A haunting adventure game with a unique story
TREE is a unique point-and-click game that leaves an indelible mark on the player, despite its brief duration. The game’s unique, hand-drawn visuals bring to life a hauntingly beautiful world, encapsulated within an eerie forest and a quaint home.
It is this exceptional artistry that sets TREE apart from the standard suspense-driven adventure games, providing it with a distinct, ethereal charm. As you navigate the game, you get to interact with a host of elements both within the quaint home and in the eerie forest, gradually unraveling a deeper, melancholic story involving the home’s human occupant.
Take control of your surroundings
The game’s narrative revolves around a humanoid tree creature, possessing the remarkable ability to transfer its consciousness into various living beings. This includes a rat, a bird, and even a young human girl, each offering different perspectives and interaction points within the game. The primary goal is to navigate these hosts in order to find water and nurture the tree.
This concept is both innovative and executed with finesse, providing a unique twist to the otherwise straightforward game mechanics. The lore enveloping the narrative adds an intriguing layer of complexity, enticing the player to delve deeper into the in-game world. However, the game’s brevity is both a blessing and a curse. With approximately 15 minutes of playtime, TREE is an appealing choice for players seeking a short yet immersive gaming experience.
However, this compact time frame leaves little room for narrative expansion, leaving players with unanswered questions and a yearning for more depth. Another hiccup arises while transitioning between different sceneries, where the cursor tends to vanish, requiring players to shake it repeatedly to make it reappear. While this can seem like a minor inconvenience, it disrupts the flow of the game, breaking the immersion and creating frustration.
Short but impactful
Overall, TREE is a brief yet impactful game, weaving a haunting narrative through its unique visuals and innovative gameplay. Its minor issues notwithstanding, the game offers a memorable adventure that lingers long after the game ends. Despite its brevity, the game leaves you with a unique feeling of melancholy and longing. With its unusual premise and stunning hand-drawn visuals, this is a game that deserves recognition in the point-and-click adventure genre.
