Readers of my blog will know that I often review relevant books for Irish genealogy, history and DNA research. This review is a little bit different.
I haven’t been a regular computer gamer since my teens. I used to play Monkey Island and other investigative computer games on pc with my late Dad. It was something we loved doing together.
Like other 90s teens, I had a GameBoy and loved Tetris. I played so much Sonic the Hedgehog on my brother’s Sega MegaDrive that I used to see him collecting gold rings in my sleep. And even as I type this, I hear Sonic’s music in my head. Join me in the earworm below.
The Roottrees Are Dead
A few months ago, I mentioned this game in my newsletter, and I finally got around to buying it last week and playing it. In game, you play an unnamed genealogist, who is asked to help complete a family tree by a shadow figure, who comes by after certain targets are achieved and gives you more clues.
It’s set in 1998 and one of the cool things is that the game emulates a version of the internet from then which you use as a search tool, along with the library and periodicals. The game doesn’t actually feature any traditional genealogical material like censuses, birth certificates or obituaries, but you do use newspapers a lot in it.
I started playing on Thursday and finished it last night. Approximately 25 hours of game time, although I’m sure some people would be quicker. There was one puzzle that I found particularly difficult but no spoilers.
Apart from the corny made-up name, Roottree, which I would have not used, I really enjoyed it. I only turned on my TV once during this period (The Gilded Age is unmissable, right?!)
It’s actually on sale until the end of today on Steam. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up from me.
It’s a shame there weren’t more usual genealogical avenues: in a visual, interactive medium such as this, it could be a fun way for people to learn some beginner genealogy. Maybe for a sequel?
‘Roottree’ sounds like a placeholder name they forgot to change. Awkward.
Thanks for the review (I was terrible at both Monkey Island and Sonic back in the day). I’m looking forward to trying it out for myself later in the year.
I agree: they could have found a better name.
I suppose there’d be a lot of extra work in faking up genealogical resources and they wouldn’t have been on the internet in 1998.
That’s a good point. Not sure how fun it would’ve been to send a postal form and cheque and wait an in-game week for a CD to arrive or something!