Root Letter

About

"Root Letter" is a visual novel game set in a beautiful rural Japanese town, where you investigate a murder based on letters from a pen-friend who disappeared 15 years ago. The game features increased gameplay elements, such as evidence searching and interrogation mode, and stunning artwork from the renowned artist Minoboshi Taro. Your choices will affect the outcome of the investigation, and you will uncover the truth about your pen-friend's past.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 147 reviews

story48 positive mentions

character development3 negative mentions

Engaging and intriguing story that keeps players invested throughout the game.
Beautiful art and well-composed soundtrack that enhance the overall atmosphere.
Unique gameplay mechanics that blend visual novel elements with investigative features.

The protagonist is often unlikable and can detract from the overall experience.
Some endings feel rushed or unsatisfying, lacking proper closure.
Repetitive gameplay mechanics and formulaic structure can lead to a sense of monotony.

story
182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
66%
8%
The story of "Root Letter" is a mixed bag, with some players praising its intriguing premise and emotional depth, while others criticize its formulaic structure and lack of meaningful choices. Many reviews highlight the engaging art and soundtrack, but note that the narrative can feel repetitive and underwhelming, particularly in its multiple endings, which often fail to significantly diverge from the main plot. Overall, while the game offers a captivating journey into personal connections and mysteries, its execution leaves room for improvement.
- “The story is gripping and just makes you want to keep delving further and further until it consumes you to find the truth.”
- “Root Letter is a story that’ll keep you hooked till the end.”
- “The story starts off with a mystery that is engaging and for a while I was very interested in knowing what's going on.”
- “Root Letter takes an intriguing setup about a pen pal from the past and quickly becomes mediocre due to a repetitive story structure and lackluster gameplay.”
- “The plot advances in the most frustratingly formulaic way possible.”
- “The story itself felt lackluster to me and each ending left much to be desired.”
gameplay
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The gameplay of Root Letter is characterized as a standard visual novel experience with some investigative elements, but it suffers from a repetitive structure and lack of meaningful decision-making. While the game attempts to incorporate interactive mechanics, such as point-and-click exploration and letter responses, these features often feel frustrating and poorly executed, detracting from the overall experience. Many players found the gameplay to be dull and unengaging, with a lack of replay value due to the necessity of multiple playthroughs to access all endings, which are often deemed unsatisfactory.
- “In terms of gameplay, Root Letter is a typical visual novel with some investigative elements.”
- “The story itself is interesting, and there are additional actions to gameplay; it's not just a read-through, which I thought was fun too.”
- “The concept and mechanics of the game are quite interesting, although they are executed poorly.”
- “Root Letter takes an intriguing setup about a pen pal from the past and quickly becomes mediocre due to a repetitive story structure and lackluster gameplay.”
- “The gameplay reminded me of Ace Attorney mechanics, the story is not great but totally okay; it suffers from replay value (you'll need to play it 4 times to get all endings) and that's the unnecessary part, especially when only 2 of those endings even matter to understand the story.”
- “Basically, the 'gameplay' they added hurt it as a visual novel.”
music
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
29%
9%
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers highlighting its relaxing and immersive qualities. While some found the soundtrack to be simple or forgettable, others described it as captivating and a strong point of the game, complementing the art style effectively. Overall, the music contributes positively to the atmosphere, despite mixed opinions on the storyline.
- “The game soundtrack is one of its stronger points as I enjoy every moment of it.”
- “Captivating art and immersive music!”
- “The music is so amazing; the smooth way it is to play the game really makes it feel so alive.”
- “Bland writing and soundtrack, awful main character.”
- “A very simple soundtrack, not a lot of variety, but it gets the job done, and to many it is probably very nice to listen to.”
- “Music is decent but forgettable.”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
29%
18%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their stunning artwork and unique art style, which effectively complements the game's atmosphere. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful environments and character designs, noting that the visuals are a standout feature despite some flaws in other areas. Overall, the graphics are described as captivating and visually pleasing, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The art style is definitely good looking and fits perfectly with the vibe that the game is trying to portray.”
- “Nice artwork as well - both the environments and character design are easy on the eyes and not overdone.”
- “The game did win me over quickly with the beautiful backgrounds, unique art style, and most important of all, a captivating story.”
- “Despite all aspects of this game being pretty flawed (aside from the visuals), you'll notice I referenced other VNs throughout.”
- “Visuals are okay, nothing to write home about, but they are good and work well with the spirit of this VN.”
- “I have always wanted to play this game ever since it was up for pre-order due to the art style and the premise, but when the game was actually released, the reviews were very lukewarm so I waited for it to go on sale.”
humor
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring both amusing moments and frustrating distractions. While some characters and situations elicit genuine laughs, the over-the-top dialogue editing and reliance on stereotypes can detract from the overall comedic effect. Players appreciate the balance of humor and tension, but the execution varies, with some moments feeling more baffling than funny.
- “I really enjoyed the game and the balance of humor and tension.”
- “Laughing out loud once in a while made the jerk protagonist and the totally different ending routes fun.”
- “Plenty of funny moments, moments that make you go 'wtf is happening', and moments where you just pull a pro gamer move on some poor lad/lass.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The atmosphere of the game is described as calm and serene, effectively supported by a pleasant soundtrack that enhances individual scenes. However, some players feel that the game undermines its atmospheric potential with jarring elements like casino minigames and loud comedic interludes. Overall, while the setting and exploration are well-crafted, the inconsistent tonal shifts detract from the immersive experience.
- “There's a real atmosphere within the town.”
- “The atmosphere feels very calm and serene despite the subject matter.”
- “Root Letter is a great visual novel with superb production values that excels in atmosphere and will remain with you for a long time.”
- “You will be locked towards the bad endings during your first playthrough, which are cheap and typical horror routes that ruin the normalized atmosphere of the common route.”
- “It's such a shame that a disproportional amount of work has been put into rendering the atmosphere of Shimane and having a system that naturally aids in allowing players to freely explore the place, while the game literally offers nothing that utilizes them.”
- “But after wandering around a bit at a tourist’s pace and then getting slapped in the face with casino-esque minigames and the typically loud silliness of a Japanese variety show, the atmosphere got a little confusing.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
Character development in the game is perceived as lacking depth, with the protagonist not facing significant challenges that would lead to growth. However, the character designs are praised for their maturity and believability, contributing positively to the overall aesthetic experience. While the art and character design are highlighted as strong points, the narrative does not seem to offer substantial character evolution.
- “Nice artwork as well - both the environments and character design are easy on the eyes and not overdone.”
- “To end this on a positive note, one thing I did like in this game was the art and character design.”
- “I cannot tell if it's intentional because the protagonist is never challenged over this (at least, not in any major ways that result in character development).”
- “I love the mature character design; despite all the girls being pretty, they're still very believable in terms of appearance.”
- “The character development feels stagnant, as there are no significant challenges or growth for the protagonist.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes strong emotions, particularly with its "bond of marriage" ending, which resonates deeply with players. While some voice acting and translation issues are noted, they do not significantly detract from the overall heartwarming experience that reflects on themes of friendship, love, and nostalgia.
- “Other endings do not come near the emotions that the 'bond of marriage' ending made me feel.”
- “Overall, this heartwarming game will make you reminisce about friendship, love, and dreams that you experienced in the past.”
- “Quite a touching novel.”
monetization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for feeling overly commercialized, with players perceiving it as a vehicle for tourism advertising rather than a cohesive narrative experience. While the story itself is engaging, it is often overshadowed by what feels like excessive promotional content, leading to a sense of being inundated with advertisements.
- “Instead, I felt like I was getting spammed with food and travel advertisements through a thinly veiled excuse of a good story.”
- “Even so, it’s a good story—just a little thin—like reading a serial in a magazine packed abruptly between bloated advertisements.”
- “At times, it feels like an advertisement made by the Matsue tourism board.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The game offers multiple endings, requiring players to replay it several times to experience all outcomes, but only a couple of these endings significantly impact the overall story. While there are bonus achievements to pursue, the limited variation in gameplay mechanics diminishes its overall replayability.
- “The gameplay reminded me of Ace Attorney mechanics; while the story is not great, it offers replay value as you'll need to play it multiple times to experience all the endings.”
- “Replayability value: there are several endings you can get from this game, along with bonus achievements as a side quest.”
- “The game lacks significant replayability; once you've seen the endings, there's little incentive to play again.”
- “While the game offers multiple endings, the overall experience feels repetitive, diminishing its replay value.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that while some players found the achievement farming in "Root Letter" enjoyable, the overall grinding experience is marred by repetitive and tedious gameplay, leading to a lack of engagement and interest over time.
- “Root Letter has a really cool premise and generally interesting mystery, but it's so bogged down by repeated examples of tedious game design that I absolutely would not recommend it.”
- “The story and the activities were way too monotone and tedious.”
- “I found it simply too tedious to hold my attention longer than a couple of hours.”