The First Tree

71%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,020 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
The First Tree Game Cover
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.
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"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.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

71%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,020 reviews
story719 positive mentions
grinding33 negative mentions
  • Beautiful graphics and art style that create a calming atmosphere.
  • Touching and emotional story that resonates with players, especially those who have experienced loss.
  • Great soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • Gameplay is mostly just walking and collecting items, leading to a lack of engagement.
  • Controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, making platforming frustrating.
  • No option to save mid-level, which can lead to losing progress if you need to exit the game.
  • story1,873 mentions

    The story of "The First Tree" intertwines the emotional journey of a mother fox searching for her missing cubs with a man's reflections on his relationship with his deceased father, creating a poignant narrative about loss, love, and healing. While the visuals and soundtrack are praised for their beauty, some players find the gameplay repetitive and the pacing slow, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite mixed feelings about the execution, many reviewers appreciate the heartfelt storytelling and the emotional impact of the narrative.

    • “This story follows a mother fox looking for her missing cubs, and a man reconnecting with his father in parallel.”
    • “The first tree is such an emotional rollercoaster due to the familiarity of the narration, such a simple but relatable story can happen to anyone and not only that but the story would (in my case) make you think about personal past events, happy and sad moments, loss and grief, regrets and how to cope with it, plus the music along with the fox's story will for sure make your eyes well up; all of these aspects together deliver a solid emotive experience.”
    • “The story is beautifully written, the artwork is beautifully done, it was emotionally beautiful.”
    • “The story is boring, generic, and slow.”
    • “The story is not very good, it touches on grief and loss but is purely uninteresting.”
    • “The story is very emotional, but the gameplay is even slower, just holding W simulator with large stretches in between tiny story bits.”
  • music737 mentions

    The music in "The First Tree" is widely praised for its emotional depth and beautiful composition, often described as hauntingly beautiful and perfectly complementing the game's narrative. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to enhance the immersive experience, creating a tranquil atmosphere that resonates with players long after the game ends. However, some criticism arises regarding the music's repetitiveness and occasional lack of looping, which can lead to moments of silence during gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, elevating the game's emotional storytelling and visuals.

    • “The soundtrack perfectly complements the narrative, adding depth to the emotional highs and lows of the journey.”
    • “The music is an important part of the gameplay, beautiful piano pieces which enhance the journey and narration, emotional and sad, exceptionally crafted with every track hand in hand with the story for sure will make you think and reflect on your own personal life.”
    • “The music is beautiful and fits the tone perfectly, the aesthetic of the game is just *chef's kiss* - if you like melancholic games that make you feel things, I cannot recommend this game enough.”
    • “The music is over-the-top melodramatic.”
    • “The music starts off charming, but gets old around the 30-45 minute mark.”
    • “The music cutting out and janky animations didn't help with that.”
  • graphics548 mentions

    The graphics of "The First Tree" receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful art style and vibrant visuals that create an immersive atmosphere. While some players find the graphics stunning and fitting for the emotional narrative, others criticize them as simplistic or lacking detail, noting issues like texture pop-ins and a sense of unfinished quality in certain areas. Overall, the visuals are often described as charming and effective in enhancing the game's storytelling, despite some technical shortcomings.

    • “From the moment I embarked on this emotional journey, I was captivated by its stunning visuals, evocative storytelling, and the seamless blend of gameplay and narrative.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the compelling story, the soundtrack, it's all perfect.”
    • “Stunning graphics, cute animals, and a beautiful story make this game one of the best atmospheric indie games I have ever experienced.”
    • “Graphically meh.”
    • “Texture pop-ins... what the heck... never saw it that bad... graphics aren't that pretty too.”
    • “While the art style could work, the graphics feel unfinished and not well thought out.”
  • emotional532 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "The First Tree" is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling and beautiful visuals, creating a deeply moving experience that resonates with players. Many reviewers noted that the game effectively explores themes of loss, grief, and personal reflection, often leading to emotional responses such as tears. While some criticized the gameplay mechanics and pacing, the overall consensus is that the emotional narrative, complemented by a haunting soundtrack, makes it a memorable and impactful journey.

    • “From the moment I embarked on this emotional journey, I was captivated by its stunning visuals, evocative storytelling, and the seamless blend of gameplay and narrative.”
    • “The first tree is such an emotional rollercoaster due to the familiarity of the narration; such a simple but relatable story can happen to anyone and not only that but the story would (in my case) make you think about personal past events, happy and sad moments, loss and grief, regrets and how to cope with it, plus the music along with the fox's story will for sure make your eyes well up; all of these aspects together deliver a solid emotive experience.”
    • “This game is a very emotional journey.”
    • “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's an asset flip with a boring story.”
    • “In the beginning, I thought it was a kind of boring story, but towards the end, it became very emotional and interesting.”
  • gameplay497 mentions

    The gameplay of "The First Tree" is characterized by its simplicity and focus on exploration, primarily involving walking and collecting items to trigger narrative elements. While the intuitive controls allow players to engage with the emotional story, many reviewers noted that the mechanics can feel clunky and repetitive, leading to a lack of engagement and frustration at times. Overall, the game is more of a narrative experience than a traditional gameplay-driven title, appealing primarily to those who appreciate story over mechanics.

    • “It has a strong focus on simplicity of gameplay that consists of traveling while listening to a couple discuss their dreams and emotional trauma.”
    • “The gameplay is simple and straightforward, jump and digging are the only mechanics available, the gameplay is mostly exploration and looking for secrets and memories that will trigger a narration that will give us pieces of the background story, with every memory the story will intertwine with the fox's journey.”
    • “Great storytelling and a simple and relaxing gameplay mechanic.”
    • “Unfortunately, the gameplay was very boring and there was hardly anything going on besides trying to find where the game wants you to go.”
    • “The gameplay is extremely slow, the world is barren and uninteresting.”
    • “The gameplay itself consists of some pretty simple platforming, but there is very little actual platforming to be done, so it's a little closer to a walking simulator outside of a couple moments.”
  • atmosphere133 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive combination of stunning visuals and a beautiful soundtrack, creating a tranquil and emotional experience that resonates with players long after they finish. While many appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings through its art and music, some critiques mention issues like sparse sound design and gameplay mechanics that can detract from the overall atmosphere. Overall, the game is recognized as a captivating journey that excels in delivering a serene and heartfelt atmosphere, making it a strong recommendation for fans of atmospheric storytelling.

    • “The combination of visuals and music creates a truly immersive atmosphere that stays with you long after the game is over.”
    • “The excellent choices in music and remarkable atmosphere are not to be taken lightly, and I encourage any and everyone that has a few dollars to spend to take a couple of hours to enjoy this story.”
    • “The atmosphere and feel of this game was amazing, and I really liked the art style.”
    • “I felt like there wasn't a lot of sound to immerse myself into the atmosphere, which did take away from the experience just a smidge.”
    • “If you're fortunate enough to find an area that has objects in it, it's usually just completely random objects that don't seem to fit the atmosphere; it ruins it.”
    • “The lack of natural looking responses from the fox when colliding with steep hills comes up far too often, and even on the highest graphical settings, there is a lot of distracting pop-in on model detail for trees and such, which both ruined the atmosphere for me a fair bit.”
  • grinding36 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often describing the exploration and collection tasks as time-consuming and lacking engagement. Many reviews highlight the large, empty maps that contribute to a sense of monotony, with clunky controls and minimal gameplay mechanics exacerbating the experience. While the story and visuals are praised, the gameplay often feels like a chore, leading to a mixed reception regarding the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “I often found myself confused about what to do, and fully completing it is incredibly tedious.”
    • “It seems like they tried to make it seem bigger and longer than it is by creating big maps, but it just felt very empty and tedious.”
    • “The gameplay is pretty tedious and sometimes unintuitive; I think I would've enjoyed it more to just walk through nice landscapes while listening to the story than to fiddle around with weird, time-consuming platforming sequences and looking for collectibles.”
  • stability28 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized due to clunky controls, buggy animations, and numerous glitches that disrupt gameplay, such as erratic jumping mechanics and characters getting stuck in the environment. While some players appreciate the beautiful graphics and emotional narrative, many feel that the technical issues detract significantly from the overall experience, making it feel rushed and unfinished. Despite these flaws, a few users noted that the game remains enjoyable, albeit with caveats regarding its stability.

    • “Though the game is beautiful and runs great, it was only made by one person.”
    • “Amazing voice acting, beautiful game, amazing/sad story, runs great, 10/10”
    • “The buggy jump and extremely slow running while even in a sprint action drove me to dislike the whole entire concept.”
    • “You can't force a 'deep story' with this short of a buggy game; there are better indie games out there, and this just feels rushed.”
    • “There are some immersion-breaking glitches too (seeing through terrain, the fox occasionally displaying the falling animation while moving upwards, the deer you can break and push around by running into them on the stary lake, etc.).”
  • replayability22 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with many players noting that it is relatively short and lacks significant motivation for multiple playthroughs. While some find value in collecting hidden items or achieving 100% completion, others feel that once the story is known, there is little incentive to revisit the game. Ultimately, it seems that replayability is primarily appealing to completionists or those interested in collectibles, while casual players may find it limited.

    • “I would say this has a high replay value, especially if you're a completionist.”
    • “The visuals are beautiful, the mechanics are smooth and there's even a little collection aspect to it which gives it some replayability.”
    • “Somewhat boring and no replay value, in my opinion.”
    • “Replayability is minimal as once the story is known, there's limited room for change.”
    • “There is some replayability if you missed some collectibles or would like to take a screenshot tour, but beyond that, this will probably be a single run game for most.”
  • optimization19 mentions

    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. Despite the visual appeal, many users criticize the overall optimization as lacking, particularly given the game's relatively simple graphical assets.

    • “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.”
    • “The bad optimization (they're all pretty basic assets, there's no reason I shouldn't get 60 fps on this).”
  • humor13 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of clever easter eggs, amusing achievements, and lighthearted mechanics that often lead to funny moments, such as the quirky camera behavior and the developer's role as the main character. Players appreciate the comedic elements woven into the storytelling and exploration, with many finding themselves smiling and laughing throughout their experience. Overall, the game embraces a whimsical tone, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate humor in gaming.

    • “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.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

79% average critic score

Buy The First Tree

Play time

4hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
2-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 17 analyzed playthroughs

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