your body you want to work out.

What kinds of workouts are there?

There are lots of different types of exercises across multiple categories, mostly broken down by part of the body they exercise: chest, legs, arms, or yoga poses. Some examples include squats, bow pulls, overhead lunge twists, thigh presses, hinge poses, chair poses, and knee-to-chests. You can unlock more exercises by progressing in Adventure mode and leveling up.

Can I customize the workouts?

There is some customization available in Ring Fit Adventure. You are able to set the difficulty level of your workout. When you change the difficulty, successful attacks become more difficult to achieve because your exercise must be more precise. It also increases the enemies' strength, so you must work out longer in order to beat them. Difficulty levels range from one to 30.

Can I play with friends?

Ring Fit Adventure is designed as a single-player game and only one player can play at a time. More than one person can set up a game where all scores, customizations, preferences, and progress are saved, but two people cannot play at the same time on a single game locally, nor can two people play cooperatively or versus each other online. You are able to compare scores with your Nintendo ID friends, but there is no true multiplayer option.

How does the controller work?

The Ring-Con controller is a tense, circular exercise ring that connects to the Switch when you slide a single Joy-Con into a dedicated slot. The second Joy-Con goes into the Leg Strap, which then detects your leg motions, balance, and positioning. The Ring-Con is intended to be squeezed in different ways to do exercises, with the Joy-Con sensing the motion and pressure on the Ring-Con to grade your exercises.

Do I need the Ring controller to play the game?

You do. Ring Fit Adventure cannot be played without the Ring Con and leg strap, but it also isn't sold without the controller or leg strap, so unless you're buying the game used, you'll always have the controllers to pair with it.

Does it really help you get fit?

Everyone's fitness level is different. Some people have shown significant fitness improvement after playing Ring Fit Adventure for a short period of time, while others have said it doesn't really work for their lifestyle.

For some insight into Ring Fit Adventure's plusses and minuses, check out iMore managing editor Lory Gil's review.