[Kentucky Route Zero] An old hound in a straw hat. Both have seen better days.

Mr. G · July 2013

Conway drives up to an old gas station right off the 65 in the middle of Kentucky. Lights're off, but there's an old man sitting right there by the pumps, so it can't be abandoned. Gotta fill up and get some directions to Dogwood Drive. These antiques won't deliver themselves, you know. Old man tells Conway he's gotta take the Zero to get to Dogwood, and there's one problem with that: the Zero's not a simple highway to find.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gGQOaz1xFOo

Kentucky Route Zero is a magical realist adventure game about a secret highway in the caves beneath Kentucky, and the mysterious folks who travel it. Gameplay is inspired by point-and-click adventure games (like the classic Monkey Island or King's Quest series, or more recently Telltale's Walking Dead series), but focused on characterization, atmosphere and storytelling rather than clever puzzles or challenges of skill.

The game is developed by Cardboard Computer (Jake Elliott and Tamas Kemenczy). The game's soundtrack features an original electronic score by Ben Babbitt along with a suite of old hymns & bluegrass standards recorded by The Bedquilt Ramblers.

The game is split into five acts. Taken as a whole, the Kentucky Route Zero is roughly the length of a summer night. Acts I and II are available now. The remaining three acts will be released over the coming year.

Available On
Amazon
Humble Store
Steam

Soundtrack Available on BandCamp
Act I
Act II

Also Available
Limits & Demonstrations, a free sidestory and demo between Acts I and II

Huntera · July 2013

I did act 1 a couple nights ago and that was somethin'

Gonna wait to do Act 2 til I get home and can wear a pair of headphones to drink in that atmosphere

Mr. G · July 2013

Act III probably won't be out until at least like September and that is killing me

godmode · July 2013

Act one thingy that we'd spotted before:

When you're in the mine, turn off your lantern while you're on the tram and watch the areas around you when the sparks like the area up

Huntera · July 2013

I cannot wait for next summer when this game is fully released and I can sit in a dark, quiet room and relax while just absorbing this game.

Mr. G · July 2013

I fully expect to replay every act released right before playing the next one

Hell, I might play Act 2 again tomorrow and I just played it today

H0b0man · July 2013

I just got this when it went on sale this week.

I'm torn between starting it now or waiting until all the chapters are released.

Mr. G · July 2013

H0b0man wrote: »

I just got this when it went on sale this week.

I'm torn between starting it now or waiting until all the chapters are released.

You'd be sitting on it until at least next January if you wanna wait for the whole thing

Vann Diras · July 2013

it's worth noting that episode 1 and 2 don't really... go right into one another

the episodic structure is very obviously being considered in the making of KRZ, and playing each episode as it comes out should be just fine

the way each episode has ended, it's like they designed for you to have a little break between them

Evil Multifarious · July 2013

this game is a whole lot of what the fuck

Moriveth · July 2013

Dangit guys this game is so cool

how about that music

like damn

it is so cool

Mr. G · July 2013

Just to be clear here

Blue is the one true dog name

H0b0man · July 2013

Vann Diras wrote: »

it's worth noting that episode 1 and 2 don't really... go right into one another

the episodic structure is very obviously being considered in the making of KRZ, and playing each episode as it comes out should be just fine

the way each episode has ended, it's like they designed for you to have a little break between them

If that's the case I'll probably sit down sometime tonight and play a chapter.

Looking forward to it with how much it's been hyped up.

Vann Diras · July 2013

spoilers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl_G7aEC420

Helpless Rock · July 2013

Bedquilt Ramblers is quite possibly one of the greatest name for a bluegrass band.

Vann Diras · July 2013

alright now everyone post their

computer password poems

Vann Diras · July 2013

i actually had to go refresh myself on what the options were but

I talk and listen to him talking.
It's late.
It will only get later.

Speed Racer · July 2013

Mr. G wrote: »

Just to be clear here

Blue is the one true dog name

nonsense

Munkus Beaver · July 2013

Want this game so bad.

miscellaneousinsanity · July 2013

I LOVE THIS GAME SO MUCH

EVERYTHING ABOUT IT

Mr. G · July 2013

Speed Racer wrote: »

Mr. G wrote: »

Just to be clear here

Blue is the one true dog name

nonsense

Let's find common ground

People who don't name the dog are monsters

miscellaneousinsanity · July 2013

I kind of blasted through Acts I and II, looks like there were a ton of scenes I missed. Dunno if I should try different replays or wait and play through the rest of the episodes first.

miscellaneousinsanity · July 2013

Vann Diras wrote: »

i actually had to go refresh myself on what the options were but
I talk and listen to him talking.
It's late.
It will only get later.

Mine was pretty similar

The stars drop away.
It's late.
It will only get later.

Machwing · July 2013

Vann Diras wrote: »

i actually had to go refresh myself on what the options were but
I talk and listen to him talking.
It's late.
It will only get later.

I had the same one.

I have to say, the first part of Act 2 kinda dragged on a bit too long, but man KRZ really is something else.

Veldrin · July 2013

I played through the first episode of this slightly drowsy and alone in the cool dark hour of 3am this morning and I'd have to say that that is the perfect way to play this game.

Vann Diras · July 2013

a lot of people seem to be down on the opening of act 2, but i really liked it

especially once you start to frame the game in terms of

it being about people suffering the consequences of economic downturn. the shitty bureaucracy and being forced to jump through hoops felt totally fitting in that light

B_R · July 2013

It kinda sucks that I bought act 1 before the whole game was released on steam. And now they won't release the acts independently anymore, so I theoretically have to pay the money for act 1 again.

Stilts · July 2013

B_R wrote: »

It kinda sucks that I bought act 1 before the whole game was released on steam. And now they won't release the acts independently anymore, so I theoretically have to pay the money for act 1 again.

You should have been given a code to just activate a steam copy.

That's what happened for me.

Mr. G · July 2013

Wait, people don't like the Bureau?

That lived up perfectly to my Kentucky Route Zero standards of beautiful and creative environments juxtaposed with the mundane

Speed Racer · July 2013

Vann Diras wrote: »

a lot of people seem to be down on the opening of act 2, but i really liked it

especially once you start to frame the game in terms of
it being about people suffering the consequences of economic downturn. the shitty bureaucracy and being forced to jump through hoops felt totally fitting in that light

you can also cut through all the bullshit like immediately if you're paying attention

Vann Diras · July 2013

Speed Racer wrote: »

Vann Diras wrote: »

a lot of people seem to be down on the opening of act 2, but i really liked it

especially once you start to frame the game in terms of
it being about people suffering the consequences of economic downturn. the shitty bureaucracy and being forced to jump through hoops felt totally fitting in that light

you can also cut through all the bullshit like immediately if you're paying attention

also this

i immediately noticed that the floor i was told to go to wasn't the correct one when I got in the elevator

but i changed my mind about heading straight to the right person and got back in the elevator and went through all the weirdness because, well, the weirdness is cool

plus, floor 3

Speed Racer · July 2013

yeah i did the exact same thing

miscellaneousinsanity · July 2013

If your first stop wasn't BEARS I don't even know what to say to you

Machwing · July 2013

My first stop was the lobby (whoa (whoa))

miscellaneousinsanity · July 2013

#wow

Lalabox · July 2013

miscellaneousinsanity wrote: »

If your first stop wasn't BEARS I don't even know what to say to you

I had guessed exactly what that floor would be, and it was still so much better than anything I could have hoped for.

TankHammer · July 2013

I never stopped on that floor. I just casually traveled up and down past it each time giggling at the idea of Conway just not being a very inquisitive person.