Road Not Taken
Spry Fox · 2014 · Roguelike, Indie, Puzzle, Turn-Based, Adventure
PC
Very Positive81% · 252
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About Road Not Taken
Road Not Taken is a roguelike puzzle game about surviving life’s surprises. You play as a ranger adventuring through a vast, unforgiving forest in the aftermath of a brutal winter storm, rescuing children who have lost their way. Randomly generated levels deliver a limitless supply of possibilities to explore and challenges to overcome. Your actions will influence not only your own story, but that of the villagers you hope to befriend and the town you call home.
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Each time you play Road Not Taken, you're likely to experience a very different story. The paths you take will change; the relationships you pursue will twist in ways you did not expect. Which, as it happens, is just like real life.
The villagers of Road Not Taken believe that there is an optimal path through life: a good person gets a job, falls in love and has children. You won't follow this path. Can you find your own unique way through a life?
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No path leads to the same destination in Road Not Taken. The trails you take will change, the relationships you pursue will twist in ways you might not expect, and the narrative you create with every action will be yours to decide. Every playthrough offers new and unusual creatures to encounter, secrets and items to discover, townsfolk to build relationships with, and devilish, hand-crafted puzzle rooms to solve.
Brains, Not Brawn
Your character has the magical ability to levitate and move objects. You must figure out how to use your talents and tactics to circumvent or defeat a wide variety of dangerous creatures, obstacles, and boss encounters.
Get Lost in the Wild
Road Not Taken is brought to life with gorgeous 2D artwork, expressively charming sprite design, and an evocative, atmospheric soundtrack. Every puzzle is a challenge of exploration and strategy, testing players to think before taking each step forward.
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Story Details:\
Each time you play Road Not Taken, you're likely to experience a very different story. The paths you take will change; the relationships you pursue will twist in ways you did not expect. Which, as it happens, is just like real life.
The villagers of Road Not Taken believe that there is an optimal path through life: a good person gets a job, falls in love and has children. You won't follow this path. Can you find your own unique way through a life?
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Gameplay Details:\
No path leads to the same destination in Road Not Taken. The trails you take will change, the relationships you pursue will twist in ways you might not expect, and the narrative you create with every action will be yours to decide. Every playthrough offers new and unusual creatures to encounter, secrets and items to discover, townsfolk to build relationships with, and devilish, hand-crafted puzzle rooms to solve.
Brains, Not Brawn
Your character has the magical ability to levitate and move objects. You must figure out how to use your talents and tactics to circumvent or defeat a wide variety of dangerous creatures, obstacles, and boss encounters.
Get Lost in the Wild
Road Not Taken is brought to life with gorgeous 2D artwork, expressively charming sprite design, and an evocative, atmospheric soundtrack. Every puzzle is a challenge of exploration and strategy, testing players to think before taking each step forward.
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
So, what to say and not to sound bitter… I came back to this game after almost 10 years - I put the game on hiatus in 2016. All I could remember about it was that it quickly became rather hard… well, still a valid point. [i]Road Not Taken[/i] is a roguelike puzzle game with charming visuals and frustratingly increasing difficulty. We play as a lone ranger rescupedling lost children from a nearby forest after the end of every winter. The layout of the forest is randomly generated every year. The same goes for the number of children in need of rescue, the enemies, or puzzles. To successfully fulfill your duty, you need to bring home at least half of the missing children - especially helpful when the forest layout is extremely against you. The game ends when you survive for 15 years… then you die and start over as a new ranger. If you manage to save every kid in your whole career you will see an extra version of the ending intro... checked it on Youtube and it's not worth it. :P There isn't much of a story to tell about… the whole game is concentrated on the children and how they bring joy and higher meaning to our lives… which is all true, but after a few hours of the same lines on…4 found this helpful
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Developed and published by Spry Fox, Road Not Taken is a puzzle-driven roguelike that blends strategic gameplay with emotional storytelling, creating an experience that is both intellectually engaging and surprisingly reflective. Set in a secluded village surrounded by an unpredictable wilderness, the game casts players as a ranger tasked with rescuing children who have disappeared after brutal winter storms. While this objective forms the core of the gameplay, the adventure gradually evolves into a deeper exploration of sacrifice, responsibility, relationships, and the unpredictable consequences of the choices people make throughout their lives. The game's puzzle mechanics are unlike those found in most traditional roguelikes. Rather than relying on combat as the primary challenge, Road Not Taken focuses on manipulating the environment to navigate increasingly intricate forests filled with obstacles, wildlife, magical objects, and hidden dangers. Every object can potentially interact with another, encouraging players to experiment and discover creative solutions instead of following predetermined paths. Since each forest is procedurally generated, no two rescue missions unfold in…1 found this helpful
This is my gold standard for a good indie game; good mechanics, good story, good writing and a cute pithy ending that loops back around and makes sense in the frame of the story. I find myself wanting to know more about the world. Hidden gem honestly.1 found this helpful
I didn't like it. Clunky gameplay, only 30 fps no real options menu. I think this game was on PlayStation plus a long time ago on the ps4 maybe. It should've stayed their.
Get it on sale.
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