The Roottrees are Dead is a puzzle game based around correctly assembling a family tree.
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Far and away the best Obra Dinn-like that isn't Obra Dinn.
Obviously loses some points on the presentation side of things but gets them right back for being just, like, a free game you can play in your browser literally right now. Kinda difficult to really get mad at the AI photos, no matter how ugly they may be, when the dev's not charging admission and is also working on a Steam upmake with actual art instead.
Sat down with it yesterday night and it hooked me harder than any game has for several months. If you loved Obra Dinn and have played any number of Outer Wilds or Golden Idols trying to chase that high (both of which are good, but not quite scratching that same itch), I'm happy to say that this is the best attempt anyone's made yet.
Obviously loses some points on the presentation side of things but gets them right back for being just, like, a free game you can play in your browser literally right now. Kinda difficult to really get mad at the AI photos, no matter how ugly they may be, when the dev's not charging admission and is also working on a Steam upmake with actual art instead.
Sat down with it yesterday night and it hooked me harder than any game has for several months. If you loved Obra Dinn and have played any number of Outer Wilds or Golden Idols trying to chase that high (both of which are good, but not quite scratching that same itch), I'm happy to say that this is the best attempt anyone's made yet.
Super fun premise for a game. While the A.I Art is gross, I can forgive it due to it being a free product. There are so many Aha moments that are just satisfying to get spread throughout this game and the ongoing mystery was intriguing enough to keep me hooked! Playing with my girlfriend enhanced the experience a lot too as we both got to exchange notes and work the mystery out together. The game was perfect for that kind of teamwork. Can't wait for the steam release and how this can be improved.
While in theory this game is appealing, the art was jumbled together through Midjourney, giving it an off-putting vibe and inconsistent visual style. I played it for long enough that I can say the experience is overall disappointing. Heavily inspired by "Her Story" and "Obra Dinn", but doesn't manage to live up to them. Neither the story nor the mechanics bring nothing new to the table, which makes it feel like an extensively derivative product.
I despise this fucking family
I checked Roottrees out at 9:50pm thinking I'd take a quick look, see if I was interested, then save it for another day. Instead I stayed up all night and finished it at 7:20am because it ended up being so damn engaging. I practically did the same thing when I played Obra Dinn, though that game was big enough that I needed two sessions. But that is to say, Roottrees truly scratched the same itch as Obra Dinn. Great game.
This review contains spoilers
The Roottrees can rest now.