The Rootman DEMO
A downloadable game
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2005 Kisaragi High Incident
In 2005, a group of Year 2 students at Kisaragi High mysteriously went missing while on school grounds. No trace of them was ever found, and there were no indications that they had left, almost as if they had simply vanished into thin air.
(Akira Yamada, Mitsuki Maeda, Chihaya Sato, Yuto Watanabe)
The students were last seen on September 23, 2005, at approximately 12:46 P.M., as the lunch period began. According to eyewitnesses, Chihaya Sato was observed entering the room alongside Yuto Watanabe at 1:12 P.M., followed shortly after by Akira Yamada and Mitsuki Maeda, who arrived at 1:16 P.M.
A drawing was later recovered from the clubroom, depicting a figure referred to as “The Rootman,” a creature whose existence remains unverified.
At approximately 1:30 P.M, witnesses reported hearing a loud, thundering noise, immediately followed by a blinding flash of light in the vicinity of the room. When school faculty entered in response to these reports, the students were nowhere to be found. The only traces left behind were a mysterious symbol etched in chalk onto the wooden floor and several cryptic drawings scattered throughout the room.
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Synopsis
The Rootman is a 2D game that follows the Paranormal Extracurricular, a school club devoted to investigating the unknown. Inspired by classic RPG Maker horror games, players explore the mysteries surrounding the enigmatic Rootman while uncovering hidden truths about the world they live in. The demo offers approximately one hour of gameplay, with the full release expected to provide 2–4 hours of gameplay.
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Controls
Alt+ Enter - Fullscreen
Arrow Keys - Move
X - Back
Z - Fast Forward Dialogue
C/ Space/ Enter - Confirm
Esc - Pause
F5/F6 - Lower/Raise Volume
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Comments
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I really liked the demo of the game so far! I was intrigued with the story and mystery in its entirety. The game balances its horror with comedy in the dialogue, interactions, and art design, yet paces the comedy well enough for the horror to be taken seriously. I don't think there was a moment where I was bored, even in the parts I felt were a little weak. I loved the art and animation, and I'm excited to see the full version.
(also, why are Hindley and Linton in game. Is this whole game a mirror world?)
Thanks for playing it! Nice to hear that you enjoyed it. I'm trying to gather more opinions on this demo so it would really help if you shared it around! I want to keep improving on it until it becomes the best possible version it could be.