Road 96: Mile 0
Road 96: Mile 0
Game
Game2021
Road 96 🛣️
Developer Digixart
Road 96 is a 2021 adventure video game developed by DigixArt. Set in the fictional authoritarian nation of Petria in Summer 1996, the player controls a series of nameless teenagers attempting to flee the country by reaching its northern border as political tensions rise with its upcoming election. The player navigates procedurally-generated journeys composed of various segments in different locations, traveling… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
353 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Mastodon, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
83
LovedLoved
280 positive · 56 negative
95% range 79–87%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 280 | 56 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| Bluesky * | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
10,966 of 12,144 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
82% recommend · 229 yes, 49 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 278 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (24,259 of 26,482 positive).
Players praise the game's unique narrative and memorable characters, calling it a sincere and wholesome experience. [1][2][3] Some reviewers note that choices feel limited and the procedural structure leads to repetition and weak endings. [4][5][6] The soundtrack and art style are widely appreciated, with comparisons to Firewatch and Life is Strange. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [5]
game praises itself with being strong on decisions, which is a far stretch from truth. in 99% of cases, even if you press no, you are forced to anyways do something, because the other character just says "you anyways do it" and you have no choice, but to do it. in another scenario i was presented to either save a character and to hand over some proofs of crime to the gangsters, or to kill him and to keep the …
- [1]
Another unique banger everybody should have played at least once. The soundtrack is fire, the characters are great, the style is cool, and there are many ways to go… The whole game is just a good vibe.
- [4]
this is a decent game but i got bored about 3/4 through the game and tried to play "against" the game because every choice is spoon fed to you. But after i realized i don't have a real choice in most interactions and i can't even rat out the brigade on the payphone i was kinda let down.
- [11]
As the title suggests, Road 96 is a narrative road-trip game. So it's one of those games where the journey (or rather, its journeys) genuinely matters more than the destination. Every hitchhike, conversation, and decision feels meaningful, and because each run is procedurally arranged, no two road trips feel exactly the same. The world-building and characters are the real highlight, though. The regular cast you bump …
- [2]
Okay, to be honest, even if you don't think you would enjoy this game, please give it a try, there is something just sincere about it that I couldn't register, but now I'm reminiscing about it in all honesty. Thank you to the MightySafix for gifting me a copy of this amazing game, because I wouldn't have played it otherwise. It's a very simple game, but wholesome, and it also gave me my first game of Connect 4 …
Summarised from 34 of the 296 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Road 96 🛣️ talk about great characters and storytelling; those who didn't talk about choices often feel meaningless or forced. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
According to the review aggregator website Metacritic, Road 96 received "generally favorable reviews". OpenCritic reported that 74% of 92 critics recommended the game. The gameplay was generally well-received and considered engaging by reviewers. Alessandro Barbosa of GameSpot, Christopher Byrd of The Washington Post, and Jon Bailes of NME liked how the game utilized minigames in its segments, agreeing that it helped keep it engaging. Alice Bell of Rock Paper Shotgun appreciated how the game's structure let the player apply knowledge gained from previous journeys. Eurogamer's Marco Procida and GameSpot's Barbosa also named the game's collectible system as a highlight. Despite this, several…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 353 · most liked firstAnother unique banger everybody should have played at least once. The soundtrack is fire, the characters are great, the style is cool, and there are many ways to go… The whole game is just a good vibe.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You thinking about buying Road 96? Wondering what to expect? Let me explain. Road 96 is a game where you play as random teenagers fleeing an authoritarian state. The goal, as the player, is to get to Road 96. It is a road at the very north of the map, an infamous and dangerous road, but also the way to freedom from Petria and the rule of President Tyrak. This game is fairly political. It explores themes of freedom, democracy, the importance of voting, political violence, media and politics…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →game praises itself with being strong on decisions, which is a far stretch from truth. in 99% of cases, even if you press no, you are forced to anyways do something, because the other character just says "you anyways do it" and you have no choice, but to do it. in another scenario i was presented to either save a character and to hand over some proofs of crime to the gangsters, or to kill him and to keep the footage. i decided to kill the annoying looser character. they pushed him off a house…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Okay, to be honest, even if you don't think you would enjoy this game, please give it a try, there is something just sincere about it that I couldn't register, but now I'm reminiscing about it in all honesty. Thank you to the MightySafix for gifting me a copy of this amazing game, because I wouldn't have played it otherwise. It's a very simple game, but wholesome, and it also gave me my first game of Connect 4 which... yes, I went out to buy a set, to the dismay that nowhere in Canada sells…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Does the Telltale games style 'your choices matter but not really' thing, packaging the story into a pseudo-procedural type road trip system. The story isn't anywhere near as good as any telltale game. The story is intensely political, extremely on the nose even, but the only thing it seems to really hard commit to is 'totalitarianism bad' which really isn't the most interesting conclusion for a story that takes about 7 hours to get through. The interpersonal dramas are marginally more…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A really interesting concept of viewing an overarching plot through the eyes of random refugees. It has a few charming characters and decent gameplay (for this type of game) and its bite-sized scenarios were addicting to play. With that being said, I believe that making them non-linear was a mistake. A lot of dialogue is repeated—every scene has to explain the major story events as if it's your first time hearing about them. I would put up with that, but it means characters don't grow and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →this is a decent game but i got bored about 3/4 through the game and tried to play "against" the game because every choice is spoon fed to you. But after i realized i don't have a real choice in most interactions and i can't even rat out the brigade on the payphone i was kinda let down.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This story is too rough to be a proper game, but too silly and contrived to work as a political commentary: The game is basically a set of pre-made 'cinematic' segments/scenes that are randomly presented to the player. These scenes are completely linear, with invisible walls and limited exploration. Even when you're given dialogue options or choices, they all lead to the same response or outcome. Since the player character is anonymous, it feels like being an NPC and watching the real…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I went in thinking I'd like this, but by the end, I was extremely over it. I think it was a mistake to implement procedurally generated playthroughs, because you can tell there are moments where the writing is held back by an uncertainty around what the player has already seen and done in the game so far. The whole idea of your choices mattering is very surface level because there's so little control over the sequencing of events, and it starts to get frustrating when you notice how little…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →downloaded Road 96 without really knowing what it was ended up driving across the country meeting the most random people ever every trip somehow feels completely different one minute i’m having a normal conversation next minute everything goes completely wrong the characters are actually so memorable and the music is way too good finished the game and immediately wanted to start again 10/10 definitely recommend this game Much better than the newest one
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A really unique game that tries very hard to make a political statement. I enjoyed it and the artstyle reminded me a lot of Telltale and the Life is Strange series. I also really like how much replayability this game has. You easily miss out of quite a few stories during your first playthrough. I'd love to see an actual sequel to this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Something so familiary about this game. The art style reminded me of firewatch and the whole feel of the game gave me like life is strange vibes. at times the game feels very cozy and chill but the story is rather dark. For me the characters are great. They feel so alive with their own personality. Zoe being my fav. The whole game revoles areound them. I really liked the unique episodic approach. Every episode eventually connects and leads to meaningful final decisions. Although I noticed…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Road 96 is one of those games u dont expect much from at first, but it actually surprised me a lot. I started playing kinda like “eh, lets see” and ended up getting rlly into it The story is pretty well done and keeps u interested the whole time. The characters are super charismatic, and u actually start caring about them fr. Some of their stories hit kinda hard too, ngl … there are a few sad moments that caught me off guard Its the kind of game u might overlook, but its def worth buying imo.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is fresh and innovative, has great characters with interesting storylines. Stop playing stupid AAA, give indie devs a chance.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good game. 1st playthrough is definitely the best if you're going in blind, the sense of wonder and exploration of the world is amazing, they really nailed the feeling of being on a spontanous road trip. Every playthrough after the first is a little more disappointing than the last. I've played through the game 4-5 times, trying to find all easter eggs and different endings. The endings are the most disappointing part honestly. You have to lock in from day 1 and stay committed to a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Road 96 pretends to be a choice-driven road trip, but ultimately it is a politically prescriptive narrative that collapses player agency at the exact moment it matters. For most of the game, you are led to believe your decisions matter: vote, protest, escape, stay neutral, help different factions. Then the ending reveals the truth—your choices are irrelevant. No matter how you play, the game forces a revolution, with no alternative outcomes and no possibility to reject it. The political…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just purchased the game on discount, played it through twice without closing it.... saw it was 6 am and decided it's time for bed. This game is about the journey and boy what a journey it is, I highly recommend it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As the title suggests, Road 96 is a narrative road-trip game. So it's one of those games where the journey (or rather, its journeys) genuinely matters more than the destination. Every hitchhike, conversation, and decision feels meaningful, and because each run is procedurally arranged, no two road trips feel exactly the same. The world-building and characters are the real highlight, though. The regular cast you bump into start off as strangers, but as you progress, they open up, revealing…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →9/10 The game has great storytelling and really interesting characters. Your choices actually feel like they matter. It also has great graphics and beautiful music.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →BEST GAME THAT I HAVE EVER PLAYED The game has a beautiful, simple, yet emotionally capturing artstyle, which highlights the world around, experienced by teens, elegantly. How accurate some of the movements of landscape, cars, trucks, characters, are? They aren't always the best, but it doesn't matter, because the core of it all matters, rather than if the tires of a truck move correctly. Art - 4.5/5 The design, and the mechanics of the game are very integrated to the visuals, making a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I picked this up in a bundle with Disco Elysium for around $14. I really enjoyed this game. It didn’t live up to the “absolute masterpiece” I was sold on it being but I still had a great time with it. Fairly short game. Many claim high replay value but the majority of reviews don’t seem to show that. But I do think it’s definitely a game worth playing. The story was very intriguing and it did make me think about how I wanted to handle certain responses. Connecting with the characters was a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →To be honest, this is not my type of game. However in the short time I played it, I could tell immediately that this game has what so many AAA titles lack: soul. It is at times silly and at times profound. If you enjoy narrative-driven games, with gameplay based mostly around casual minigames, you will most likely enjoy this one.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to like this game, especially since it's the music and art style are perfect and I love this style of game. The characters are fun, but very cliché, and the plot goes exactly where you think it's gonna go at all times, so there's no surprises. But, that's ok because this game feels warm and nostalgic, and it doesn't need a crazy good plot to be charming. But the one thing that made me frustrated enough to put down the game was the energy system. It's a complete gamble if your…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game was promising at first. Great environments, an interesting political narrative, and a really moody OST. But the flaws are too apparent. The characters are all really one note and cliche, with duologue/voice-acting that feels unconvincing at best, unnatural at worse. There are multiple story beats that are so cliche that it feels like it was ripped from a teenagers scrapbook (Jarod and Sonya's scenes being the worse contenders imo). In terms of the choices you make, it's not clear on…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My opinion on Road 96 This game is super cool, I highly recommend it. If you like choice-based games, this little game will be perfect for you. I'll give you all the positive points: - The story is gripping. - We become attached to the characters we meet. - The game is graphically beautiful - The game is perfect I didn't find any negative points when I played it but I 200% recommend you to take it, it's great and you won't be disappointed so don't hesitate
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a good game, catching the vibes of 96 in the perfect way. Visually it looks stunning and had a unique way of storytelling, kinda rogue-lite style, which blends perfectly with the strong characters. No run is the same and they flesh out the story and characters more, but eventually it gets repetitive. A nice relaxing game with one of the best soundtrack list! Edit : It kinda grows boring and the more I played the less consequence the dialog seems to have on any of the story aspects..…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Only played 30 minutes of the game and decided to refund it, making this the first "your choices matter" game that I have dropped. (one of my favorite game genres) The art design is great with a nice soundtrack but the game was overtly political. I'm an open minded person and I'm used to playing games where characters' and/or writers' opinions differ from mine, and I respect that--but this narrative came on too strong and feels like it was written by an angsty teen or millennial with below…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →very good game and life changing when you play 100% for the first time, would deffo suggest you play this game 10/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The first time I played this game I was a right extremist. Its been a few years since, No longer am extremist nor right. Decided to give the game another chance and ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ i love it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is absolutely beautiful and deeply moving. It brought tears to my eyes, but in a comforting and healing way, almost like a safe space to work through grief. The music is amazing the soundtrack is definitely something you need to experience. I truly recommend giving this game a try!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good game but a long ass rant Zoe ruined a lots of teen lives -she cant even pick the lock -She cant even keep her mouth shut to save herself and her friend. ^ “YOU GONNA PAY THEM?!!” ^ IF WE DIDNT WE WOULD BE ARRESTED. THE ONE HELPING US TOO AND NOOOO ZOE IS JUSTICE,SHE HAS TO OPEN HER MOUTH N TALK JUST SHUT UPPPP😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 You really ARE LIVING in a privilege life,Zoe CUZ YOU DONT KNOW WHAT CONSEQUENCE IS! -Other teens have to help her,YET,SHE HELPED NO ONE BUT TO LET THEM IN THEIR…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After spending some time on the road, I feel it is only fair to share my thoughts on Road 96. I got hooked on the game pretty quickly. The idea of travelling across the country, meeting different people and trying to reach the border already sounded interesting, but the way the story unfolds made me want to keep playing. What I enjoyed most is how every journey feels a little different. You never quite know who you are going to meet next, what kind of situation you will end up in, or how your…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My opinion on this game is pretty mixed. First of all, I really like the art direction. The game has a distinct visual identity, and there are plenty of moments where it looks genuinely beautiful. I also think the overall design is very interesting. It takes the form of a hitchhiking road trip where you meet different characters and gradually learn more about them as you take on the role of different protagonists. I particularly like the fact that you unlock skills along the way that can carry…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First, I have to mention that one of the tracks was composed by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein - the duo behind the soundtracks of Stranger Things. And honestly, the game’s entire playlist is magnificent ♫♪ Road 96 is a story where everyone will find a piece of themselves: dreams of freedom and endless motion, the search for a better place, a thirst for adventure, and unforgettable encounters. Maybe the game can feel a bit naive at times, or burdened by unnecessary politics, but it still draws…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Road 96 is a unique experience that blends adventure with interactive storytelling. Every journey on the road is different, and every decision you make impacts the ending. The characters are vibrant with personal stories, and the soundtrack perfectly captures the ‘90s atmosphere. Whether you choose to escape, support the revolution, or attempt peaceful change, the game makes you feel that your choices truly matter. Each playthrough can reveal a new path or ending, making it highly replayable.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →👋 Hello there! I'm Bastien GIAFFERI, a french game programmer and I’m working solo on Project OPERATOR 🕵. Before that, I worked on 11-11: Memories Retold 🕊 and Road 96 🛣️. I will mostly post about my game dev journey, follow me if you're interested 😉
neutral · AI labelView post →The storyline isn't very interesting to me. It feels like the game is mostly a collection of small, independent stories, and there isn't enough connection between them to make the overall journey feel meaningful. For a game centered around a road trip, I also found the actual gameplay surprisingly limited. Most of the interactions are just small, simple minigames, and many of them become boring quite quickly. The choices and resource management never felt deep enough to make the journey itself…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had no expectations going into this game, I only knew that it would be similar to Firewatch. Well I'd say that graphically and vibe-wise, yes, they are similar. Firewatch is more of an isolated narrative, where this game is still isolated, but within pockets of community. Road 96 puts you in the shoes of various teens over the span of several weeks. The goals of each teen are completely up to you and with each teen, a new path awaits. I personally really LOVED the way that each trip and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →good storytelling with interesting characters, reminds me of life is strange a little. very slept on game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is about as subtle about politics as waking up to construction in the morning. While the procedurally generated runs can offer some replayability. Most of these character you come in contact with suck or are very annoying. I think there were two or three I liked. The setting is a dystopia under tyrannical rule and if you put two and two together you can tell the politicians were inspired by real world candidates. Each of my runs I tried to play a different character with…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've seen this game mentioned in the comments of some tiktok video about underrated story games that doesn't get enough attention. So i got it and finished it in a weekend. And boy oh boy it blew my expectations. The graphics as simple as they might look, they surely deliver and they actually set the scene and the atmosphere really spot on. 9/10 (minor details) -Moving on the characters, I've completed all of the character storylines, they are well written, nothing to add or take, except one…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →good indie game but falls into the telltale choices matter lie
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wanted to really like this game because trying to make a procedurally generated narrative game seems really ambitious. I think the framework of the gameplay actually is decent, though it is still a bit repetitive and formulaic. The characters here are decent, but the actual thrust of the story in this fictional country with political unrest just felt uninspired. I didn't hate it or anything, just falls a bit short.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game will fail to meet every expectation you set for it. It runs horribly, the dialogue is straight from a tumblr fan page, the characters are flat and unappealing and will disappoint you but not before their annoying voices start to cause your ears to bleed. For anyone that is a fan of story games or visual novels, do not play this, play disco elusium or scarlet hollow. Do literally anything else. If you are playing this for a deep commentary on border laws and supremacy, this will…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I didn't realize it was supposed to be a parody of america, probably because it was made by the french and the accents are all over the place, and I didn't realize it was supposed to have a coens/tarantino vibe because it's much closer to a YA novel about the dangers of Not Voting still, its an interesting idea that outlasts its welcome long before you reach the end, which is getting six teens to the border (or dying along the way) by mostly pointing and clicking at things. a few fun minigames…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game starts promising but as it progressed it stalled. The highly repetitive mechanics and the underwhelming ending are a part of my dislikes for this game. But the soundtrack is absolutely one of the best I've heard.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Holy crap, that was a sad/exciting roller coaster!!! Had me from the first boot-up to the credits.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent story-telling game! There is an overarching main story tied to 6 separate randomised stories (randomised in the sense that segments are reused in different sequences), Very intriguing and definitely keep me on the toes at same parts! I think this is a must-buy for any Telltale-like game fans.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →you can really see the effort put into this masterpiece. great story, art direction, music, and gameplay. i love the fact that every decision you make can completely change how the game unfolds. its definitely worth picking up on sale. highly recommend. 8.5/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →platinumed this game on my playstation years ago and bought it again on steam and it still gave me the same vibes and enjoyment i had back then, its a short game but its such a good game and the characters exploring experience is great, add to that its a choice based game where your choices does actually mater and affect the game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Spoilers: It a good enough game. The art, music, animation, voice acting, and environmental design are great. But HOLY CRAP is the writing about politics bad. It's a masterclass in smug neo-liberal finger wagging, where they basically shame you for not always voting for a candidate that you literally know nothing about. The main villain is so overtly the "bad one", that you're supposed to unquestioningly always vote for the "good one". Despite being a child feeling a deadly police state that…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I only wish it was longer and had more character interactions! Absolutely loved this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wheel Spin #3: Road 96 Not sure how long this has been in my library, but I'm taking a month to spin a wheel of games to get through my backlog on steam and leave reviews for fun! I'm only 2 hours in to Road 96, but man this is really a hidden gem in my library. Super fun and unique visuals, interesting characters to interact with, cool ways the overarching story connects between runs. I should've gotten to this game sooner, and it also just kinda happens to feel very topical to what's going…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I just finished Road 96, and I absolutely loved it. It’s a short but powerful experience — I completed it in about 9 hours, and every minute felt meaningful. What makes Road 96 so special is its unique narrative structure. Each playthrough is different, with a new set of characters, encounters, and choices that shape your road trip toward the border. It’s a mix between a narrative adventure and a roguelike journey, where every run feels fresh and personal. The randomness works beautifully,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's okay. Nothing crazy. The music is either really good in very few instances or just bad in some. The political choices the game presents are pretty much boiled down to: "Would you rather have your arms and legs cut off while watching your favorite pet get eaten alive, or would you like a slap on the wrist and getting pinched five times?" Also, if you really want to LARP to a political spectrum very hard, the game won't let you. Without spoilers: there is an NPC who is insufferable, and you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Peak. If I had to summarise this game in one word - peak. Visually pleasing, enjoyable soundtrack. Choices that finally MATTER. This is highly narrative driven game, and it's written GOOD. There is no plot holes, you'd think it could get repetitive, but no, every teenager you play gets to meet characters from different perspective. Every teenager you try to save may get unpredictible outcome. It feels immersive, you want to play this game more and more. This game is everything that Firewatch…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →6/10 I have to say, I am a bit disappointed on this one. All in all it is an "okay" game, the premise and idea sound really good on paper but for me it fails on execution and does not deliver on some of the things i expected it to be good at. The things that disappointed me: The "procedually generated" part in the description is a stretch. What I would think would more accurately describe it is a sequence of levels that is randomly ordered. Each level is a location or vehicle where you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The fictional country in the game reminds me of my own, so i liked it very much. If you like games that stand out with their story rather than their mechanics and game play, i recommend you try this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I finished it twice. It's an enjoyable game, not a full-fledged story-driven game like Detroit: The Walking Dead, but a good game with excellent music selection.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →And with that, Petria is safe There are no words that can describe this game as it deserves. Everything is done the way it should be. From beautiful visuals to amazing songs, and the story is just perfect. If you love choice matters, you really can't go wrong with Road 96. Maybe after all these tries, it wasn't about escaping the country, but rather it's about the friends we made along the way
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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