The Roottrees Are Dead

About

The Roottrees Are Dead is a point-and-click puzzle game where you reconstruct a fractured family tree to determine who inherits a fortune. Set in 1998, you play a researcher tasked with untangling the blood relations of the Roottree family after a plane crash. Using a dial-up modem, you scour digital archives for scattered clues like old photos and newspaper clippings. Each correct connection narrows the possible placements of remaining names, creating a cascading puzzle where mistakes force you to backtrack. The interface feels like navigating a cluttered desktop with drag-and-drop tools to link generations. What stands out is the clever interplay between deduction and resource management. Early puzzles hint at red herrings, while later ones demand piecing together distant cousins buried in decades-old records. The 90s-era aesthetics including pixelated web pages and staticky phone calls add charm without slowing the brainy gameplay. Though short, the experience feels dense with logic challenges that escalate from simple lineage to convoluted multi-generational loops. The lack of hints means progress relies entirely on your ability to cross-reference and eliminate options, a design choice that rewards patience more than pattern recognition.

Storyline

The year is 1998. A private jet belonging to the Roottree Corporation has crashed. On it were The Roottree Sisters and their parents. Combined, they were worth over a billion dollars. Now, due to the eccentricities of their great, great grandfather, Elias their money must be redistributed to the rest of the family. But who's actually a BLOOD RELATIVE? That's where you come in. Armed only with the power of your mighty dial-up modem, you'll scour for photos, books, articles, and other evidence. Then, you'll make connections and deductions based on the family relationships you uncover. With every spot on the tree you fill in correctly the names and photos left in your possession will have fewer and fewer places to go, but the evidence will also be harder and more obscure to find.