Death Road to Canada
- July 21, 2016
- Madgarden
- 25h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Apple Store"Death Road to Canada" is a randomly generated road trip simulator where you manage a car full of characters on a zombie-filled journey to Canada. The game features up to 500 zombies on screen at once, a character creator, and various special events, weapons, and characters. Every playthrough offers unique locations, events, and decisions in a lighthearted apocalypse setting.
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Mobile Platform
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Reviews
- humor1,582 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in "Death Road to Canada" is a standout feature, blending quirky, dark, and absurd elements that keep players entertained throughout their zombie survival journey. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to generate hilarious scenarios and dialogue, often leading to unexpected and comical outcomes, especially when playing with friends. While the humor may not resonate with everyone, it adds a unique charm and replayability to the gameplay, making each run a fresh and amusing experience.
“What I loved most was the balance between lighthearted humor and moments of genuine tension.”
“The game doesn't take itself seriously, with its funny dialogue and random situations, but the siege events are seriously no joke.”
“The humor, charm, and sheer variety of possibilities is what saves this game and keeps me coming back.”
“Not funny, just annoying.”
“Yes, I know it's supposed to be funny, but the game is harder than Dark Souls.”
- gameplay1,202 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Death Road to Canada" is a blend of roguelike mechanics and arcade-style action, featuring scavenging, resource management, and humorous decision-making in a zombie apocalypse setting. Players navigate through randomly generated scenarios, utilizing character skills and traits to overcome challenges, which adds depth and replayability, though some find the gameplay can become repetitive over time. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging mechanics, quirky humor, and the fun of cooperative play, despite some frustrations with RNG and control issues.
“It's worth every penny with challenging gameplay, fun co-op, and hilarious yet tense scenarios.”
“The gameplay is engaging, with each run offering a different experience thanks to its randomly generated levels and character customization options.”
“The gameplay loop is simple but addictive, the game has a great sense of humor about it, and it's full of pop culture references.”
“It's funny looking back at a game like Organ Trail, a zombie-inspired indie based on the educational game series of Oregon Trail, seeing how eye-opening of an experience it was as far as being amongst my first ever roguelites played from years ago on the PlayStation 4, yet I simply lack the urge to go back to it on account of how little variety there is to the gameplay alongside the humor not having that same 'zing' to it and the graphics simply being too barebones for long-term gameplay.”
“The only big flaw is that the gameplay loop gets old pretty fast, especially once you know what you're doing, but there's enough achievements and unlocks to make you keep coming back over the years.”
“However, the game gets sorely repetitive in its gameplay loop: you walk around getting loot and pressing one button to hit zombies.”
- music874 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in "Death Road to Canada" is widely praised for its catchy chiptune soundtrack that complements the game's retro aesthetic and quirky humor. Many players find the soundtrack to be a standout feature, enhancing the overall experience with its upbeat and engaging tunes, although some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music is considered a significant highlight, contributing to the game's charm and replayability.
“The game nails its audio, from the fantastic title screen music to the tracks that play during gameplay.”
“The soundtrack is composed of catchy chiptune music that perfectly matches the game's retro aesthetic.”
“The music is absolutely phenomenal, it perfectly matches the tone of the game.”
“Don't think I've ever experienced a game that had the soundtrack ruin it so viscerally for me.”
“From the zombies to the film grain to the Oregon/Organ Trail style presentation of the journey to Canada, the music actively ruins any and all immersion I could get and makes the whole thing feel like a joke game.”
“Awesome game in many aspects but the soundtrack, it's out of place, it's bad, it's not even generic for a zombie game or anything, it's like playing Mario with a heavy metal soundtrack, or Mortal Kombat with a polka soundtrack.”
- replayability742 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
"Death Road to Canada" is widely praised for its exceptional replayability, with players highlighting the game's procedurally generated levels, diverse characters, and numerous unlockable traits and game modes. The randomness of events and encounters ensures that no two playthroughs are alike, making it a fun and engaging experience that encourages repeated runs. Overall, the game is considered a must-play for fans of roguelikes, offering endless entertainment and humor.
“Overall, *Death Road to Canada* is a unique and endlessly replayable experience.”
“The completely randomized events and encounters keep the game unique and infinitely replayable.”
“With random events, different game modes, and character customization, this game has near endless replayability.”
“It doesn't help that a lot of the replayability comes from the additional game modes where the majority of the changes is just 'more unfair and tedious' and a lot of co-op stuff even though the game doesn't even have online multiplayer.”
“Even though it has variety, it still loses replay value after a while.”
“The developers claim it was designed with replay value in mind, but it seems to me it was designed to force replay by rigging RNG against the player.”
- graphics444 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Death Road to Canada" are characterized by a charming retro pixel art style that effectively complements the game's quirky humor and chaotic atmosphere. While some players appreciate the nostalgic 8-bit aesthetics, others find the visuals too simplistic for long-term engagement, with occasional graphical glitches reported. Overall, the pixelated graphics contribute to a fun and immersive experience, especially for fans of retro gaming.
“The gritty, pixelated visuals perfectly match the game's atmosphere, creating a chaotic yet satisfying experience in every zombie encounter.”
“The game features a charming retro pixel art style that is both nostalgic and functional.”
“Despite the simple graphics, the game manages to create a rich atmosphere that complements its unique blend of horror and comedy.”
“Purchased a year ago but couldn't play due to game-breaking graphical glitches.”
“Tried again recently in the hopes the game had been patched but the graphical glitches are still present.”
“It's a painfully cliched game made by a stereotypical development team throwing retro pixel graphics, chiptune music, and pop culture references at a game that isn't that fun to play.”
- story336 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The story in "Death Road to Canada" is characterized by its emergent, humorous, and highly randomized narrative, allowing players to create unique experiences with each playthrough. The game combines a simple premise of surviving a zombie apocalypse while traveling to Canada with quirky, absurd events and character interactions that keep the gameplay fresh and entertaining. Players appreciate the blend of choice-driven storytelling and action, making each run feel like a new adventure filled with unexpected twists and comedic moments.
“The stories it tailors are hilarious, and you will never feel any two parts of the story are slapped together for the sake of it - the flow is so smooth every scenario feels like it was pre-made.”
“Each run in 'Death Road to Canada' is a new opportunity to experience a bizarre, mad-libs-esque story that defies imagination.”
“The game truly feels like your own zombie apocalypse story, especially with the personality-dependent dialogue and behavior of each character.”
“The story is that it’s the zombie apocalypse and there are rumors that in Canada there are no zombies, so you plan to get to Canada in a car and … that’s it.”
“This isn't intended to be a game where you become attached to your characters or experience a well-written story.”
“Most runs end up as wipes through no fault of the player, but rather because the game throws a bunch of ridiculously harsh RNG events at you, or fails to provide enough supplies in the looting missions (most notably gas.. and once the group is on foot, the RNG gets even worse).”
- grinding74 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 4 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players feeling that the roguelite elements require excessive effort to unlock content without sufficient reward. While some enjoy the humor and replayability, others find the gameplay mechanics and user interface cumbersome, leading to a lack of motivation to continue grinding after initial runs. Overall, the experience can be enjoyable for those who appreciate grind-heavy games, but it may deter players who prefer more dynamic and engaging gameplay.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The game is fun for 30 minutes (your first game), then every new game is nearly identical: you go through tedious text-only random events, then run around in an uninteresting action phase that consists of pressing a button to shoot and another button to loot, no skill required for these action phases, there are no special combos, no spells/skills to unlock, no equipment to equip except weapons... overall the game is empty and shallow.”
“It feels like there's a pretty good wealth of content here but accessing it and engaging with it feels nearly impossibly tedious.”
“The sheer number of scratch runs would not be a problem (it's a roguelite themed off Oregon Trail type shenanigans so if you expected to win on skill and cleverness you're in the wrong genre. Go play Contra.) except the actual combat/looting remains the exact same garbage and restarting the plodding boring early game is incredibly tedious.”
- atmosphere54 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is a standout feature, blending gritty pixelated visuals with a unique mix of horror and comedy, creating a chaotic yet engaging experience. Players appreciate the well-crafted sound effects and music, which enhance the tension and overall mood, ranging from fun and upbeat to slightly despairing. This rich atmosphere, combined with charming art and varied gameplay, breathes new life into the zombie genre, making it both entertaining and immersive.
“Despite the simple graphics, the game manages to create a rich atmosphere that complements its unique blend of horror and comedy.”
“The sound effects are well-done, adding to the tension during combat and the eerie atmosphere of the apocalyptic world.”
“The atmosphere is very fun but slightly despairing, which fits into the game's theme perfectly.”
“Dont get me wrong here, both are great games but I already reviewed Organ Trail and said in my review there that this game changes the mood from happy into something 'depressive' because the theme and atmosphere of this game is like 'the world is in ruin, zombies are everywhere and you have to survive as good as you can.'”
“The sounds are great although the music is a little too upbeat to ever give the game a truly grim or scary atmosphere.”
“It plays up its kooky atmosphere making the game seem casual and just a bit of fun, but I'm constantly finding myself without fuel, walking on the streets and losing all of my gear I've spent the past 15 minutes collecting.”
- stability50 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting persistent graphical glitches, freezing issues, and bugs affecting both single-player and multiplayer experiences. While some players have noted that the game runs well on certain systems and can be enjoyable despite these issues, the overall consensus highlights a frustrating level of instability that detracts from the gameplay experience.
“This game does what it says on the tin, essentially giving an Oregon Trail-like experience that is lighthearted and bug-free.”
“Big plus - runs great on my 2015 MacBook!”
“Purchased a year ago but couldn't play due to game-breaking graphical glitches.”
“Tried again recently in the hopes the game had been patched but the graphical glitches are still present.”
“And some just make me lose faith in the game, like how the game just freezes and I have to force reset my computer.”
- emotional36 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a deeply emotional experience, often forming strong attachments to characters, leading to tears when they face loss or difficult decisions, especially in high-stakes scenarios like zombie attacks. The game’s soundtrack and quirky moments add to the emotional weight, making players laugh and cry as they navigate the challenges of survival. Heartbreaking moments, such as losing beloved characters or having to leave friends behind, resonate strongly, highlighting the personal stakes involved in the gameplay.
“Losing someone to a horde of zombies feels personal, adding an emotional weight to each decision you make.”
“When it comes to familiar character mode, it almost makes you so emotional when you see your family member or friends get eaten and you have no choice but to leave them behind.”
“There have been heartbreaking moments where you found that one special character, only to have them get eaten a day or two before making it to Canada.”
- optimization18 mentions
- 78 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong optimization on PC and older systems, running smoothly even on low-end hardware. However, players have noted a need for improved gameplay optimization, particularly regarding weapon stats and online co-op functionality. The mobile version, in contrast, suffers from significant performance issues, including choppy gameplay and messy collision detection.
“The game runs smoothly, with a story that is ever changing and surprising - fully depending on your characters, their skills, their flaws and your resources.”
“Performance is excellent on integrated graphics.”
“- old PC and Mac/OSX friendly -- runs smoothly and doesn't overheat my old 2011 MacBook.”
“The game could use more gameplay optimization and show more information on the weapons you get and their damage stats in-game, and maybe more options to deal with the bandits.”
“This issue is worse for the mobile version of the game. Don't get the mobile version; collision is messy, and performance when you get to Canada is unplayably choppy. Also, they don't seem to have special holiday NPCs in that version too. It's only $5 less (so it's $10) and it's far worse.”
- character development14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game excels in character development, offering unique and customizable character designs, unlockable traits, and a variety of quirky pop culture references that enhance replayability. Players can create and recruit a diverse cast of characters, each with distinct abilities, contributing to a rich and engaging gameplay experience. The combination of strategic decision-making and humorous elements further enriches the character-driven narrative, making it a standout feature of the game.
“You will die a lot in the beginning and there is a steep learning curve. I think I played nearly a dozen times before my first win, but the unique character designs, unlockable traits and perks (to build your own characters), special locations, and different challenges posed by each run kept me coming back for more.”
“Some of the best are pop-culture based (you can recruit an expy of Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy 7 complete with gigantic buster sword, or even Mega Man...er Giga Guy himself, with an endless blaster) and the character design function is top notch, resulting in an endless supply of possible random fellow travelers on the road to Canada, as well as the ability to create the people you will come across. The huge range of adjustable features allows you to make some amazing caricatures of famous people or your own friends and family to share the Death Road with you.”
“The gameplay mechanics are simple, but there's strategy not only on an active surface level but also at a deeper character development/inventory control level that keeps you continually engaged. It's one of the most enjoyably replayable games I've owned.”
“Very satisfying procedural elements, out of place music and intricate character development systems.”
“The gameplay mechanics are simple, but there's strategy not only on an active surface level but also at a deeper character development/inventory control level that keeps you continually engaged.”
“You will die a lot in the beginning and there is a steep learning curve, but the unique character designs, unlockable traits and perks (to build your own characters), special locations, and different challenges posed by each run kept me coming back for more.”
- monetization12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game has received mixed feedback; while some players appreciate the absence of microtransactions and forced ads, others express frustration over mandatory ads that interrupt gameplay. Overall, the game is praised for its free updates and lack of in-game purchases, positioning it as a player-friendly experience compared to typical cash-grab indie titles.
“There are no in-game purchases, all the updates have been free, open betas, and there's going to be a huge update coming soon.”
“Runs on even my potato flawlessly, has no microtransactions, multiple characters, skills, perks, modes, cars, and custom characters (do I really have to say more? Find the rest in-game!).”
“Forced ads you have to click through to play the game?”
“The combat isn't revolutionary but it feels good and there is more than one way to come at the zombies and it allows you the player some flexibility in your choice, something rare for an 'indie zombie' game which typically are just cash grabs.”
“Could you potentially scale back the advertising budget for my area and perhaps pay the workers better wages so they actually give a fuck to make the food I’m ordering right?”
