ROOTS is a chilled out and very addictive action game where you attempt to guide a root as deep down as possible to find water and nourish your tree.
Created for Ludum Dare 48, ROOTS blends Snake-esque arcade gameplay with incremental clicker elements as you guide a sprawling root system down through the earth. You control the direction that the root grows using the mouse and try to guide it through pockets of water and fertilizer while avoiding hazards such as oil, poison and lava.
Your water levels decrease over time so you need to keep them topped up or it’s game over. When you do run out of water then you get to see how much your tree has grown thanks to your efforts and you’ll earn flowers depending on how well deep you got. These flowers can be used as currency to unlock useful upgrades and as you progress you’ll also unlock special seeds that give you certain buffs (such as invulnerability to lava). If you can make it all the way down to 5,000 cm then you’ll reach the end and unlock a time trial mode too.
It’s a simple, but very addictive game with an easily accessible control style and a nice selection of upgrades. The way the tendrils of the root system splay out as it grows is particularly enjoyable. Highly recommended.
Controls: Mouse – Point & Click
Available On: Windows, Android & Browser