Kentucky Route Zero

Kentucky Route Zero
Developer(s)Cardboard Computer
Publisher(s)Annapurna Interactive
Designer(s)
Programmer(s)
  • Jake Elliott
  • Tamas Kemenczy
Artist(s)Tamas Kemenczy
Writer(s)Jake Elliott
Composer(s)Ben Babbitt
EngineUnity
Platform(s)
Release
January 28, 2020
  • Act I
  • January 7, 2013
  • Act II
  • May 31, 2013
  • Act III
  • May 6, 2014
  • Act IV
  • July 19, 2016
  • Act V
  • January 28, 2020
Genre(s)
Mode(s)Single-player

Kentucky Route Zero is a point-and-click adventure interactive fiction[1] game developed by Cardboard Computer and published by Annapurna Interactive. The game follows the narrative of a truck driver named Conway and the strange people he meets as he tries to cross the mysterious Route Zero in Kentucky to make a final delivery for the antiques company for which he works. The game received acclaim for its visual art, narrative, characterization, atmosphere, and themes, appearing on several best-of-the-decade lists.

Kentucky Route Zero was first revealed in 2011 via the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and is separated into five acts that were released sporadically throughout its development; the first releasing in January 2013 and the last releasing in January 2020. The game was developed for Linux, Windows, and macOS, with console ports for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One under the subtitle of "TV Edition", coinciding with the release of the final act. The game was released for Android and iOS on December 13, 2022, in partnership with Netflix and was later released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in August 2023.

  1. ^ Johnson, Astrid (May 29, 2023). "Kentucky Route Zero's explained for newcomers | Rock Paper Shotgun". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.