I'll often step away from the grand scale RPGs I normally play to indulge in bite sized gaming experiences I can finish in a few hours. These shorter titles are ones that have fun gameplay or offer small nuggets of great stories. Kentucky Route Zero by Cardboard Computer falls into this second category



On the surface Kentucky Route Zero is an episodic point-and-click adventure game about Conway, a furniture delivery truck driver, who is looking for the game's eponymous highway. However, this game moves away from the typical way a point-and-click expects players to interact and places the focus on having the player engage with the characters that are found scattered across this unusual stretch of road. This alternate focus is what makes the game great, and very strange. Nothing is exactly as it seems in Kentucky Route Zero; shadowy figures argue about the missing die from their board game and pencil pushers work at the office of the The Bureau of Reclaimed Spaces. This game blurs the line between reality and surreal fiction. If David Lynch directed a video game, it would likely be very similar to this.

The player must assume the role of director to advance the plot of Kentucky Route Zero. While playing this game, you often take control of all the members' conversations and decide what each character will say from a list of dialogue options. While these choices sometimes influence the flow of conversation and alter the atmosphere to reflect the tone, they will not significantly affect the outcome of the game. However, this directorial approach to player agency makes the time spent with Kentucky Route Zero very personal. Upon completion of one of the game's five Acts, you will feel like your experience in the game was your own.


Along with the sense of filling a director's chair, Kentucky Route Zero evokes the feeling of walking through a graveyard. The images are both serene and haunting at the same time. You know you're safe, but you imagination plays tricks on you.

Even though Kentucky Route Zero meets many of the requirements of a game, it seems that it is best described as an interactive narrative or even personal experience. It is like being at the helm of an urban myth complete with nods to Waiting for Godot, a possibly haunted mine, and a world that stirs up more questions than it offers answers. It is a satisfying way to spend a few hours of the evening, especially if played while wearing headphones in a dimly lit room.


The Verdict
While Kentucky Route Zero may not be a game for everyone, those willing to venture into a world that doesn't quite make sense are in for a treat. The interlude segments which bridge two Acts are worth playing due to the way they set up the upcoming releases. The game is available on Steam and the Cardboard Computer Website. At the time of this review, three of the game's five acts have been released.

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