Unroaded

About

Unroaded is a single player casual role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by stormnebulae and was released on March 6, 2019. It received very positive reviews from players.

Unroaded is a short visual novel about the living dead man who instead of inaction has chosen the road.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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92%

Audience ScoreBased on 88 reviews

story20 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features beautiful artwork and a unique, atmospheric setting that enhances the storytelling experience.
Despite its brevity, the writing is poignant and evokes deep themes of life, death, and existentialism, making it a thought-provoking experience.
It's free to play, making it an accessible option for those looking for a short narrative-driven experience with multiple endings.

The gameplay is minimal, primarily consisting of clicking through text, which some players found tedious and lacking in engagement.
The English translation is often poor, leading to confusion and detracting from the overall narrative experience.
Choices in the game feel arbitrary and do not significantly impact the story, resulting in a sense of emptiness and lack of meaningful player agency.

story
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
53%
6%
The game's story is a short yet immersive visual novel set in a bleak, war-torn world, exploring themes of death, purpose, and existentialism. While some players found the narrative incoherent due to translation issues, many praised its emotional depth, unique atmosphere, and the ability to shape the story through choices, leading to multiple endings. Overall, the storytelling is described as captivating and beautifully complemented by minimalist aesthetics and sound design.
- “What struck me most about 'Unroaded' is its masterful storytelling.”
- “The minimalist aesthetic serves to enhance the sense of isolation and desolation that permeates the story, drawing players further into the protagonist's world.”
- “Dealing with the aftermath of death and the choices that this can bring, the story creates a very fascinating glimpse into an otherworldly imagination of the 'life after'.”
- “If you want to know what the story was like, check out the other reviews because I skipped all of it.”
- “It's hard to read because the English translation is weirdly phrased, and the story is incoherent, but it seems to come from real, deep musings about the meaning of life, time, memories, and death.”
- “Sometimes it's hard to read and follow the story because of translation errors.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
37%
27%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their stunning, unique art style that enhances the narrative's mood and themes of isolation. The minimalist aesthetic and hand-drawn elements effectively contribute to the overall atmosphere, although some players desire more artwork. Overall, the visuals are considered beautiful and impactful, even if they may not appeal to everyone.
- “Visually, the game is stunning, with striking artwork that perfectly complements the mood and tone of the narrative.”
- “The minimalist aesthetic serves to enhance the sense of isolation and desolation that permeates the story, drawing players further into the protagonist's world.”
- “I found the art to be a unique art style which illustrated the overall uniqueness of the game.”
- “The visuals get their point across, but it's not my cup of tea.”
- “While I would really like a lot more artwork, this one stands pretty well on its own.”
- “I found the art to be a unique art style which illustrated the overall uniqueness of Unroaded.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
20%
30%
The music in the game is generally praised for its ability to enhance the somber and bleak atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its beauty and chilling quality. However, some players found the repetitive nature of the soundtrack to be boring, detracting from their overall experience. Overall, the music effectively complements the game's visual style and narrative, though opinions on its engagement level vary.
- “The artwork is pretty good, and the soundtrack amplifies the bleak ambiance it exudes.”
- “The art and music both set a sombre tone which fit the game well.”
- “Beautiful visual style and nice music.”
- “Game practically consists of static illustrated screens, a narrative with few decision points, underscored by subdued music.”
- “Very long reading, no music.”
- “I got the oblivion ending, which was a happy ending; however, I was confused through a lot of it and was sad. The music was a loop all the way through, and I will say it was very boring. I wanted to quit after the first five minutes.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The gameplay in this visual novel is minimal, primarily consisting of clicking through poorly written dialogue and making occasional choices that lead to different endings. Players report a lack of engaging content, with the experience lasting around two hours but offering little replay value. Overall, the gameplay is deemed unsatisfactory, with many feeling it does not justify its presence on the platform.
- “It'll provide you 2 hours worth of gameplay, though it has no replayability factor after you get all endings.”
- “Gameplay: 7”
- “It was an interesting experience, but for less than an hour worth of content and virtually no gameplay this being free-to-play honestly seems pretty fair.”
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
- “But yeah, not much gameplay and the choices feel a bit arbitrary as to what ending you get.”
- “This is a visual novel, meaning there is essentially no gameplay beyond advancing text and occasionally selecting one of two dialogue options.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The atmosphere of the game is described as beautifully bleak and immersive, effectively combining minimalist imagery and sound to draw players into its unique story. It resonates particularly with fans of atmospheric black metal and those intrigued by themes of the afterlife, creating a compelling and thought-provoking experience. Despite minor language issues, the overall ambiance is praised as a standout feature.
- “Unroaded's bleak, inhospitable, and often nihilistic world will nourish the cravings of anyone who keeps pondering about the afterlife, or anybody who enjoys the lyrics of atmospheric black metal bands such as Caladan Brood, Summoning, or Sojourner.”
- “The atmosphere is beautiful and bleak at the same time, while the concept and story are unique.”
- “But this one does such a good job of mixing sound and minimalist imagery to form an atmosphere that brings you into the story.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books tedious, likening it to a frustrating experience where progress is hindered by the need to click through text at a slow pace, detracting from the enjoyment of the narrative. Additionally, there is a lack of meaningful achievements associated with this grinding, leading to further dissatisfaction.
- “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best... imagine the best novel you ever read, be that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or 2001: A Space Odyssey or Twilight (if you have terrible taste in literature), but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
- “Grinding achievements: 0”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game offers approximately two hours of gameplay, but lacks replayability once all endings have been achieved.
- “It'll provide you 2 hours worth of gameplay, though it has no replayability factor after you get all the endings.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play it again.”
- “The lack of varied choices means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”