Deal | The 90s-inspired mystery game “The Roottrees are Dead” is 20% off on Steam

Developed and published by Jeremy Johnston, The Roottrees are Dead is a “originally created for the Global Game Jam 2023 and released as a free browser game.” It was developed in Unity and remastered in 2025 with updated designs and visual assets, like “Hand-drawn illustrations from acclaimed board game artist Henning Ludvigsen.” The game is a mystery-puzzle in which players are challenged to uncover information about the people in the Roottree Family. They do this by scouring the internet back in 1998, when it was still in its infancy. 

The player, who takes on the role of a private investigator, is approached by a shadowy woman who hires them to find information on the missing family members. The player would then use their computer in the game, access the internet via a web browser, and search for the little information they had. They would come across articles and images related to the news and start piecing together the identities of the family members. The later remaster of the game also included an extra case, extending the original game's narrative. 

The Roottrees, comprising three sisters and their parents, were aboard one of their family planes when it crashed. With the assumption that they had all died, their entire fortune of over 1 billion dollars must be distributed to the surviving family members, but some could claim to be blood relatives, and those who don’t even know they are. As you continue filling in the correct names of photos will reveal the information about that person, but the game notes that “the evidence will also be harder and more obscure to find” over time.

The Roottrees are Dead received a favourable reception upon release, with critics and fans praising the gameplay and the depth of the puzzle systems, and the story itself. On Steam, it is ranked Overwhelmingly Positive with over 4600 positive reviews, and the game can be purchased with a 20% discount for $15.99 until the 5th of January. 

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