Kentucky Route Zero PC/TV Edition |OT| GLORYITISGOODTOBEAMONGFRIENDS!

[ListeningGarden]

PC Edition Site -x- TV Edition Site


Born, January 7, 2013 - Died, January 28, 2020
Tinkerers and Tailors - Cardboard Computer
Delivery Service - Annapurna Interactive
Theaters - Windows/macOS/Linux, PS4, Xbox One & Switch
It'll Cost Ya About - $24.99 (we offer tabs!)

Available from these fine retailers, or wherever videogames are sold:

Windows/macOS/Linux
Steam
GoG
Itch.io
Humble

Xbox One
Xbox Store

Playstation 4
US PSN Store
EU PSN Store

Nintendo Switch
Americas eShop
European eShop
Japanese eShop

(Store links for console editions will be added when available!)

This |OT| brought to you by our boys at...

​

Kentucky Route Zero is an episodic story told via pictures that move wherever you tell them to go. It's a slow-paced, character driven point & click experience that won't appeal to everyone. Those who find themselves drawn to it tend appreciate the inspirations it takes from classic literature, experimental film, and theater productions. If that doesn't sound like your cup of joe, well, I'm sure the bus will arrive soon. It's running a bit late today.

Rather than focusing on a main character, the game follows a group of people who are brought together through circumstance. As the sun goes down over this little strip of land in Kentucky, a man named Conway takes one last job - to deliver a package to '5 Dogwood Drive'. Along the way, he meets people whose lives have been affected by social and economic hardships, many of whom agree to help him find this address that can only be reached by traversing along the mysterious Route Zero. You not only learn a lot about characters by talking to them, but dialog options give you a greater picture of the character you're controlling in that moment - what they choose not to tell others is just as important as what they say. Unlike other dialog-oriented games that have come out in recent years, there's no pressure or time limits. You're free to mull over every choice with a fine glass of Hard Times if you're so inclined.

​

7 years in the making, Kentucky Route Zero's timeless story still rings true for everyone who has driven down that long stretch of road under the dim light of a reluctant moon. Within lies the remains of lives once dreamed, words that failed to be spoken. A longing for an old flame, or maybe just another drink. Families and friends held firmly in the callous grasp of enterprise and the decay of industry. A chance meeting of total strangers, riding on the backs of debt and regret. It is, in the developer's words, a tragedy, so expect an appropriate melancholy and prepare yourself in the event of some unexpected introspection. Despite the surreal and unknowable things you'll come across on your journey, this is very much a tale on the human experience.

​

So, what's all this "TV Edition" business? Thanks to some help from Annapurna Interactive, Kentucky Route Zero will be available to a much wider audience who play on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Playstation 4! "TV Edition" is just a fancy way to denote these console-specific versions... well, "fancy" to some lexicons anyway. Owners of "TV Edition" will get everything the PC version has: Acts I-V (Yes, the game is finally complete!) as well as interlude chapters that exist between acts. These interlude chapters feature some experimentation in gameplay styles, and are important to play as they set up characters, locations and themes that will be relevant in the act ahead.

In case of uncertainty - of which there is plenty of in these times - please consult the following:

PC & TV Edition Features:
All 5 Acts and respective Interludes built-in!
Available in a wide range of resolutions, from 525 line-capable sets all the way up to 4k!*
Full input support for a variety of devices, whichever works on your platform of choice!
"Classic" style mode, emulating the glory days of VGA!
Dial-up software included!**
Support for .wrongle files! (PC Edition Only)
Screenshot Taker and Other Debug Oddities! (PC Edition Only)
Contempt for late-stage capitalism!
...& more!​

*Consult the manual of your TV set for exact specifications. If you no longer have the manual, or never had one to begin with, stop by the Márquez TV Workshop, located in the back of the bait-n-tackle shop on the corner of Wax and Peonia Road. Tell Shannon that Ellie sent you!
**Refer to your contract with the Consolidated Power Co. for more information on fees for any local or long-distance calls placed.

Available while supplies last!





What are the critics saying?

For the hit single "Static Between Stations" from the upcoming Junebug album, press 1.
To see what else is on TV, press 2.
To hear a little about Here and There Along The Echo, press 3.
If you wish to peruse our fine catalog of records available for purchase, press 4.
To take a gander at the rich history of the Zero, press 5.
For a look at our previous catalog, press 6.
To repeat these options again, press 9.
To return to the main menu, press 0.

Special thanks to Tenrius for help with the original |OT|! In addition to the gracious and no-strings-attached help from our boys at Hard Times, this topic was also brought to you by the Bureau of Secret Tourism and the #legdebt gang.​

 

[Deleted member 1105]

Beautiful work. Looking forward to finally playing when Act V drops.

 

[GazRB]

Can't wait to play on Switch. Been circling this game for a long time.

 

[Messofanego]

One of the greatest games I've ever played.

 

[Dangle]

Lovely game. The first act alone left such an impression that's been buzzing in my head ever since. Can't wait for it all to be out early next year!

 

[TJNT]

I am here for moral support. Great OT! Very aesthetics

 

[daveo42]

Man, beautiful OT. Still need to play through Episode IV. Is it at least good as Episode III?

 

[gosublime]

Beautiful work. Looking forward to finally playing when Act V drops.

Click to shrink...

This. Been interested from the start but I tend to not play any episodic games until the whole lot is released.

 

[chainlinkspiral]

Curious to see what they do with the Switch/final version/Episode 5... and if there's another Interlude. The VR interlude was worth experiencing as audience/performer in a one act play. The trailer hints the Switch version will be getting some upgrades.

 

[ListeningGarden]

Man, beautiful OT. Still need to play through Episode IV. Is it at least good as Episode III?

Click to shrink...

Episode IV changes up the design of the game quite a bit, being a bit more railroaded than the previous 3 acts. There are short sequences that go in between major scene changes, with each scene change giving you the option of two completely different places to go. It's the first time you can't go everywhere in a single run of the act! The scenes are as great as they've always been, but it takes some getting used to the drastic shift in how you access each area.

Curious to see what they do with the Switch/final version/Episode 5... and if there's another Interlude. The VR interlude was worth experiencing as audience/performer in a one act play. The trailer hints the Switch version will be getting some upgrades.

Click to shrink...

There will be another interlude! WEVP.tv hinted at the nature of the upcoming interlude, displaying a single video file which gets changed once every few months or so. Some of these videos are old TV art projects, but a handful have been PSAs that are setting up the events of Act V in their own way. So, that's kind of an interlude in and of itself, but there will also be an interactive one which will be very 'video heavy'. Attendees of PAX West got sneak previews of videos that will be featured in this interlude (Thanks to /u/frozenpandaman on reddit for the following pictures!)

As for The Entertainment's VR edition, it's been quietly removed and replaced by a text file of instructions on how to recreate the play in real life with friends as an alternative. Better hold on to that copy you downloaded!

 

[Tenrius]

Great thread. I still maintain that KR0 holds a very special place among the best video games of the past decade+

 

[capaoculta]

Hard to believe it's been as long as it has since I played the first act. Really looking forward to replaying the whole thing once the final act comes out.

 

[Tenrius]

It's too bad the meticulously picked screenshots in the OP are still broken :/

 

[Tenrius]

And now they aren't! I wish the thread got a little more attention, though.

 

[ListeningGarden]

And now they aren't! I wish the thread got a little more attention, though.

Click to shrink...

I'll probably have some posts when the next interlude, Un Pueblo de Nada, finally comes out. Players at PSX were able to play through a build of it and some impressions are out there, so hopefully it won't be too much longer.

I'll also be updating the OP once Act V and the TV editions hit, and requesting a mod to move us over to Gaming side so we can serve as a proper OT for the full release. Should see some more traffic then!

EDIT: Oh, since today marks the beginning of the Steam Sale, you can currently pick up a boarding pass along the Zero for 50% off!

 

[SimonChris]

https://twitter.com/cardboardcompy/status/956544186643251201

 

[ListeningGarden]

https://twitter.com/cardboardcompy/status/956544186643251201

Click to shrink...

Thread updated!! Will have to sit with it later tonight. Checking WEVP.tv, there's a new video up that is supposedly a part of the new interlude chapter, and includes a new phone number to call (270-216-5556), so there's a lot to explore!

 

[ListeningGarden]

Forgot to mention it, and forgive me for the double post, but there's now a fan wiki(hosted and maintained thanks to a court-ordered grant by the Consolidated Power Company) that plans to go much more in-depth with its coverage of the characters, themes, and rich cultural references found in Kentucky Route Zero! Still a lot of work to be done, but the goal is to have as much detail as possible, as KR0 has quite a lot going on. Should be great for a refresher just before Act V!

 

[Tenrius]

Thread updated!! Will have to sit with it later tonight. Checking WEVP.tv, there's a new video up that is supposedly a part of the new interlude chapter, and includes a new phone number to call (270-216-5556), so there's a lot to explore!

Click to shrink...

Cool!

For those of us not in the US, what does the phone number say?

Forgot to mention it, and forgive me for the double post, but there's now a fan wiki(hosted and maintained thanks to a court-ordered grant by the Consolidated Power Company) that plans to go much more in-depth with its coverage of the characters, themes, and rich cultural references found in Kentucky Route Zero! Still a lot of work to be done, but the goal is to have as much detail as possible, as KR0 has quite a lot going on. Should be great for a refresher just before Act V!

Click to shrink...

Pretty exciting! Did you start it?

 

[meadowdrone]

Finally played Un Pueblo De Nada. So great to switch the lights off and fall into the hypnotic daze of KRZ again. Can't wait for act 5 - I'd been meaning to replay 1-4 again at some point and seems like it might not be the worst time with 5 seemingly on the horizon?

 

[Juan29.Zapata]

I've been wanting to replay it as well, but I'm thinking of double-dipping and getting the TV edition when Episode 5 finally drops, specially since I've never played the other Interludes (for some reason I thought they were included in the current Steam version) and the TV edition will include those.

Plus my PC can't do justice to the game's graphics.

 

[ListeningGarden]

Cool!

For those of us not in the US, what does the phone number say?

Click to shrink...

It's an answering machine for WEVP-TV, which ties in to the question asked by Rita during Un Pueblo de Nada.

Pretty exciting! Did you start it?

Click to shrink...

Nope! Eli (who made the KR0 character guide available on Steam) did, and they've been looking for ways to expand upon that to give players as much information as possible out of KR0's information-dense dialog and references.

Speaking of - we're actually looking for some help filling out the KR0 wiki! Progress stagnated for a while, but we're hoping to get some more work done before Act V hits later this year. If you're able, stop by and give us a hand. Or two. Or a leg. Debt's not picky. If you have any questions about tone, style, or want to make sure you're remembering something right, feel free to stop by the wiki's Discord!

 

[Chitown B]

I hope V comes out this year. TV edition, etc. I haven't played this game yet but I want to, and I want to play it complete so I'm waiting.

 

[ListeningGarden]

I hope V comes out this year. TV edition, etc. I haven't played this game yet but I want to, and I want to play it complete so I'm waiting.

Click to shrink...

Work is ongoing! They've had some funny stuff to share for Patrons & the Patron Discord (which I totally forgot to mention last year) but they're close enough to be working on stuff for ratings submissions.



I'm pretty eager to see how it all comes together in the end, as well as seeing more people jump in who were waiting for them to wrap up. Can't wait to give the OP a little update and have us shuffled over to Gaming side when the time comes!

 

[DarkChronic]

God I cannot wait until the TV Edition comes out. One of the best adventure games I've ever played.

 

[Nappuccino]

I look forward to replaying eps 1 and 2 and the rest for the first time . . . Whenever ep 5 emerges.

 

[Juan29.Zapata]

Fuck, I thought the bump meant a release date.

 

[Chitown B]

Fuck, I thought the bump meant a release date.

Click to shrink...

Sorry. I found the OT and wanted to discuss it.

 

[Juan29.Zapata]

Sorry. I found the OT and wanted to discuss it.

Click to shrink...

Don't be! I'm glad more people are discovering KRZ. I love it with all my heart.

 

[Tenrius]

Don't be! I'm glad more people are discovering KRZ. I love it with all my heart.

Click to shrink...

The thread begins to eat itself, so feed it to itself. Feels right.

 

[Fireblend]

TV Edition has an ESRB rating now. Not long before release hopefully :)

 

[Chitown B]

yes!!! I hope to play this by Halloween.

 

[Juan29.Zapata]

I couldn't have been more excited when Cardboard's Twitter put that announcement up.

 

[Tenrius]

Will it include all the interludes?

 

[Chitown B]

Will it include all the interludes?

Click to shrink...

yes

 

[CannonFodder52]

Playing this for the first time. It's uh, incredibly my jam. Should not have ignored it for so long.
By the looks of things, I may have jumped in at the right time in the lead up to the final act at least.

Didn't know about these interlude things until seeing this thread. Going to check them out.

 

[Juan29.Zapata]

Playing this for the first time. It's uh, incredibly my jam. Should not have ignored it for so long.
By the looks of things, I may have jumped in at the right time in the lead up to the final act at least.

Didn't know about these interlude things until seeing this thread. Going to check them out.

Click to shrink...

Now you'll have to wait a long time like us.

Honestly thought we were very close to release when they announced they were now playtesting the game. Thought it was gonna get shadow dropped last month or something jaja.

 

[Grenchel]

I love this series so much, but I haven't played the act 4. What's the point? I am going to forget everything once the last act is released.

So frustrating, but I am sure it will be worth the wait. Lovely experience thus far.

 

[Fireblend]

Yeah I was really hoping this would release in 2019 but I'm losing hope fast :P

 

[Juan29.Zapata]

I love this series so much, but I haven't played the act 4. What's the point? I am going to forget everything once the last act is released.

So frustrating, but I am sure it will be worth the wait. Lovely experience thus far.

Click to shrink...

Definitely suggest you play Act 4 right now haha.

It's absolutely beautiful and haunting. Then again, the entire game so far is.

 

[CannonFodder52]

So I'm almost caught up. Though, I've got a question about Un Pueblo De Nada. Should I watch this embedded video before or after the downloadable element of the interlude.

 

[ListeningGarden]

So I'm almost caught up. Though, I've got a question about Un Pueblo De Nada. Should I watch this embedded video before or after the downloadable element of the interlude.

Click to shrink...

The playable interlude takes place during the airing of the TV broadcast and shows things from the crew's point of view. Sometimes it will show the segments but allow you to wander off a bit so it can help anchor you a bit as you'll recognize how far into the night you are. On the other hand, playing the interlude first lets you live through the story as it was experienced by the crew, which is also a perspective worth having first- time. Up to you!

Also, be sure to check out the WEVP-TV archive in the OP (dial 2) after to check out some additional world building and a few of Cardboard Computer's old-school video influences.

 

[CannonFodder52]

The playable interlude takes place during the airing of the TV broadcast and shows things from the crew's point of view. Sometimes it will show the segments but allow you to wander off a bit so it can help anchor you a bit as you'll recognize how far into the night you are. On the other hand, playing the interlude first lets you live through the story as it was experienced by the crew, which is also a perspective worth having first- time. Up to you!

Also, be sure to check out the WEVP-TV archive in the OP (dial 2) after to check out some additional world building and a few of Cardboard Computer's old-school video influences.

Click to shrink...

Oh, I'd actually already just started the playable interlude. The improvements to the game's mechanics are pretty great to see.

And yeah, I'll definitely check out the other WEVP-TV stuff after I finish this. Thanks

Edit: Finished the two parts of the most recent interlude. That was wonderful. It's pretty astounding how much effort they put into these free interlude projects.

Now that I'm largely caught up, I just can't believe how good all of this was. It's now easily in my top 10 games and I can't stop thinking about the acts I've played. Going to dig further into the WEVP-TV stuff and maybe write a LTTP thread or somethin.

 

[Juan29.Zapata]

That is one thing that KZ0 is absolutely godly about: it stays with you.

There's this line that's kind of blurred for me, but it's fantastic, said by Shannon in Part 2: "I think people can be haunted, just like places".

 

[ListeningGarden]

Everything on that tape was wild.

For those waiting for Act V/TV Edition, it was mentioned in a comment on Patreon that

Spoiler

the game is just waiting on some finalization now, but due to holiday schedules with the various companies involved with the release there's a chance it will get pushed to January.

 

[Juan29.Zapata]

Son of a bitch.

(Thought it was gonna take longer, so this is fine for me, lots of indies I have to play).

BTW, there this game I just discovered, heavily inspired by KZ0, seems to be well into development: No Longer Home.

 

[Comrade Crunch]

Everything on that tape was wild.

For those waiting for Act V/TV Edition, it was mentioned in a comment on Patreon that

Spoiler

the game is just waiting on some finalization now, but due to holiday schedules with the various companies involved with the release there's a chance it will get pushed to January.

Click to shrink...

Better late than never, I suppose.

 

[CannonFodder52]

Any possibility we could see something at the game awards?

 

[Chitown B]

OK STOP BUMPING THE THREAD UNLESS THERE IS A RELEASE DATE.

/thanks

 

[Deleted member 56803]

OK STOP BUMPING THE THREAD UNLESS THERE IS A RELEASE DATE.

/thanks

Click to shrink...

Boop