The Old Tree

About

The Old Tree is a single player casual puzzle game. It was developed by Red Dwarf Games and was released on January 26, 2015. It received positive reviews from players.

The Old Tree is a short free-to-play cinematic puzzle game about a newborn alien baby. Witness this microscopic entity's first moments of life and help it emerge from its underground lair and ascend towards an unknown destination.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,002 reviews

graphics180 positive mentions

replayability10 negative mentions

Beautiful and unique art style with atmospheric and fitting music.
Short, simple, and relaxing puzzle gameplay that's easy to understand and enjoyable.
Free to play with a charming and adorable alien protagonist, providing a quirky and weird but pleasant experience.

Game is very short, typically lasting only about 10-20 minutes, limiting replayability and depth.
Some areas are too dark making it difficult to see interactive objects and requiring trial-and-error clicking.
Lacks meaningful story, character development, or emotional impact, leaving some players confused or unsatisfied.

graphics
309 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
41%
1%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their unique, hand-painted, and atmospheric art style that blends cute and creepy elements with dark, surreal visuals. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful, detailed artwork and smooth animations as the standout feature, creating an engaging and soothing ambiance despite the game's short length. While some note the graphics can be quite dark at times, overall the visuals are considered a key draw and elevate the experience as a short, artistic interactive piece.
- “Stunning visuals and ambient mood deliver a short cinematic gem free to play in minutes.”
- “The graphics in this game are beautiful, especially for a free game.”
- “Aesthetically gorgeous, genuinely wondrous - my forty-two-year-old mouth "whoa"-ed an awful lot of times during its roughly ten-to-fifteen minute duration - and extraordinarily intuitive in its mechanics and puzzle-solving.”
- “Too dark graphics.”
- “The graphics were basic until the ending, except they are very dark the entire time which made it difficult at times to figure out what you're supposed to do without clicking mindlessly.”
- “The artstyle is okay-ish and the music is fitting but apart from that, there is not much on offer here.”
story
252 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
63%
12%
The story in this game is minimalist, relying heavily on atmospheric, environmental, and visual storytelling without dialogue, resulting in a simple, cute, and somewhat abstract narrative about a baby alien's journey. While many appreciate its artistic style and evocative mood, the story is often described as too short, vague, or lacking depth and character development, leaving much to player interpretation. Overall, it is seen more as a brief, charming interactive story or experience rather than a fully developed narrative-driven game.
- “The story is so simple yet so deep, guiding this adorable little alien through this nightmare of a world is so compelling.”
- “The old tree is a short 8-13 minute game that tells the story of a little green alien that hatches from its egg and ventures out on its own.”
- “It's a storybook style game, just click and set it free!”
- “The game is short, boring, and has no story or plot whatsoever.”
- “There is no story present whatsoever, though with a little imagination you could pretend there was, and the puzzles are usually fairly simple, though there are a couple that are pretty clever.”
- “The story is practically nonexistent, although I managed to put something of a kind in the beginning of this review.”
atmosphere
195 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
25%
2%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its relaxing, eerie, and surreal qualities, enhanced by beautiful hand-drawn art and a fitting, often haunting soundtrack. Despite its short length and simple puzzles, the immersive mood and unique aesthetic create a compelling and memorable experience that many find charming and soothing. This atmospheric depth is considered the game's standout feature, making it a worthwhile play especially for fans of indie, art-driven games.
- “The atmosphere is this game's strong point: it creates a very unsettling and bizarre world in no time at all, and makes you almost believe it as you follow and help your abnormal four-legged apple-like creature traverse the maze that is the 'old tree'.”
- “If you're looking for traditional game mechanics, give this a pass, but if you like beautiful art, an engrossing atmosphere and a play experience like nothing else in the medium, I can't recommend this highly enough.”
- “This game oozes atmosphere, and does a fantastic job of making each new area feel both completely new while also connected to the area that came before.”
- “There's nothing special in terms of story and mechanics, but it does make up for it with its graying atmosphere and an ominous sound throughout this short playtime.”
- “Just a personal dislike to the atmosphere and art style.”
- “There’s no real story, no characters, no real atmosphere, just a strange little alien creature which you guide through the game.”
music
175 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
45%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric, ambient, and soothing qualities that perfectly complement the visuals and dark, eerie setting, creating a relaxing and immersive experience. While some find the soundtrack repetitive or slightly ominous, most appreciate its calming, hypnotic effect and fitting mood, enhancing the game's overall haunting and mysterious atmosphere. A few reviewers wished for more variety or longer duration, but generally, the music is considered a strong, integral part of the game's charm.
- “Overall an enjoyable experience, with both lovely visuals and atmospheric music.”
- “The puzzles are intuitive and creative, the graphics are lovely, and the music and overall atmosphere are soothing and mysterious.”
- “Great little 5 minute game with fantastic visuals and atmospheric music.”
- “Background music is a bit weird and droning.”
- “The music is quiet and atmospheric but it gets a bit monotonous by the end of the game.”
- “But the pacing was terrible, the sounds were jarring, the music was the most obnoxious droning, and the puzzles ('puzzles') were unintuitive and boring.”
gameplay
109 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
64%
7%
The gameplay is simple, consisting mainly of easy point-and-click puzzles that guide the protagonist through a short, atmospheric adventure lasting around 10-30 minutes. While not mechanically deep or challenging, it offers a relaxing and charming experience enhanced by striking visuals and ambient sound. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its intuitive design and mood-setting but is noted as brief and lacking in complexity or replay value.
- “This game is a standout gem, blending captivating gameplay with stunning visuals.”
- “Gameplay allows the quadropus to move along only when circumstances allow; the player's job, as this little thing's impromptu guardian angel and/or psychic extension of its will, is to move the cursor and click on objects in the environment and so render cause and effect to change the environment and/or objects in the environment, including other creatures.”
- “Aesthetically gorgeous, genuinely wondrous - my forty-two-year-old mouth "whoa"-ed an awful lot of times during its roughly ten-to-fifteen minute duration - and extraordinarily intuitive in its mechanics and puzzle-solving.”
- “Similar games like Samorost can be annoying, since their gameplay is often "click on everything and hope that something illogical will progress the game."”
- “It is completely pointless, lacks any logic, and the gameplay consists mainly of clicking randomly on the screen until something happens.”
- “The gameplay is pretty straightforward and simplistic, but it's a bit repetitive and not something I'd play more than twice.”
replayability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
31%
53%
The game offers little to no replayability, with no achievements or branching paths to encourage multiple playthroughs. Players generally find it enjoyable for a single, short session but do not return to it afterward. Its value lies primarily in a brief, relaxing experience rather than extended replay value.
- “Length and replayability.”
- “Minor replay value, but an overall good game.”
- “For a free-to-play, 30 minute puzzle game with a quick but enjoyable ending, this game will give you a fun and good time.”
- “If you are looking for something with replayability, you will be disappointed.”
- “The only downside to this is that once you have played it, there is no replayability factor.”
- “There is no mistake you could make, nothing that would require you to restart, and no progression or branching path that would entitle a form of replay value.”
emotional
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Emotional responses to the game vary widely, with some players feeling detached from the character and story, while others find it uniquely charming, touching, and emotionally moving. The game's distinctive art style and atmosphere evoke feelings ranging from peacefulness to heartfelt connection, though it may not deeply engage all players on a personal level.
- “Now, normally I wouldn't suggest point-and-click games, let alone point-and-click puzzle games, but this one has a creepy-heartwarming charm unlike any other game I've ever seen.”
- “Daddy found the story touching and the walkthrough of the world fascinating; I am sure other parents will enjoy it as well.”
- “I cried.”
humor
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely praised for its humor, featuring quirky characters and amusing scenarios that evoke genuine laughter. Players find the comedic puzzles and eerie yet funny atmosphere particularly enjoyable, making for a lighthearted and entertaining adventure.
- “Spoiler alert: the room where the attendant keeps turning off the light is very funny and very smart.”
- “Some odd pieces of scenery - I found the cockroach receptionist who's afraid of the dark quite funny - give this game an eerie atmosphere.”
- “Funny puzzles, relaxed gameplay and deep ambient sounds.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
Grinding in the game is generally seen as tedious and slow, with excessive trial-and-error and repetitive clicking that detracts from enjoyment. The pacing of puzzles and animations contributes to a sense of boredom, making the experience feel drawn-out and frustrating for many players.
- “Had to use a walkthrough just to figure out the parts that involved tedious trial and error.”
- “I didn't complete this because I got tired of the tedious, excessive random clicking.”
- “Also, the gameplay is tedious and very boring.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game features minimal to no character development or meaningful relationship building, resulting in a lack of plot and depth. While the character design is visually appealing, the overall experience feels shallow in terms of story and character growth.
- “The character design is lovely, and the whole experience is worth the time to download and install it.”
- “You witness no character development; nor do you have the opportunity to build any sort of meaningful relationship with the protagonist.”
- “No story or character development.”
- “There isn't much plot, dimension, or character development.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates excellent stability, with no errors or glitches reported. Users highlight a smooth and flawless experience throughout.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is poor, resulting in terrible performance; however, this issue is not significantly impactful to the overall experience.