Jam prototype vs playable game

Laura chats with Jeremy Johnston and Robin Ward about The Roottrees are Dead, their genealogy, murder-mystery, "static deduction" game. We discuss the development process of taking a jam prototype to full release, developing hints and systems that lead players to satisfying discoveries, and the taxonomy of games like The Roottrees are Dead and The Return of the Obra Dinn.

Spoilers abound, so consider playing the game first before tuning in.

Audio edited by Dylan Shumway

Discussed in this episode:

The Roottrees are Dead (Steam) https://store.steampowered.com/app/2754380/The_Roottrees_are_Dead/

The Roottrees are Dead (itch.io – Global Game Jam entry) https://jjohnstongames.itch.io/the-roottrees-are-dead

Return of the Obra Dinn https://store.steampowered.com/app/653530/Return_of_the_Obra_Dinn/

Outer Wilds https://store.steampowered.com/app/753640/Outer_Wilds/

Her Story https://store.steampowered.com/app/368370/Her_Story/

Family https://owlskip-games.itch.io/family

Type Help https://william-rous.itch.io/type-help

The Rise of the Golden Idol https://store.steampowered.com/app/2716400/The_Rise_of_the_Golden_Idol/

Blue Prince https://store.steampowered.com/app/1569580/Blue_Prince/

Severance https://tv.apple.com/us/show/severance/umc.cmc.1srk2goyh2q2zdxcx605w8vtx

White Lotus https://www.max.com/shows/white-lotus/14f9834d-bc23-41a8-ab61-5c8abdbea505

Righteous Gemstones https://www.max.com/shows/righteous-gemstones/c3bd0a34-c4ce-4ca5-bd6c-820df7340671

Announcement: Eggplant Plays De Mol (2025 Season) https://eggplant.show/announcing-eggplant-plays-de-mol-2025-season

The Genius (Korean Game Show) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Genius_(TV_series)

Robin Ward's blog (links to socials included) https://eviltrout.com/

The Roottrees are Dead Discord server https://discord.com/invite/Z6Y5sE9Dgt

https://eggplant.show/ https://discord.gg/eggplant https://www.patreon.com/eggplantshow