Back in November a web game showed up in thinky circles online, spreading fast with some high word-of-mouth praise. The Roottrees are Dead puts you in the shoes of a detective hired to investigate the mysterious and murky past of the wealthy Roottree family, assembling a definitive family tree as you sift through myriad evidence and sources. The game is much bigger than I've come to expect from a free browser game—it took me a few days of playing to see the ending, and it felt like it easily had enough content for a commercial release. Now in 2024, that's exactly what's happening: an improved and polished version is coming to Steam.
Most of your time in Roottrees is spent digging through articles or search results: an impressive database of fictional news sources and periodicals is where you'll find the answers you're looking for. Often one text will give you a lead on some other promising direction, until you've eventually found something concrete you can slot into the large family tree that tracks your progress through the game. A photo of the missing daughter you couldn't place, or new information about someone's father. The depth and creativity in the writing of this family's history is impressive.
In discussions of the original game, there seemed to be two main criticisms: some ways in which the user interface could be improved, and more significantly, the controversial use of AI-generated artwork, which featured heavily in the game. The announcement of the revamped version comes with the news that both of these issues are being addressed, and the new commercial game will feature fully-illustrated photos, a preview of which can already be seen on the game's Steam page.
News of the remake came only recently and work is still in progress, but the Steam page indicates that they're aiming for release sometime later this year. In addition to the new artwork, the new version advertises a "3D living-room perspective" to tie the systems together, enhanced user interface with quality of life improvements, remastered music and even some new Easter eggs. You can wishlist the re-imagined new version now on Steam to stay in the loop about its upcoming release, and if you're curious, the original is still available to play for free on itch.io.
Disclaimer: Thinky Games is part of the Carina Initiatives and may have professional relationships with individuals and businesses related to the subject of this article. Please see our Editorial Policy for details.
