1 June 2025: Initial Review

(sorta)

I'm 10 hours in and I can say I'm not even close to figuring this mystery out. As soon as I figure one thing out, I take note and learn something else. It's very well created. The only thing I would have done differently is to add the ability to add notes to the family tree board for our guesses (possibles).

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3490510040


The story is interesting, and I'm a tough one to win over with stories. You're going to need to be able to figure out lineage, dates, orders, alternate names, etc. You're going to need to do some deep thinking, which is why I added the tag "difficult".
It really is rather difficult, but in a good way. This game makes you earn your victory.
I even found a secret on my own. Pretty neat. This is a place where curiosity is a must! Strongly recommended. lol

I like the ability to use shortcuts. Control+Z = undo, SHIFT+ENTER = Next Line, etc. You can change the order of your notes. So glad for that! There is a WEALTH of information. I'm talking many layers.

It's as satisfying as reading a good book, for me. It *may* be possible to combine the in-game notes with Steam's Notes ability? Depends on how much you like to take notes?


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3490693746

I do recommend this game, and my rating would probably be around 8/10 at this point. I am enjoying it! I feel connected to it. I got this on sale, but I'd think it's worth it's full price. ♥

#Difficult #SinglePlayer #Puzzle #Mystery #Detective #Story Rich #Interactive Fiction #Immersive

The Roottrees are Dead is a solid detective puzzle game, with a few standout features, and a few flaws. You're essentially solving a massive family tree to help determine who gets a piece of generational wealth from the Roottree family, who are candy industry billionaires. The main thing I didn't like was how specific you need to be when searching in-game to get information. It messes with your brain a bit because you're used to being able to Google search something knowing about 70%-90% of what you're looking for, and Google coming through with the result you wanted. Here you need the exact term, no typos, no different wording, shorthand, etc. it adds some challenge, but is also frustrating because you'll be certain of what you're looking for, yet are unable to find it. This also makes it feel like there is only one hole you can dive down to find the solution. As a counterpoint, if you use the in-game notebook well, it won't take too long to find that hole.

One feature that impressed me was the in-game notebook; this is the least I've had to use physical notes in one of these games because the in-game notebook is fantastic. You're able to create different pages, name them, write notes, and highlight sections of evidence you find automatically pasting them in your notebook AND giving you a link to where you originally found it. You're also able to highlight topics that arise and instantly search for them in the in-game search engine or data bases without any typing. Truly an amazing feature for the genre - I wish it didn't take up as much of the screen though. Overall, solid game, I recommend.

Recommended

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AVOID | LACKING | MAYBE | WORTHWHILE | COMPELLING | UNMISSABLE

The Roottrees are Dead is an investigation-focused story game (my friend also called it a text adventure game). The premise is relatively simple - you are tasked with exploring the genealogical tree (including the name, occupation, and picture) of the Roottrees, which is a rich and powerful family, and their spouses/descendants after an accident. As you discover certain things, more names, places, events, etc come to light and you must figure out how they fit into the puzzle. You have a SpiderSearch (e.g., Google), and access to periodicals and the library. You have to be very specific in your searches because the game only returns hits on perfect matches. You also have an in-game notebook to help you keep track of things.

The game is split into two sub-games. The first focuses on Elias Roottree, the head patriarch of the family, and his family tree. The second game focuses on a potential scandal(s) from the initial game that breaks off into its own family tree. The style of gameplay is similar to others like The Return of the Obra Dinn and the Duck Detective games.

It has been a hot minute since a game has grabbed me like this one (the last to do so was Chants of Sennaar). Once I understood what the game was all about, it was very easy to get absorbed into the story (I'm picky about stories, so this is saying something) and want to dig below the surface, as it quickly becomes clear that everything is not as it seems at first glance/read. It was extremely satisfying to deduce my way through the game, as everything is logical, though not always readily apparent.

The first game took me ~9.5 hours to complete and the second took me ~8 hours (though I think the second game was harder, it just also happened to be shorter).

For fans of puzzle games that require you to patiently logic your way through them, this is sure to delight. The storytelling is compelling and figuring things out was insanely satisfying. This is a cozy mystery game to play when you want to work your brain and have fun at the same time.