Road Not Taken
Road Not Taken is a rogue like puzzle game about surviving life’s surprises. You play as a ranger adventuring through a vast, unforgiving forest in the aftermath of a brutal winter storm, rescuing children who have lost their way. Procedurally-generated levels deliver a limitless supply of possibilities to explore and challenges to overcome. Your actions will influence not only your own story, but that of the villagers you hope to befriend and the town you call home. Each time you play Road Not Taken, you're likely to experience a very different story. The paths you take will change the relationships you pursue will twist in ways you did not expect. Which, as it happens, is just like real life. The villagers of Road Not Taken believe that there is an optimal path through life: a good person gets a job, falls in love and has children. You won't follow this path. Can you find your own unique way through a life?
Game Discussion
Steam User 1
Road Not Taken puts a hard emphasis on the NOT when it crams its 8x6 single-screen dungeon rooms with an unmanageable myriad of enemies, NPCs, materials and hindrances rubbing shoulders. Puzzles can be solved by mashing stuff together to create new units, and the smart premise of doing everything (saving children, defeating foes, unblocking paths) through this “dynamic crafting” system would be a killer one if actually feasible–navigating the mazes, per se, gets seriously impractical over time–let alone doing it within the min-maxer mindset the game demands.
Elsewhere it manages to be compelling enough though. Building relationships back at the village (à la Harvest Moon) unlocks both perks for the current run and secrets that carry over to the next ones, potentially lending meaning even to trips headed south. Presentation here is charming and cohesive overall too.
Above (or behind, as a pervasive mood) everything else, Road Not Taken’s quirkiness may be its biggest strength. Its interactions, lore and twists always stray away from predictability (every now and then throwing in a note of eeriness as well) and the genuine pleasure and awe in uncovering such mysteries can make it worth the trouble if that’s what tickles a player’s “one more try” trope.
Steam User 0
Road Not Taken surprised me. At first, I expected something lightweight or forgettable, but it quickly revealed a deeper emotional and mechanical core.
The puzzle system is clever, the visual style is striking, and the small narrative beats—especially around rescuing children and the emotional toll it takes—resonate more than I expected.
I’m early in, but I want to go deeper. This feels like a game that earns its emotional weight slowly, and I’m ready to see where the road leads.
Steam User 0
Great for a tough puzzle game, very easy to pick up and put down whenever. While some of the achievements are OUTRAGEOUSLY difficult, they are super rewarding. I originally played this game on console, before buying another copy on PC.
Don't let the difficulty get to you, once you learn how it works, it becomes manageable. One of my fav games OOT.
Steam User 0
Cute little puzzle rogue-like which delightful visuals, cute little story, and a difficulty curve. It doesn't quite keep me engaged but for puzzlers I'm sure its worth a look.
Steam User 0
I regularly come back to this one because it's simple and short, but still engaging.
Steam User 1
very relaxing chill game. love it.
Steam User 0
It's a good game.