Kentucky Route Zero
- February 22, 2013
- cardboardcomputer
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"Kentucky Route Zero" is a magical realist adventure game presented in five acts. Players explore an otherworldly version of Kentucky, encountering a cast of eccentric characters and solving puzzles to uncover the secrets of a mysterious underground highway. The game features a haunting electronic score and is known for its striking visual style that combines elements of theater, film, and experimental art.
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Reviews
- Gorgeous visuals and a haunting soundtrack create a captivating atmosphere.
- The storytelling is unique, blending magical realism with themes of loss, debt, and community.
- Offers a deeply emotional experience that resonates with players long after completion.
- The pacing is extremely slow, which may frustrate players looking for more traditional gameplay.
- Dialogue choices often feel inconsequential, leading to a lack of meaningful player agency.
- The narrative can be confusing and abstract, making it difficult for some players to engage with the story.
- story1,863 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of *Kentucky Route Zero* is a surreal and atmospheric journey that explores themes of debt, loss, and the human experience in a magical realist setting. While some players find the narrative captivating and rich with character development, others criticize it for being disjointed, vague, and lacking a coherent plot. The game emphasizes storytelling over traditional gameplay mechanics, inviting players to engage with its unique narrative style, but this approach may not resonate with everyone, leading to mixed reactions regarding its overall impact.
“Kentucky Route Zero is a masterfully crafted point-and-click, narrative adventure with the conceit that indirect storytelling is an effective form of character building.”
“The story is rich with magic, ambiance, and self-reflection.”
“It's a story that reads as incredibly real not despite its surreal, unusual style, but because of it.”
“The story doesn't even make sense.”
“The story is all over the place and I just lost interest after chapter 2.”
“The story is tedious and the gameplay is linear.”
- music591 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in "Kentucky Route Zero" is widely praised for its haunting beauty and emotional resonance, effectively enhancing the game's atmosphere and storytelling. The soundtrack, which blends ambient sounds with bluegrass and folk elements, is noted for its ability to evoke deep feelings and create memorable moments, particularly during key musical interludes. While some players feel the music is sparse at times, those who appreciate its artistic integration find it to be a standout feature that elevates the overall experience.
“The music doesn’t just accompany the game; it becomes a part of the experience.”
“The soundtrack is great and knows when to pop up so sometimes you go without hearing any music at all, which adds to the scene.”
“The music is beautiful and the game is an oddity.”
“You may think that's fine, since many games are like that; but most of the areas in the game do not even have music and instead just have ambient environment sounds, some even have almost no sounds at all.”
“The best way I think of to describe this game is it has incredibly high highs namely a song in act 3 comes to mind and incredibly low lows like sitting around with no interaction watching characters talk in act 5.”
“The soundtrack to all of this is 80% dark ambience and 20% old gospel ballads which combine to create an immersive atmosphere that fits the aesthetic perfectly.”
- graphics569 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Kentucky Route Zero" are widely praised for their stunning, minimalist art style that evokes a dreamlike atmosphere, blending retro aesthetics with modern sensibilities. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to create immersive environments through its unique visual design and effective use of color and lighting, which complement the narrative's themes of surrealism and melancholy. While some players find the graphics simplistic or lacking in detail, many appreciate how they enhance the overall experience, making it feel more like an interactive piece of art than a traditional game.
“Every scene in this game has this otherworldly, trance-like atmosphere with a dreamlike soundscape and mind-boggling visuals.”
“The graphics are gorgeous, it has a pretty interesting art style that is really nice to look at and helps the mood of the game very well.”
“With gorgeous minimalistic graphics, incredible sound design, fantastically written text and a mosaic of peculiar stories, it offers a unique emotional experience you won't meet elsewhere.”
“It's far below the state of the art visuals gamers expect as a result of their decisions.”
“The graphics are basic/stylized with lots of dark screens and low-res characters.”
“The graphics belong in the 80's.”
- atmosphere455 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting, surreal, and immersive qualities, often described as dreamlike and evocative. Players appreciate the combination of stunning visuals, atmospheric sound design, and rich storytelling that creates a unique, melancholic experience reminiscent of works by David Lynch and other surrealist influences. While some find the slow pacing and heavy dialogue tedious, many agree that the game's atmosphere is its standout feature, making it a compelling choice for those who enjoy narrative-driven, artistic experiences.
“Every scene in this game has this otherworldly, trance-like atmosphere with a dreamlike soundscape and mind-boggling visuals.”
“The atmosphere of this game draws me into the characters' stories and I feel like I want to know more about their background and their motivation.”
“Kentucky Route Zero is beautiful, surreal, moody, and atmospheric to the max. More a story than a game, it's about exploration and thoughtful consideration of events as they unfold.”
“The game aims for an atmosphere of aimless wandering to match the vagrant nature of the protagonists, but instead of a lazy road trip, the game feels more like a somewhat too long piece of avant-garde theatre, or like going to an empty museum of modern art near closing time.”
“The pace can be very slow, which helps build the uneasy atmosphere but can be very boring.”
“However, the game feels hollow; there is no atmosphere.”
- gameplay368 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Kentucky Route Zero" is characterized by its minimal interactivity, primarily involving point-and-click mechanics and extensive dialogue choices that often lack significant impact on the narrative. Many players find the slow pacing and focus on storytelling over traditional gameplay elements to be tedious, while others appreciate the atmospheric and artistic presentation. Overall, it appeals more to those who value narrative depth and artistic expression rather than conventional gameplay experiences.
“Gameplay is simple but accessible, presentation is nothing short of stellar across the board, and there's a lot to love in its weird characters and weirder world; but its unconventional design can make it hard to get into, the story leaves too much unanswered to make the journey feel rewarding, and -- at least to me -- much of the fun relies on an ARG-like experience that new players can't really get anymore.”
“The gameplay consists of exploring an area and interacting with things and people.”
“This game provides unique gameplay that allows you to explore a surrealist landscape from multiple perspectives.”
“If you are not into slow games without any 'gameplay', then stay the hell away from this one.”
“The developers failed one of the most basic, fundamental requirements of game design: 'show, don't tell.' You'll spend a huge amount of time not playing the game, but clicking through endless lines of poorly written text because the developers couldn't work out how to relate their narrative through the game mechanics.”
“Gameplay is minimal, but is not needed for a game like this; visuals and sound/music are artistic, in a good way, I just wish that in some parts it was a bit more zoomed in, as a lot of detail is too hard to see.”
- emotional120 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its profound impact, evoking a range of feelings from melancholy to hope, and often leaving players in tears. Many reviewers highlight the game's unique storytelling, beautiful visuals, and haunting soundtrack as key elements that contribute to its emotional depth, creating a memorable and immersive experience. However, some players note that the narrative can feel disjointed or overly abstract at times, which may detract from the emotional connection for certain audiences.
“The most emotionally moving experience I have ever had in my entire life, genuinely permanently altered my worldview. Play it as blind as possible if you can help it.”
“A masterpiece of modernist storytelling, equal in emotional impact to the best novels or movies about the human experience; it is without question one of the best meditations on mortality and art produced in the last forty years.”
“This game made me feel things that I had never felt before.”
“You start at A trying to get to B, the one person who knows the way is at C, but when you get there they're not there and you get a boring story about debt. Then you have to go to Q, who sends you to R, then back to C, and the person is there, but they don't know the way after all. Oh god, it's so boring... and why do they force you to sit through a tedious multi-act amateur play in between chapters which adds nothing to the plot and just goes on and on?”
“This game has an interesting but boring story, and halfway through Act 4 (the last part), the story only starts to come together. There is mystery to the story, but just because it is so out of context, there is a mountain of questions with minimal answers.”
- grinding49 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews overwhelmingly describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and unengaging, with many players expressing frustration over repetitive mechanics and lengthy, uninteractive sequences that detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the artistic intent behind the slow pacing, the majority find it boring and overly drawn out, leading to a sense of grinding through the game rather than enjoying it. Overall, the consensus is that the game’s attempt at depth and atmosphere often results in a frustratingly tedious experience.
“I could not find a single mechanic that I thought was interesting; rather, it felt tedious and unrewarding.”
“The bottom line is that it felt like the developers were just grinding stuff out to get it over with, and I felt I was just grinding through it to reach the end.”
“Good god, is it dull and tedious.”
- humor42 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- -5 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a blend of bizarre, darkly funny, and melancholic elements, often surprising players with its whimsical and surreal moments. While some find the humor to be a highlight, others feel it can be overshadowed by pretentiousness or a lack of traditional comedic structure. Overall, the game offers a unique, atmospheric experience that balances humor with deeper emotional themes, making it both intriguing and occasionally frustrating for players.
“I mean, I don't know what's going on yet, but I love the humor of this game so much.”
“The humor is great as well.”
“This game is sometimes unexpectedly hilarious, sometimes hauntingly beautiful, but always incredibly strange.”
“It's not funny or witty the way you may be seeking if you're an old point-and-click fan.”
“The humor feels forced and often falls flat, lacking the cleverness that makes a game truly enjoyable.”
“I expected more clever jokes, but instead, the humor is juvenile and predictable.”
- replayability27 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players noting that while there are branching dialogue choices and side content that can enhance the experience, many decisions do not significantly alter the story path. Some reviewers found enough variety to warrant multiple playthroughs, while others felt the lack of substantial differences in outcomes limited replay value. Overall, opinions vary, with some praising the replayability and others deeming it low.
“Like many other games, the choices you make affect what the game reflects to you, and this adds to the replayability and the content you see.”
“There's enough side content in the acts to find, and branching dialogue choices that provide a decent amount of replay value.”
“Absolutely beautiful art style and lots of replayability.”
“Unfortunately, the replayability is not that high since most of the decisions don't result in different paths (unless you're a perfectionist trying to get all of the achievements).”
“Since there is no replay value, this is terrible.”
“The replayability isn’t much to talk about.”
- optimization26 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is a mixed bag; while the performance is generally smooth and the art style is unique, players have reported issues such as graphics hiccups, aliasing on text, and a slow pace that can detract from the experience. Despite some bugs being patched, typos remain, which is disappointing given the game's lengthy development. Overall, the game feels more like a theatrical performance than a traditional video game, which may appeal to some but frustrate others seeking a more interactive experience.
“Performance is buttery smooth, and its art style and soundtrack are exceptional.”
“The graphics are one of a kind - yet modest - allowing the game to run smoothly literally on a calculator.”
“I honestly think that Junebug and Johnny’s performance changed this from 'a beautiful game' to 'a work of art' for me.”
“As for the gameplay and the visuals: between the performance issues, noticeable graphics hiccups, aliasing on the text, and just plain glacial pace, it's a frustrating experience to play.”
“As for performance and issues, apparently the bugs and crashes have mostly been patched out, but I noticed a fair amount of typos and incorrectly spelled words which after 4 years in development is plain silly.”
“I think currently it gets lumped in with narrative-focused games and while that's not entirely inaccurate it also reminds me of late night short foreign movies and performance art and those weird sometimes mesmerizing, sometimes grating and repulsive works of art that tend to inspire some pretty strong but not very positive reactions.”
- character development17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a central focus, allowing players to shape their characters' stories through meaningful choices, which fosters a deep emotional connection. While some players appreciate the rich, atmospheric storytelling and the integration of character growth with the game's themes, others feel that the pacing can be uneven, with certain acts feeling bloated or lacking in depth. Overall, the game is praised for its unique approach to character development, blending exploration, dialogue, and aesthetic elements to create a compelling narrative experience.
“It doesn't rush or hold back its character development; which actually you, the player, make choices for and play as, giving you a more intimate understanding of the characters.”
“From the music and artwork, to the storyline and character development, this entire game was brilliant and one of the best point-and-clicks I've played.”
“Krz is an adventure game focused on exploration and character development, the main crux of the gameplay is exploring the Kentucky backroads and the enigmatic Route Zero and having a hand in shaping the cast's personalities and pasts along their journey.”
“It is a game for people who accept an evocation of a mood, or a suggestion of a feeling, as substitutes for narrative or character development.”
“Beautiful but very boring, with terrible plot and character development.”
“Whenever the plot progression would slow down, I was hoping character development would pick up, but was let down almost every time.”
- stability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
The game exhibits notable stability issues, with users reporting various bugs that can disrupt gameplay, including glitches that may cause players to skip entire acts. While the graphics and aesthetic appeal are generally praised, the presence of these bugs detracts from the overall experience, leading some players to seek workarounds through community forums.
“The game runs smoothly without any major bugs or glitches, making for a stable experience.”
“I appreciate how stable the game feels; I haven't encountered any crashes or significant issues.”
“The performance is impressive, with consistent frame rates and no noticeable lag.”
“After mauling through the content, some of which actually being buggy and making you skip whole acts, I ended up completing Act 2 in 1.9 hours.”
“Definitely not 'full controller support' if it does not work or, in my case, glitches the game.”
“The game is a little bit buggy as well, but there are ways to work around them if you look in the game's forums here on Steam.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism for its misleading advertising, as it initially promised a five-act structure but has only delivered three, leading some players to feel scammed. Additionally, the external media that expands the story is difficult to access, and the game fails to adequately inform players about this content, prompting suggestions to wait for a complete version before engaging with the game.
“It is some folks' opinion that you should wait until the game is completely and totally finished before you bother with the first three acts, as the developers are totally attempting to scam us all by falsely advertising a five-act game while only delivering three.”
“Despite initial advertising with a 2013 release schedule, the game's individual acts have been delayed for personal reasons of the developers, and quality concerns.”
