Charts Genres Community
Charts Genres Community Settings
Login

Kentucky Route Zero

Developer / Publisher: Cardboard Computer
07 January 2013
Kentucky Route Zero - cover art
Glitchwave rating
3.88 / 5.0
0.5
5.0
 
 
518 Ratings / 7 Reviews
#317 All-time
#6 for 2013
Conway, a truck driver for an antiques shop, is tasked with making a delivery to an address he doesn't know. In his search for it, he discovers a secret highway in the caves beneath Kentucky, and meets the mysterious folks who dwell on it.
There was an error saving your submission.
Rate / catalog Rate / catalog another release
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Write review
Title
Unique atmosphere, a ton of talent in writing, sound design, visuals. Would absolutely love to read it as a book or a graphic novel, watch it as an indie film or an animation... Honestly, anything but a game.

As a game, it's an experience so excruciatingly boring and unengaging that I would literally rather do my stupid shitty job rather than play it. From what I saw in the first two Acts, your entire agency as a player is reduced to selecting artsy absurdist lines of dialogue from a couple of equally bewildering options, and it makes absolutely zero difference what you choose, because other characters or the environment react to these statements in equally absurdist poetic ways. It's like a crushingly slow beat poetry mad libs: the game.

When you're not doing that, you're either walking very slowly through a minimalistic environment or reading walls of cryptic text. That is, as far as I can tell, the entire game element of this critically acclaimed video game.

I have a high tolerance for boring art, I watch art house films, I've read and enjoyed difficult books, so I'm not asking for everything to be slop with robots, murder or swords. But the point of the games as a medium is interaction. If you want to make it artsy - more power to you, there are plenty of examples where that works perfectly.

But if I'm playing a game, I want to have meaningful interaction with your cryptic pretentious world, I don't want to be a glorified page-turning mechanism.
If I wanted to read a book, I would read a book. In fact, this is exactly what I'm going to do after frustratingly closing this "game" for good.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
ac_church 2019-12-20T10:54:35Z
2019-12-20T10:54:35Z
2.5
1
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
review
en
Expand review Hide
Title
This game moved me to tears in the most beautiful way- not from challenge or overcoming any tough sections or obstacles, but because of how the player interacts with the story.

It's an adventure game without puzzles - the game is oriented only around surreal visuals and a narrative that is driven by the player, as you play. What dialogue option is chosen then becomes the character's truth, creating an incredibly unique and tailored experience.

I connected with a lot of the characters in this game, but the sequencies with vocal music simply shook me everytime, often something I still think about and how I play games now.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
darcyska 2023-04-12T03:45:24Z
2023-04-12T03:45:24Z
5.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
review
en
Expand review Hide
Title
southern gothic and magical realism meets point and click adventure
This is one of my personal favorite games of all time. The creators, Cardboard Computer, worked on this game in an Act structure for nearly a decade. the experience of playing this game is other worldly to me, and contains a wonderfully dense, and beautifully dark and magically surreal narrative. This is less of a game that you "play" and more of one that you experience as an encounter. I know that sounds pretentious, but through a point-and-click interface this game treads the line between game and novel, through a medium that only video games can offer. I highly recommend this for people who are fans of southern gothic novels like those of Faulkner, O'Conner, and others. KR0 contains some of the most beautifully constructed and emotionally resonant moments I've ever experienced in a video game. At times KR0 feels like theatre performance, art installation, and lo-fi and low attended basement music show. There is something so alluring to this game that It's hard to explain the narrative without forcing meaning to those who have not played it. I highly encourage those that are looking for something more emotionally involved, thought-provoking and surreal to give this game a try.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
zazen27 2022-02-11T01:31:56Z
2022-02-11T01:31:56Z
5.0
2
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
draft
en
Expand review Hide
Title
[PL] Obywatel Kane z całym ciężarem tego porównania. Literacka perła o więziach w czasach kryzysu i hauntologiczne spojrzenie na peryferyjną Amerikanę. Meandruje.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Szugob 2021-12-19T17:21:21Z
2021-12-19T17:21:21Z
8.5
1
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
draft
en
Expand review Hide
Title
This is a wonderful game that truly isn't for everyone. It isn't concerned with having to tell a large definitive beginning-and-end story. It would rather present scenes and characters and experiences that are interesting to read and watch. There isn't any handholding you to the point of the game, in fact there isn't really any one main point. But instead lots of little points that build an atmosphere and tell you stories that will hopefully stick with you. I loved this game. I don't know that I will ever play it again, but that's because it wouldn't really offer me anything. I have already experienced the characters and settings and stories. To do so again wouldn't change the experience I had with it.

Anyways, if you enjoy a slower paced story and enjoy a little bit more experimental storytelling, you might like Kentucky Route Zero. If you need your stories to have satisfying and explosive endings and twists, this might not be for you.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Shlomotion 2021-10-21T15:44:51Z
2021-10-21T15:44:51Z
4.5
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
draft
en
Expand review Hide
Title
One of those games that people like to mention as their favorite so that they can feel smarter than anyone else. It’s great that there are still video games that try to do something different and experiment with storytelling, but I can’t imagine anyone with a decent background in art and literature being blown away by this mediocre theatre script dressed up as a point and click. It would have been much more convincing as an art piece if the developers actually cared to work on the presentation. What’s the point of developing a game if 80% of the events are only described by walls of text without any visual support? The eerie atmosphere and surreal visions along the way are truly captivating, but unfortunately, constitute a very small portion of the game.
Body
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
manicure 2021-09-18T07:21:16Z
2021-09-18T07:21:16Z
58
1
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
100% complete campaign
Supplement
tips
Formatting
[b]text[/b] - bold
[i]text[/i] - italic
[s]strikethrough[/s] - strikethrough
[tt]text[/tt] - fixed-width type
[color red]text[/color] - colored text (full list)
[spoiler]text[/spoiler] - Text hidden with spoiler cover
[https://www.example.com/page/,Link to another site] - Link to another site

Linking
When you mention an album, artist, film, game, label, etc - it's recommended to link to the item the first time you mention it. Doing so will make it easier to search for your post and give it more visibility. To link an item, use the search box above, or find the shortcut that appears on the page that you want to link. You can customize the link name of shortcuts by using the format [Artist12345,Custom Name].
Paste the address (or embed code) below and click "embed".
Supported: YouTube, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Vimeo, Dailymotion
Embed
Attribution
Requested publishing level
Draft
Commentary
Review
review
en
Expand review Hide

Catalog

rbdriftin Kentucky Route Zero 2024-03-27T21:10:56Z
2024-03-27T21:10:56Z
5.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
JJ155 Kentucky Route Zero 2024-03-21T01:16:01Z
2024-03-21T01:16:01Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Paycheck Kentucky Route Zero 2024-03-20T15:54:30Z
2024-03-20T15:54:30Z
4.5
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Amenhotep Kentucky Route Zero 2024-03-19T10:50:17Z
2024-03-19T10:50:17Z
8.5
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
bredbeddle Kentucky Route Zero 2024-03-17T18:00:38Z
2024-03-17T18:00:38Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
jamep Kentucky Route Zero 2024-03-17T03:47:02Z
Switch
2024-03-17T03:47:02Z
4.0
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
GutenTagMate Kentucky Route Zero 2024-03-15T18:56:09Z
2024-03-15T18:56:09Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
midlyara Kentucky Route Zero 2024-03-12T20:11:47Z
2024-03-12T20:11:47Z
3.5
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
bebe12345 Kentucky Route Zero 2024-03-12T12:34:22Z
2024-03-12T12:34:22Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
juliemishima Kentucky Route Zero 2024-03-11T16:04:06Z
2024-03-11T16:04:06Z
3.5
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
alucab Kentucky Route Zero 2024-03-11T15:56:08Z
Windows / Mac / Linux/Unix
2024-03-11T15:56:08Z
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Trifonas Kentucky Route Zero 2024-03-11T15:39:09Z
2024-03-11T15:39:09Z
4.5
In collection Want to buy Used to own  
Player modes
Single-player
Media
Download
Franchises

Comments

Rules for comments
  • Be respectful! All the community rules apply here.
  • Keep your comments focused on the game. Don't post randomness/off-topic comments. Jokes are fine, but don't post tactless/inappropriate ones.
  • Don't get in arguments with people here, or start long discussions. Use the boards for extended discussion.
  • Don't use this space to complain about the average rating, chart position, genre voting, others' reviews or ratings, or errors on the page.
  • Don't comment just to troll/provoke. Likewise, don't respond to trollish comments; just report them and ignore them.
  • Any spoilers should be placed in spoiler tags as such: [spoiler](spoiler goes here)[/spoiler]
Note: Unlike reviews, comments are considered temporary and may be deleted/purged without notice.
  • Previous comments (36) Loading...
  • amberly 2022-12-30 19:52:27.193028+00
    everything after act 3 is just fucking perfectly written
    reply
    • amberly 2023-01-03 03:16:28.506932+00
      act 4 and un pueblo de nada specifically. probably the best interactive fiction ever made
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • Meloman_iz_zada 2023-01-17 15:46:15.869814+00
    this is like if F#A#∞ was a game for me
    reply
    • OPOTITI 2023-03-10 13:57:48.441238+00
      exactly ! same vibe, I love it
    • cringeybabey 2023-05-27 09:08:19.261516+00
      holy shit I have to play this!
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • Convalescence 2023-01-18 03:47:30.153553+00
    get this back in the top 100 ffs it’s seriously one of the most incredible pieces of art I’ve ever experienced
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • Howard666666 2023-03-02 20:59:34.33269+00
    “this is like if F#A#∞ was a game for me” this is actually really true. why do they have the exact same atmosphere
    reply
    • OPOTITI 2023-03-10 14:10:36.245068+00
      hide Flagged by users
      because: anti-capitalism
      This post was flagged by users for potentially violating community rules. It will be reviewed by a community moderator soon.
    • Convalescence 2023-04-13 04:59:53.748528+00
      ^ that and deeply depressing, ambient soundscapes/field recordings highly inflected with folk and rock music, general sense of gothic bleak Americana, dreamlike surreal sense of time and narrative, death death death, etc.
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • Userwake 2023-03-05 09:40:22.135038+00
    This feels like something that’ll be more appreciated much much later in the future
    reply
    • Convalescence 2023-04-13 05:00:37.693719+00
      Absolutely. Act 5 is one of the most haunting things I’ve ever seen and only becomes more important to me as time goes on.

      That ending scene is the only time I’ve ever cried at a game, and boy did I SOB
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • thatpower 2024-02-10 13:22:16.825432+00
    Act 5 is disappointing, to say the least. Still a really good game with loads of creative ideas and great atmosphere, needs way more recognition.
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • Drawdler 2024-02-18 10:23:41.253766+00
    One of those games I’m looking forward to getting in my library. Gonna snatch this next time it goes on sale
    reply
    • More replies New replies ) Loading...
  • More comments New comments (0) Loading...
Please login or sign up to comment.

Suggestions

ADVERTISEMENT

Contribute to this page

Examples
1980s-1996
23 mar 2015
8 apr - 12 may 2015
1998-05
Report
Download
Image 1 of 2