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Road 96 2021
Road 96 is a 2021 adventure video game released for the Nintendo Switch and Windows on August 16, 2021. It was developed by DigixArt and published in partnership with Plug In Digital. The game is set in the fictional authoritarian nation of Petria during Summer 1996, where players control nameless teenagers trying to escape the country by reaching its northern border before an upcoming election. The player moves through procedurally-generated journeys that take place across various locations including roads, towns, and rural areas. Travel methods include walking, hitchhiking, and using vehicles such as buses, cars, and taxis. Each journey consists of segments where players interact with eight recurring non-playable characters and complete minigames before continuing their route.
Each playthrough can end in success, arrest, or death, which then affects the story during future runs. The experience culminates on Petria's election day, where the result depends on choices made throughout gameplay. Development of Road 96 was led by DigixArt, with a focus on crafting a narrative-driven adventure that offers different experiences each time it’s played. The team spent two years creating the storytelling framework for the game's procedural design. They drew from road trip films of the 1990s, and were influenced by directors like the Coen brothers, Bong Joon Ho, and Quentin Tarantino. Many characters were modeled after figures from 1980s and 1990s film and television works. Gameplay elements such as escape methods were inspired by real-life stories of people who lived behind the Iron Curtain.
The development team of 15 aimed to merge action, exploration, and human encounters, with each segment designed to last between 30 and 50 minutes, mimicking a television series. The game was later made available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S on April 14, 2022, published by DigixArt and Ravenscourt. Road 96 received generally positive reviews from critics who praised its narrative, character development, and soundtrack. However, some reviewers criticized how the game handled political themes and noted occasional performance issues. A prequel titled Road 96: Mile 0 was announced in January 2023 and released on April 4.
Crew
- Director
- Yoan Fanise
- Designer
- Tristan Hilare, François Rizzo, Benoit Villain
- Programmer
- Bastien Giafferi
- Artist
- Charles Boury
- Producer
- Anne-Laure Fanise
Details
- Developer
- DigixArt
- Publisher
- DigixArt, Plug In Digital, Ravenscourt
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S
- Modes
- Single-player
- Engine
- Unity
