#the-roottrees-are-dead — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

Aftermath [Unofficial] @[email protected] · 2025-12-31 · 15:11 UTC

Solving Mysteries In A World Without Answers

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://aftermath.site/mystery-games-blue-prince-blake-manor-roottrees/

#videogames #feature #freelance #blueprince #theseanceofblakemanor #theroottreesaredead

Aftermath [Unofficial] @[email protected] · 2025-12-31 · 15:11 UTC

Solving Mysteries In A World Without Answers

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://aftermath.site/mystery-games-blue-prince-blake-manor-roottrees/

#theroottreesaredead #theseanceofblakemanor #blueprince #freelance #feature #videogames

Nerdy Bookahs @[email protected] · 2025-12-26 · 21:57 UTC

My Personal Best Games of 2025

For me, it has been a really good year when it comes to discovering new games! I looked at the games that I got in 2025 which are not necessarily games released in 2025 – but as it turns out, when checking for the release dates, all of them actually are from 2025!

I did not realize how many of these games are in Early Access. I guess it is a lot more common with smaller or indie games and since this is what I usually prefer, it just happens. As usual my warning: When you think about buying a game in Early Access, do not base this decision on what the developers hope to deliver one day. Look at what is already in the game, what is playable. If you enjoy that, then it’s safe to buy, because you will have fun playing the game or will have had fun playing the game if development stops before the game gets released.

Special Mention: News Tower. I bought this game in 2024, I think. It officially and successfully left Early Access on November 18, 2025, though! This is a tycoon game about publishing a news paper while handling relations with the Mafia and politicians. It is set in the 1930s. The interesting part is that you build up your newspaper emporium in a narrow building which means you unlock floor after floor and expand vertically. It is a fun game, but I haven’t gotten too far yet. I know that you can even unlock photographers at some point, for example, but I haven’t had them yet. There is a free demo available, though. I love that the demos returned.

12. Hollywood Animal* (release date: April 10, 2025 – currently in Early Access)

You buy a Hollywood studio and produce films in the 1920s. There is a warning that the game will be… well, to be honest: Realistic. People aren’t treated well. It is rough. This game could easily be my number 2 – in theory. It ended up number 10 because it has some flaws that take away some fun for me. The building space is very limited and I ended up not being able to build something I needed during one playthrough. I know better now, hopefully. But what I do not like is that in order to earn enough money (which means producing decent films), you need to get your hands on good scripts. I am letting the script writers write script after script to get their skill up which is a lot of clicking – and throwing away scripts. It felt more like a clicker game. I also feel more like I need to have spreadsheets for good combinations (which movie genres are good in which combination and for which audience with which actors and roles). Because if I produce too many bad movies in a row, I will go bankrupt and have to start the game again. I haven’t given up hope that I will enjoy the game (again) one day, though, as in the beginning, before I was aware of the issues I’m having with it, I had a lot of fun and I like the atmosphere and the setting.

11. Tales of the Shire (release date: July 29, 2025 – officially released)

I wasn’t sure whether I should even list this game, but in the end, the cozy atmosphere won me over. If only it had more content. Basically, my opinion has not changed since I wrote about it here and despite planning to, I did not play much further yet. Still, I like the atmosphere they created. I do feel like a hobbit who moved into that small village. It just falls a bit short in some areas.

10. City Tales – Medieval Era (release date: May 22, 2025 – currently in Early Access)

This is a recent addition that I bought off GreenManGaming because it was on a really good sale there! This game looks like a city-builder, but it is more a puzzle game where you need to make sure that you have the right combination of service buildings within reach depending on what the inhabitants in a district want (a church, a theatre, etc.). The game is still fun, though, and I like playing this kind of city-builder once in a while. But as I just bought it and haven’t spent much time with it yet, I can’t place this game any higher on my list. I need to spend more time with it to really decide how good it is. There is a demo available for those interested.

9. The Precinct (release date: May 13, 2025 – officially released)

And one more lurking around near the end of my list simply because I haven’t played it much yet. You are a police officer in the 1980s. This is a game with a storyline and side missions but you can keep playing the side missions even when you’re done with the main story apparently. I quickly switched to a controller thinking I was a better car driver with that… No. I am not. But hey, even though my car was wracked, there are apparently no negative consequences and my car was magically fixed the next time I needed it. In other words: Driving with a controller is more fun, but yeah… Crashing into innocents since 1947 (the year that L. A. Noire takes place…)!

8. PolyPine (release date: March 31, 2025 – officially released)

Finally a game that scratches the “Equilinox” itch. This one is a side-scroller, though. Other than that, it plays very similar. It is basically a puzzle game. You place trees which can grow taller when there are not too many other trees nearby that steal too much sun. You also need berries, animals, fish, and so on. Everything depends on at least one other thing that they need nearby (animals need food, for example, so berries or grasses or… other animals). It can be a bit repetitive at times and it is not as nice to look at as Equilinox (because it is a side-scrolling game), but it is still fun to play and I like my puzzle games every once in a while.

7. Tavern Keeper (release date: November 3, 2025 – currently in Early Access)

Oh, how long have I been waiting for this game… years and years and… Thankfully, this game really did make it into Early Access and even successfully so! I really enjoy playing Tavern Keeper as it currently is and am curious what else they are going to add to the game. I am not sure how much micro management the game is going to have in the end and how much I like this part… mainly about the staff and how much rest they need and how to keep them happy but working. I do love the amount of customization you can do with the furniture pieces, though.

6. Let Them Trade (release date: July 24, 2025 – officially released)

This is such a cute game! You need to decide which settlements focus on which resources and… let them trade, as the title says. I wrote about the game after playing the demo back in June. My opinion has not changed and I still really like this game!

5. Erenshor (release date: April 14, 2025 – currently in Early Access)

Erenshor is a single-player MMO which means that you cannot play it with other people. But other players are simulated in this game. As far as I know, this game is made by one developer. I love that it gives me the MMO-feeling without having to actually interact with any annoying people! Grouping is really easy and nobody gets angry when I have to quit the group all of a sudden.

The game tries to simulate old MMOs like Everquest where you need to find quests yourself and talk to NPCs. But you can also change this – which I did – and have NPCs with quest markers, right-clicking for accepting quests, a mini map and all that fancy stuff.

I have caught myself more than once forgetting that the chat messages are not from other players or thinking to myself that I am not in the mood to play with other people and then remembering that it is a single player game! Apparently, these NPC players even “remember” if you treated them well (if a good item drops, they may ask for it if they can use it, for example). When you ask an NPC to group with you, they need to run to where you’re at first. This happens quite fast, but you still need to wait a bit for them to arrive.

It hurts a bit to have this gem on number 5. It could easily be higher on this list, even number one. The problem is just that there were so many good games this year and I really wanted to make a decision here.

4. Hotel Architect (release date: May 20, 2025 – currently in Early Access)

This is a typical tycoon management game where you build a hotel. Nothing more, nothing less. I would say it is a really easy game as I never had any trouble earning money to build everything I want or need. But it is fun to build the rooms and make sure that the visitors are happy. And I really enjoy just watching everybody do their job and the visitors coming in and leaving your hotel again. It is a game that I keep starting up when I want to relax in the evening which for me is always a sign for a good game.

3. Town to City (release date: September 16, 2025 – currently in Early Access)

The second game that I wrote about in June after playing the demo. I would not say that Town to City is a better game than Let Them Trade. It is just more cozy, relaxed and prettier to look at. What I especially love about the game is that you can decorate the houses. Depending on where you place flowers, they are hung on the wall, placed as balcony or potted flowers, etc. The game is not difficult to play at all and that is not its intention either. Town to City is a cozy city-builder, after all. When Hotel Architect is too “stressful” for me to play, I like to spend my evening in Town to City.

2. Teddy’s Haven (release date: May 6, 2025 – currently in Early Access)

Oh, how I love this game! It has a short-cut to get out of first person mode, thankfully, so I can play it. It basically only adds a little “whisp” that floats in front of your camera, but it is enough to stop my motion sickness from triggering. I like wandering through the world and as no in-game time passes during that time. You can look around without having to worry about anything. Once you think you collected enough ingredients, resources, etc., you can start the day and have customers enter your shop to buy what you collected, farmed or made. I already hired helpers that handle the restocking and the checkout counter for me, so I can even continue gathering goods during opening hours.

It takes quite some time to earn enough money to buy upgrades for the shop. But I still like playing it a lot. It is another cozy game in a way that no combat is required.

1. The Roottrees are Dead (release date: January 25, 2025 – officially released)

This year, I had no trouble choosing which game belongs on my number one. It may not be as cute to look at as some of the other games. It has no replay value – which is rare for me. But this game captivated me for days until I had finished it, both the main game as well as the additional case “Roottree Mania” (part of the released game). I did not play any other games until I was finished with this one. I thought about the game and which hints to go after next during the day and could not wait for the evening to start, so I could continue with the game. This rarely ever happens!

Your task is quite simple: You need to figure out who is who in the Roottree family tree. You do this by searching the internet (in the 1990s), looking through books, old magazines and so on. It felt really good once I was finished with both parts of the game. I only wish there were more games like this!

*A note about the links: I do not use Affiliate links. I chose to link to the games on Steam instead of other shops because Steam usually has the most reviews and the best information about a game. I recommend IsThereAnyDeal to check for sales.

#BestGames #CityTalesMedievalEra #Erenshor #HollywoodAnimal #LetThemTrade #ListOfBestGames2025 #NewsTower #PolyPine #TalesOfTheShire #TavernKeeper #TeddySHaven #ThePrecinct #TheRoottreesAreDead #TownToCity

#towntocity #theroottreesaredead #theprecinct #teddyshaven #tavernkeeper #talesoftheshire