The First Tree

Everything aside from the story is simplistic, but it doesn’t matter if the puzzles are non-existent or that the graphics are basic, because The First Tree packs an emotional narrative and is a game that every indie fan should play as a result.

75%Game Brain Score

story, music

grinding, stability

72% User Score Based on 2,876 reviews

Critic Score 79%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

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About

The First Tree is a single player simulation game with a kids theme. It was developed by Whelly and was released on September 14, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"The First Tree" is a third-person exploration game that follows a fox's journey through a mysterious forest as it searches for its lost family. Intertwined with the fox's story is that of a son trying to reconnect with his estranged father. The game features emotional storytelling and a stunning art style, using its gameplay to explore themes of love, loss, and reconciliation.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,876 reviews

story978 positive mentions

grinding47 negative mentions

The game features a beautifully crafted narrative that explores themes of loss, grief, and connection, resonating deeply with players.
The visuals are stunning, with vibrant colors and dreamlike landscapes that create an immersive atmosphere.
The soundtrack is exceptional, enhancing the emotional impact of the story and providing a calming backdrop to the gameplay.

The gameplay is simplistic and often feels tedious, with long stretches of running and minimal interaction, leading to a lack of engagement.
There is no clear direction or guidance, making it easy to miss important story elements and collectibles, which can frustrate players.
The voice acting and dialogue can feel forced and unnatural, detracting from the overall emotional experience of the game.

story
2,831 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
60%
5%
The story of "The First Tree" is a poignant exploration of loss and connection, intertwining the journey of a fox searching for her lost cubs with a man's reflections on his relationship with his deceased father. Players uncover the narrative through collectibles that trigger emotional voiceovers, creating a deeply personal experience that resonates with themes of grief and healing. While the gameplay is often described as simplistic and the pacing slow, the heartfelt storytelling and beautiful visuals leave a lasting impact, making it a memorable, albeit brief, journey for those who appreciate narrative-driven games.
- “The First Tree is a uniquely introspective narrative experience that blends minimalistic gameplay with deeply personal storytelling.”
- “The contrast between the serene beauty of the fox’s journey and the raw honesty of the human reflection creates a memorable and affecting piece of interactive storytelling.”
- “The heart of the game lies in its storytelling.”
- “As far as the story goes, there was something that felt disconnected between the narrator's memories and the fox gameplay.”
- “The story is trying to be deep but actually isn't too deep, trying to add emotional weight by pulling in a random fox that only serves to add instant emotional weight out of thin air while talking about loss.”
- “The gameplay and story feel completely misaligned.”
music
1,040 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
37%
2%
The music in "The First Tree" is widely praised for its emotional depth and atmospheric quality, enhancing the game's storytelling and visuals. Many players found the soundtrack to be a standout feature, with beautiful piano compositions that evoke strong feelings, although some noted issues with repetitive loops and a lack of volume control options. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's immersive experience, making it a memorable aspect for players.
- “The music often swells at the right moments, reinforcing key emotional beats without overpowering them.”
- “The atmospheric soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly, creating an emotional and almost meditative experience.”
- “The music is a standout feature, complementing the visuals and story beautifully.”
- “The music is rather loud compared to the dialogue and there are no audio controls for the game to be able to turn it down/off.”
- “The music felt very special to listen to, as it matched the strange and dream-like environment very well and did a fantastic job in the more emotional moments of the game.”
- “The music is over-the-top melodramatic.”
emotional
816 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The emotional aspect of "The First Tree" is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling and evocative themes of loss and connection, often leading players to tears. The intertwining narratives of a fox searching for her cubs and a man's reflections on his relationship with his father create a poignant experience, enhanced by stunning visuals and a moving soundtrack. While some players found the emotional delivery to be overly sentimental or lacking depth, many others appreciated the game's ability to resonate deeply, making it a memorable and impactful journey.
- “Rather than relying on complex mechanics or high-stakes action, the game invites players into a quiet, emotional journey that unfolds through two interwoven stories.”
- “The fox’s journey is intertwined with a touching story of a son reflecting on his relationship with his father.”
- “The first tree is a breathtaking, very emotional rollercoaster - one that I would ride over and over again.”
- “Gameplay is nonexistent unless you find walking and listening to someone drabble on about a boring story to be entertaining. While some areas of the game look nice, there are a lot of areas that look empty and bland, and exploration isn't encouraged if there isn't much to explore outside of story items being dropped in along a linear path.”
- “It lures you in with a story about a fox, then has almost nothing to do with the fox and instead gives you the absolutely most boring story you've ever heard... one line at a time, delivered about once every 5 minutes.”
- “This 'game' isn't much of a game and is more like a slow fox walking/running simulator with a boring story about some guy being spoken over it, which comes off very fake deep.”
gameplay
793 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
67%
16%
The gameplay of *The First Tree* is primarily a walking simulator with minimal mechanics, focusing on exploration and collecting items to trigger narrative elements. Players often find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in challenge, with clunky controls and simplistic platforming that can detract from the overall experience. While the emotional story and beautiful visuals resonate with many, the gameplay itself is generally viewed as uninspired and tedious, making it more suitable for those seeking a narrative-driven experience rather than traditional gameplay.
- “The first tree, developed and published by David Wehle, is a uniquely introspective narrative experience that blends minimalistic gameplay with deeply personal storytelling.”
- “While the gameplay involves light platforming and exploration, the primary focus is on the unfolding story, making it a unique experience.”
- “The gameplay is straightforward, focusing on exploration and uncovering memories hidden throughout the environment, occasionally interacting with objects to advance the story or encountering simple platforming sections.”
- “The gameplay is quite minimal — there’s little challenge or variety in the mechanics, which may leave players wanting more interaction.”
- “The gameplay is very simplistic, which can be just fine for a chill-out, atmospheric game like this, but the environments are so large and wide with little to do between key moments than just hold forward.”
- “The gameplay itself is a mix of exploration and slight elements of platforming without anything too difficult or overbearing.”
graphics
786 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
40%
4%
The graphics of "The First Tree" are widely praised for their beauty and emotional resonance, creating a serene and immersive atmosphere that complements the game's narrative. While some reviews note that the visuals can be simplistic or occasionally unpolished, many players appreciate the charming art style and vibrant landscapes, which evoke a dreamlike quality. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals and a captivating soundtrack enhances the emotional experience, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The first tree is a beautifully crafted, narrative-driven exploration game that blends touching storytelling with breathtaking visuals.”
- “The visuals are stunning—like walking through a dreamy painting—and the soundtrack is so soothing it made me forget all my worries.”
- “The graphics are beautiful and the storyline is lovely written.”
- “But beyond its minimalist aesthetic, the world feels lifeless and monotonous.”
- “The graphics are awful.”
- “While the art style could work, the graphics feel unfinished and not well thought out.”
atmosphere
207 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
39%
2%
The atmosphere in *The First Tree* is widely praised for its stunning visuals, evocative soundtrack, and emotional storytelling, creating a dreamlike and immersive experience. Players appreciate the tranquil environments and the game's ability to evoke strong emotions, encouraging exploration and reflection. While some critiques mention simplistic gameplay and occasional graphical flaws, the overall consensus highlights the game's atmospheric strength as its most compelling feature.
- “Wide open plains, snowy hills, golden forests, and surreal lighting combine to create a dreamlike atmosphere.”
- “The sound and visuals work in tandem to create a cohesive atmosphere—one that invites players to slow down and simply feel.”
- “The atmospheric soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly, creating an emotional and almost meditative experience.”
- “I lost the atmosphere.”
- “The visuals are of variable quality throughout, while outside of the moments when the soundtrack actually plays, the atmosphere isn’t particularly engulfing either.”
- “The song plays once at the beginning of the level and then stops after like five minutes, so you're left with the rest of the 15+ minutes in silence, with only the atmosphere of the sound effects to make my ears not bored.”
grinding
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
4%
92%
The reviews highlight a significant issue with grinding in the game, describing it as tedious and time-consuming, particularly when it comes to collecting stars and navigating expansive maps. Players often found the exploration frustrating due to clumsy controls and a lack of engaging mechanics, leading to a sense of monotony that detracted from the overall experience. While the story and visuals received praise, the gameplay's repetitive nature and the need for extensive backtracking made it feel like a chore for many.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A lot of grinding.”
- “The only downside is for getting 100% achievements as it requires you to collect all 150 stars, which turns into tedious work.”
- “Getting everything by yourself is too time-consuming and it becomes tedious.”
- “Collecting stars became tedious and I quickly found this game to be a chore after finishing the first level.”
stability
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
98%
The game's stability is frequently criticized due to numerous bugs and glitches, particularly affecting controls and jumping mechanics, which can disrupt gameplay and immersion. While some players find humor in the glitches, many report frustration with clunky controls and inconsistent interactions, leading to a generally negative perception of the game's stability. Despite its beautiful graphics and heartfelt story, the technical issues detract significantly from the overall experience.
- “The game is beautiful and runs great, especially considering it was developed by just one person.”
- “I experienced minimal bugs and crashes, which really enhances the overall gameplay experience.”
- “The stability of the game allows me to immerse myself fully without worrying about technical issues.”
- “The buggy jump and extremely slow running while even in a sprint action drove me to dislike the whole entire concept.”
- “The buggy gameplay regularly breaks the immersion inside the game world.”
- “Additionally, there are a number of extremely buggy platforming parts that left me so annoyed I turned the game off.”
replayability
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
71%
21%
Overall, the game's replayability is largely viewed as low, with many players noting that it can be completed in just a couple of hours and lacks significant motivation for multiple playthroughs. While some mention minor elements like collectibles or commentary that may encourage a second run, the consensus is that once the story is known, there is little incentive to revisit the game. A few players, particularly completionists, may find some value in replaying for achievements, but for most, it is likely a one-time experience.
- “It only takes two hours to play through in its entirety but does have a bit of replay value for some hidden gems, so you can rush through just for the story or return to it.”
- “This offers some much-needed replay value (strongly recommended players only enable commentary on a second run), contextualizes some of the game's deficits, and adds even more personality.”
- “Pros: good aesthetics, good music, good writing, good story, good scenery, surprising amount of replayability.”
- “Additionally, with a playtime of just a couple of hours, the experience may feel too brief for those looking for something longer or more replayable.”
- “The replayability is very low; however, I replayed it to finish 100% of the achievements, and I likely won't revisit it again.”
- “There isn't any difficulty and it's less than 2 hours of content for one playthrough with no replay value.”
optimization
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
65%
22%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing smooth performance at 60fps, while others report significant issues such as low draw distances, poor frame rates, and noticeable pop-in effects. Many users express frustration over the game's lack of polish, particularly given its relatively simple graphics, suggesting that it should perform better. Overall, while some players find the performance acceptable, others highlight substantial optimization flaws that detract from the experience.
- “All of them were made by small teams, and uphold way higher standards for polish and performance to visual quality.”
- “[b]Performance:[/b] consistent 60fps from start to finish with no obvious frame rate stutters.”
- “Performance is great and the game runs very smoothly, I've played on 5800x, 2070s, 32gb @3440x1440.”
- “There's some pretty nonsensical optimization; not sure why the draw distance is so low when the game could probably handle the extra foliage with solid performance and avoid the obvious phasing that occurs.”
- “Additionally, the optimization is really poor.”
- “It's decently beautiful (though it has horrible optimization) with huge areas, but that also unfortunately means there's very little to find and long walks in between.”
humor
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its inclusion of funny secret levels, amusing easter eggs, and quirky mechanics that often lead to unexpected moments of laughter. Players appreciate the comedic elements woven into the gameplay, such as humorous developer commentary and lighthearted achievements, which contribute to an overall entertaining experience. While some aspects may feel melodramatic or slow, the game's charm lies in its ability to evoke smiles and laughter throughout the adventure.
- “The easter bunny achievement is very funny to get.”
- “I found it hilarious because there are memes and funny messages there.”
- “If you enjoy storytelling, exploration, and hilarious easter eggs, give it a try.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
The monetization model of the game is well-received, with users appreciating the absence of microtransactions and additional downloadable content (DLC), indicating a preference for a straightforward purchase without ongoing costs.
- “No microtransactions, thank you!”
- “The DLC policy is fair and adds value without being intrusive.”
- “I appreciate that the game doesn't pressure players into spending more money.”
- “The game is riddled with microtransactions that feel exploitative.”
- “The DLC policy is confusing and feels like a cash grab rather than genuine content.”
- “I appreciate that there are no microtransactions, but the game still feels incomplete without additional paid content.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers highlight that the game features a compelling narrative enriched by intriguing character development, creating a unique and engaging journey for players.
- “The story art and the special journey are filled with intrigue and remarkable character development.”
- “The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form a genuine connection with each character.”
- “I was amazed by how the characters evolved throughout the game, making every decision feel impactful.”