Road 96
Summary
The country of Petria is a corrupt semi-dictatorship which is on the road to get even worse. Teenagers are attempting to cross the border into neighbouring countries in droves. You are one of these teens, hitchhiking your way to the border, meeting different people along the way.Road 96 on steam
So what do you do
The first thing I should mention after that intro blurb is that your trip is randomly generated. There are many different situations and characters you can run into, and the order in which this happens and the impact it will have on your journey (and the future of the country) is unique each time you play. You also won't run into the same situation twice in one playthrough.
Your goal is to make it across the border, to road 96, and on your way many things can either aid you in your quest or stop you entirely. You can get arrested, die in an accident, and even get murdered if you're not careful. Most of the characters you meet are connected to each other in one way or another and the more you progress, the more they progress in their own journeys.
Aesthetically the game reminds me a lot of Life is Strange; as does some of the writing (especially the character of Zoe). The writing can be a little stilted at times as well, or feel overly black and white; but generally the narrative is well done and not held back by the hokey dialogue lines here and there. There's also a nice balance of serious and more light hearted scenes with the different characters you meet.
When should I play this game?
Spend some time Road 96 if:- You like narrative games with choices and a focus on character development
- You love a mix of 80s/90s aesthetics
- You like games with a political narrative