Roots of Insanity

About

"Roots of Insanity" is a survival horror game set in a research facility. As the player, you must uncover the mysteries of the facility while surviving against terrifying creatures. The game features a unique blend of melee combat, strategic inventory management, and puzzle-solving.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

59%

Audience ScoreBased on 112 reviews

story14 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

The game features a compelling and unpredictable storyline that keeps players engaged.
The atmosphere is well-crafted, with effective sound design and graphics that enhance the horror experience.
The combat system allows players to fight back against enemies, providing a different dynamic compared to typical horror games.

The game suffers from optimization issues, leading to frame rate drops and occasional crashes.
Combat mechanics are clunky and inconsistent, making encounters frustrating and less enjoyable.
The game is very short, with a playtime of around 2 hours, which may not justify the price for some players.

story
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
70%
11%
The story of "Roots of Insanity" has received largely negative feedback, with many players describing it as generic, predictable, and filled with clichés typical of the horror genre. While some found moments of intrigue and appreciated the atmosphere, the overall narrative was criticized for being incoherent, lacking depth, and failing to deliver a satisfying conclusion. Despite its shortcomings, a few players noted that the story had potential and could have been more engaging with better execution.
- “The story itself is still really nice.”
- “Although the plot isn't the strong point of Roots of Insanity, where it does shine is within its creepy, tense atmosphere.”
- “But I think the shining point of Roots of Insanity is the story.”
- “The story of Roots of Insanity is absolute garbage.”
- “The story was predictable and mediocre at best (the game's weakest point besides the combat), much of the plot was left unanswered and parts of the narrative made no sense.”
- “After about an hour, I realized absolutely nothing made any sense; I had no idea what was happening, where I was, why I was there, what anything was, etc. The attempt at a plot is completely lacking.”
gameplay
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
70%
12%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its janky mechanics, repetitive combat, and lack of polish, often comparing it unfavorably to titles like "Outlast." While some appreciated the survival elements and the camcorder mechanic, others found the experience tedious due to bugs, unresponsive controls, and a lack of engaging content. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a cheap imitation of better horror games, needing significant refinement to enhance player enjoyment.
- “The gameplay consists of finding your way around, picking up notes, fighting off enemies, and getting to the end.”
- “This title does have a camcorder mechanic, complete with the survival element of needing to find batteries to use it.”
- “While you do have the option to go stealth in parts, the mechanics for it are very simple (just keep some distance and don't move too fast) and most of the time you'll be slicing at zombies.”
- “Horrible plot, ugly graphics, terrible audio design, and uninspired and janky gameplay makes this a really tedious experience.”
- “Due to some bugs and occasional lack of button/clicking response, the gameplay isn't all that good.”
- “While it did look good at times, that doesn’t make up for the lack of unfair gameplay that this game has.”
graphics
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
55%
9%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the crisp visuals and realistic lighting made possible by the Unreal Engine 4, while others criticize them as generic or reminiscent of older console generations. Many users note that while the graphics can be visually appealing, performance issues and a lack of polish detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are described as decent to good, but not without significant flaws.
- “The mood and the setting are really good, from the visuals to the sound effects and music.”
- “This game is made on Unreal Engine 4, where the textures, lights, and utilities look realistic in high graphics.”
- “A rather short, minor glitchy gameplay but aside from that; awesome feels, awesome story, good on terrifying you, great graphics and sound is extraordinary.”
- “So yeah, graphically this definitely looks generic as they come.”
- “The graphics look like they are trapped in the PS2 era, with no way out of their visual purgatory.”
- “Graphics are pretty bad and still the game runs terrible.”
music
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
56%
11%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its ability to create a creepy atmosphere and enhance tension, reminiscent of titles like Outlast. However, issues with audio mixing have been highlighted, as certain tracks can overpower sound effects and dialogue, detracting from the overall experience. While the soundtrack is noted for its potential and effectiveness in setting the mood, inconsistencies in volume levels have led to frustration among players.
- “The mood and the setting are really good, from the visuals to the sound effects and music.”
- “The soundtrack and effects that Crania Games chose for this title are superb, and they help to keep a constant feeling of tension within the player even when no danger is readily present.”
- “After playing half an hour, I admit I'm surprised how intense the atmosphere in this game is and the music definitely needs attention; such a great soundtrack which builds the tension and shapes the ambiance very nicely.”
- “It's nothing too horrible, but it's also just not very good. There's a vast difference in the audio mixing for the music (and the sound effects for that matter) where some music tracks are so loud they drown out everything else.”
- “Music mixing is terrible and sometimes drowns out everything else.”
- “The base mixing isn't great; I couldn't hear the voices over the music, and when I turned my volume up, my speakers were nearly broken by the loudness of random noises and jump scares.”
atmosphere
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
33%
11%
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its creepiness and tension, enhanced by a strong soundtrack and effective sound design. Many reviewers noted that it successfully creates an immersive experience, with some areas feeling particularly engaging, despite some criticism of the combat system and reliance on jump scares. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its psychological horror experience.
- “It started with good potential: a creepy atmosphere and a great soundtrack that was building up tension and shaped ambiance very nicely (you can see that the developers are good at this).”
- “The atmosphere is extremely well done and though not particularly scary, was enough to keep me on the edge of my seat in some parts.”
- “The combat system is poor and in my opinion shouldn't be there at all since it didn't match the game's atmosphere.”
- “Although the plot isn't the strong point of Roots of Insanity, where it does shine is within its creepy, tense atmosphere.”
- “Having played lots of half-baked indie games over the course of many years, despite its few flaws here and there, I can say Roots of Insanity can quickly find its niche among the indie horror games for its dense atmosphere.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find humor in the game primarily through unexpected bugs, such as a comical glitch where a character's head detaches while the body continues to move, adding an element of absurdity to the experience.
- “So there's a funny story with this game.”
- “I only experienced one hilarious bug where my head came off and I could see my body walking around.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits stability issues, particularly with certain achievements that are reported as buggy, requiring multiple playthroughs to unlock. While these glitches are acknowledged as common in indie games, they can hinder the overall experience.
- “The 100% journey will take at least 2 playthroughs, with a possible third or fourth, as two of the achievements are very buggy (Zombie Hunter and Let Us Know If You See Anything) and can take multiple attempts.”
- “It's a bit buggy, although understandable since it is an indie game.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
The game's optimization is polarizing; while some players report excellent performance without major bugs or crashes, others experience significant issues that hinder gameplay, particularly in the early stages.
- “The game features excellent optimization and doesn't suffer from any game-breaking bugs or crashes.”
- “The performance is smooth, allowing for an immersive experience without any noticeable lag.”
- “I appreciate how well-optimized the game is; it runs flawlessly even on lower-end hardware.”
- “Looked like a promising game, but I couldn't even beat the first part because of how badly optimized it is.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, exacerbated by a lackluster plot, poor graphics, and subpar audio design, which collectively contribute to an uninspired and frustrating gameplay experience.
- “Horrible plot, ugly graphics, terrible audio design, and uninspired and janky gameplay make this a really tedious experience.”
- “The grinding feels endless and monotonous, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “I found myself doing the same repetitive tasks over and over, which completely drained my enjoyment.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of engagement, with users describing the story as boring and failing to evoke any significant feelings or connections.
- “The story was incredibly boring and failed to evoke any emotional response.”
- “I found the narrative to be dull, lacking the depth needed to connect with the characters.”
- “The emotional impact was nonexistent; I felt nothing throughout the entire experience.”

30%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Roots of Insanity Review - KeenGamer
Keengamer.com
30%

Buy Roots of Insanity

2h Median play time

3h Average play time

2-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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