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Play OverviewPlay Overview

Road 96 (2021) is a narrative adventure where you play a teenager trying to escape an oppressive, authoritarian country by reaching the border. Through a series of vignettes, you experience the most important and poignant parts on an epic road trip through a dangerous landscape. If you don’t make it to the border, you start again as a new teenager desperate for a way out, but the ramifications of your previous character choices persist. With thousands of possible paths, the decisions you make will have ripples that affect the world of Petria, creating a unique story of your journey towards freedom.

Play involves clicking to explore adventure scenes that range from walking around an area to riding in a vehicle. As you travel you encounter a colourful characters along the road, each with their own complex and compelling stories. You make decisions and advance the story by interacting with these people.

Unusually, these characters have a depth that takes multiple encounters to reveal. When you start as a new teenager, you can meet people from a fresh point of view and in completely different contexts which gives you a chance to talk about different topics and learn new information and perspectives.

The result is a fascinating experience where no two road trips are the same. Each trip, the scenes and characters you encounter are procedurally generated. The way you choose to make your way across Petria, and the friends you make along the way, nudge the various political and social factors in this tense, politically-charged society. As you do this you influence the world and everyone in it.

Road 96 Mile 0 is a separately purchasable prequel to the main game. It's a deeper look at two friends, Zoe and Kaito, from the main game who are from two different worlds and are unified by a powerful friendship. Their journey challenges their assumptions about money, happiness and friendship. Like the main game, your choices impact the outcome, here though there's am action element where you ride and dodge through levels to progress the story.

Each trip is an unforgettable journey of discovery and adventure. As you make your way down one of over 148,000 possible paths toward 20 endings you build the story one conversation, one action, one decision at a time.

Our examiner, Hannah Robertson, first checked Road 96 3 years ago. It was re-examined by Angela Hickman Newnham and updated 8 months ago.
Kids not old enough for this yet? There are lots of games similar to Road 96. Here are some similar younger-rated games:

Play StylePlay Style

This is a Point-and-Click and Simulation game with Adventure, Narrative and Traversal elements. This is a single-player game.

DurationDuration

Play Time: This game will take between 9 hours and 10 hours to complete. A run takes about an hour for each character. The game doesn't actually end until you play through all 8 kids' runs to the border. How these go determines the ending (politically, socially, what happens to the other characters) so takes a variable amount of time.

Age RatingsAge Ratings

Content Rating

Rated PEGI 16 for strong violence and prominent use of alcohol. Much of the game's violence is implied, with any violence taking place just outside the player's view. However, there are some depictions of realistic violence, including a man being pushed off a roof and a man falling to the floor after being shot. His body remains on the floor afterwards. In another scene, the police open fire on a protest, after which a teenage character is seen falling to the ground after the guns have been fired. There is a scene in which the player's character is offered an alcoholic drink in a bar. The player is able to accept the drink and consume it, shown from the player's point of view. The game also features use of bad language, including '*!@?*', 'screw you', '*!@?*', '*!@?*' and 'goddamn', as well as disguised bad language such as 'Mofo', 'WTF', 'F#!k off', 'F me', 'F-in' and 'M F'er'. There are some threatening scenes, including the player's character being told the van they're in is about to be set alight and the a person being threatened with a gun.

Rated for younger players in the US. ESRB TEEN for Drug Reference, Language, Mild Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco and Violence. This is an adventure game in which players assume the role of a runaway teenager attempting to escape an authoritarian nation. From a first-person perspective, players traverse the road, interact with characters, and make various dialogue and action choices, some of which can lead to instances of violence: a character shot off-screen; a character shoved off a rooftop; a protestor beaten by an officer; protestors shot and killed off-screen. Players can also engage in various mini games, such as avoiding oncoming traffic and shooting other vehicles. One sequence depicts some red blood splatters in the trunk of a vehicle. The game contains some suggestive material: players walking upon a motel door, with a couple inside discussing their affair; dialogue such as "...both dressed like they were into S and M roleplaying...” and "It's their foreplay." As players progress through the game, they can encounter young characters drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. In one sequence, players' character can choose to consume alcohol at a bar, resulting in the teenager collapsing and passing out. The game includes a brief sequence in which it is heavily implied that a motel guest is a drug dealer. The word “sh*t” is heard in the game.

Skill Level

10+ year-olds usually have the required skill to enjoy this game. Still, it's important for parents and guardians to consider the maturity required to process the game content. Younger players need to be good at understanding conversations and developing relationships with different characters. You need to be willing to commit to choices with unintended outcomes, as well as attempt some forward planning. Embracing failure is a part of the game as you get many chances to progress each time you start a new run.

CostsCosts

Road 96 usually costs £3.99 to £17.96.
 

Road 96

XBox Store Xbox One £15.99
PlayStation Store PS5 £3.99
PlayStation Store PS4 £3.99
Steam Store PC £17.96
Switch Store Switch £4.24
XBox Store Xbox X|S -
There are no additional in-game purchases, loot boxes, adverts or subscription costs.
 
Road 96 Mile 0 is a separately purchasable prequel to the main game. 
 

DetailsGame Details

Release Date: 16/08/2021

Out Now: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox X|S

Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds

Players: 1

Genres: Point-and-Click, Simulation (Adventure, Narrative and Traversal)

Accessibility: 24 features

Components: 3D Third-Person and Cartoon

Developer: Digix Art (@DigixArt)


Taming Gaming Book Written by parents for parents, the database complements the in-depth discussion about video game addiction, violence, spending and online safety in the Taming Gaming book. We are an editorially independent, free resource without adverts that is supported by partnerships.

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