Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 86 | 24 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 96% | 92 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 80 | 24 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 96% | 91 | 3000 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 91.1, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 10,032 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Feb 7, 2025) · 300 reviews sampled · 8712 total reviews in window · weighted 244.8 up / 14.6 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (16)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 82
“Filling in a family tree may not sound all that compelling, but digging up the sordid secrets of a prominent family of celebs is such voyeuristic fun that it’s hard to tear yourself away from The Roottrees Are Dead until not one but two sets of mysteries are solved in this polished and expanded commercial remake.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Evil Trout invites us to become detectives and uncover the dark secret of the Roottree family in an exciting adventure that tests our ingenuity and powers of deduction. A wonderful game that completely immersed me in an intriguing family story, combining deduction with puzzle solving.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“An unforgettable mystery to dig up.”
- 80
“The Roottrees are Dead focuses on solving the family tree of the rich Roottree family in an interesting and addictive way. The detective-like concept challenges in many ways and rewards attentiveness, quick wits and good reasoning skills.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The Roottrees Are Dead is a triumph of investigative fiction, offering a compelling yet grounded family mystery within countless articles, websites, and archives waiting for you to uncover. The game has been much improved over its original iteration on itch.io, and the extra content “Roottreemania” adds a cool follow-up mystery to the main one. Any fan of investigation games will have a great time with The Roottrees are Dead.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“The Roottrees are Dead is a great puzzle game and a great detective point-and-click game. There is a lot of reading to do, a lot of lore, and deductions to be made. The visuals and world-building are great. The soundtrack is excellent. The only thing left to say is that I hope there’s a sequel soon, or at the very least, another game from the developer in the same style. If you love detective games, you should definitely check out The Roottrees are Dead.”
read full review ↗ - 87
“A great detective game gets a lavish remake and an improved expansion in one essential package.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“"The Roottrees are Dead" proves to be a remarkable remake of a truly ingenious puzzle game. The story is graphically beautiful and lovingly designed, making it immediately captivating, and the jazz-noir soundtrack perfectly emphasises the atmosphere.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Never has putting a family tree together been so much fun. I couldn't put down The Roottrees are Dead once I started playing it, leaving me feeling like a true detective, searching web pages, library archives and more to piece together this intriguing family's history. This is a must-play for any puzzle fan.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“The Roottrees are Dead is a powerhouse gaming entry to 2025! With a carefully crafted tale of intrigue and in-fighting, in-laws and interpersonal conflicts, Jeremy Johnston and Robin Ward’s detective puzzle game is one everyone should dive into. If you enjoy games that respect your intelligence, have thoughtful mechanics and you like to be occasionally nosey, then Roottrees needs to be your next purchase!”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The Roottrees Are Dead is a fascinating tale of a famous family with secrets in their closet. Exposing those secrets is some of the most fun I’ve had with a game in a long time, and anyone who has enjoyed similar investigative titles like Her Story, Return of the Obra Dinn, or The Case of the Golden Idol needs to look into the history of the Roottrees.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The game does a great job of letting players logically put together clues. It hides them well at the center of the Roottree's web, but the farther out it goes, it may grate over time. The writing is worth absorbing as players go along and this feels like a real family that could have existed. While this story is certainly told in a way that makes it one of the more unique mystery games out there, it's the method in which players are asked to discover it that holds it back.”
read full review ↗
La Orden del Pixel
Siliconera
KonsoliFIN
Checkpoint Gaming
LadiesGamers.com
PC Gamer
GameSpew
Hey Poor Player
Game Rant…and 4 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Minor fixes for ItalianJun 22, 2026
- Patch Notes for May 18, 2026May 18, 2026
- Patch Notes for May 13, 2026May 13, 2026
- Update Notes for Apr 29Apr 29, 2026
- Urgent Fix: Database was corruptApr 23, 2026
- Small Patch for Apr 23, 2026Apr 23, 2026
- Minor PT-BR FixesApr 12, 2026
- Update Notes for Mar 17, 2026Mar 17, 2026
- Patch Notes for March 16, 2026Mar 16, 2026
- Update Notes for Mar 13, 2026Mar 13, 2026
- Patch Notes for March 5, 2026Mar 5, 2026
- Regional pricing update for Latin AmericaJan 23, 2026
- Update Notes for July 21, 2025Jul 21, 2025
- Update Notes for June 19, 2025Jun 19, 2025
- Update Notes for June 16, 2025Jun 16, 2025
- Update for May 27, 2025May 27, 2025
- Update Notes for May 22, 2025May 22, 2025
- Update Notes for April 22, 2025Apr 22, 2025
- Update for April 9, 2025Apr 9, 2025
- Update for April 1st, 2025Apr 1, 2025
- Update Notes for Mar 31, 2025Mar 31, 2025
- Update Notes for Mar 21, 2025Mar 21, 2025
- Patch Notes for March 11, 2025Mar 11, 2025
- Patch Notes for Mar 3, 2025Mar 5, 2025
- Update for Febrary 26, 2025Feb 26, 2025
- Update Notes for February 24, 2025Feb 24, 2025
- Update Notes for February 20, 2025Feb 20, 2025
- Update Notes for February 17, 2025Feb 17, 2025
- Update Notes for February 13, 2025Feb 13, 2025
- Update Notes for February 11, 2025Feb 11, 2025
- Update Notes for February 7, 2025Feb 7, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Updates for February 4, 2025Feb 4, 2025
- Update Notes for February 2, 2025Feb 2, 2025
- Update Notes for January 29, 2025Jan 29, 2025
- Update Notes for January 27, 2025Jan 27, 2025
- Update Notes for January 24, 2025Jan 24, 2025
- Updates Notes for Januray 23, 2025Jan 23, 2025
- Updates for January 22, 2025Jan 22, 2025
…and 6 earlier patch announcements.