Every belonging has a story. They can represent our interests, act as a portal into our past, and serve as a memento for a certain person or place that's meaningful to us. In the case of Open Roads, the possessions of protagonist Tess Devine, her mother Opal, and late grandmother do all of this and more. By examining objects, you open up a window into these characters' lives and their family ties piece-by-piece. From a beaded friendship bracelet tucked away in a drawer, to a dated (by today's standards) PC monitor with pink paneling, and an off-brand stick of Lip Smackers balm, everything is so nostalgic.
The first 20 minutes of gameplay in Open Roads feels like it's not only telling us more about Tess and her family, it's also transporting us back in time. And that, as it turns out, is very intentional. The upcoming mother-daughter road trip adventure from the Open Roads Team takes place in 2003, and everything you see and hear has been designed to evoke the early 00's era. As graphic artist and designer Harrison Gerard explains, the game is home to a "mix of stylized, hand-drawn character art and realistic examinables to create this world that feels real, nostalgic, and lived-in".
"One of the first things we did when making the game was sit down and come up with a list of, like, 'what are things that really evoke that 2003 era?'," Gerard says. "And so you'll see those little scholastic book fair erasers and we have off-brand Lip Smackers on the desk, and a lot of other things to help convey that nostalgic feel. There's been so many times when we've shown our game to people that they've said, 'Oh, I used to have that exact thing, or that exact desk.' And that's been such a fun part of seeing people play the game."
It's all in the details
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In Open Roads, we follow the story of the mother and daughter as they set out on a road trip to learn more about their family's past. As they uncover more, we'll see how their relationship evolves as they gain a better understanding of themselves. In the opening of the game, which takes place in the family home and sets up the road trip to come, the objects and environment effectively help to establish Tess and Opal as characters, as well as their relationship.
As Tess, you're first tasked with packing up your bedroom, but you'll soon be exploring other parts of the house alongside Opal. Certain objects can spark conversations between mother and daughter, which are brought to life by the acting talents of Keri Russell (Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, The Americans) as Opal and Kaitlyn Dever (Booksmart, The Last of Us) as Tess. You'll sometimes have different responses to choose from as Tess that can give you more insight into that object's history. In one instance, for example, she comes across a plate that looks like it's been glued back together, which prompts her to ask what happened to it.
The team has incorporated so much of themselves into the game. Art Director Noel Clark points out a drawing on the corner of a wall that was done by their 4-year-old daughter; Fincher highlights a leaflet from Pirates of Penzance in tribute to her late grandmother; engineering lead Aaron Freedman shows a chair that he had in his home growing up; and Gerard explains that every handwritten line we can see in-game was done by members of the team or those they know.
As executive producer Amy Fincher explains, what we choose to say may or may not open up the way to learning more about the mysteries we stumble upon from our mother. Opal will also make comments as you interact with different belongings - with her admonishing Tess for leaving the fridge door open at one stage. Exploring a game's narrative through objects may feel familiar for those who've played the likes of Gone Home, Tacoma, I Am Dead, or Hindsight, but the team believes Opal's input is what makes Open Roads unique.
"I think something that really sets Open Roads apart from other games in this genre is that your mother goes with you pretty much everywhere you do and a lot of the objects you can interact with you can get her take on," Gerard says, "which provides a whole other level of narrative on top of what you can just glean yourself and it's a really fun and interesting way of building up that relationship over the course of the game".
Through each exchange and object, we're left wanting to know more and more about Tess and Opal. Some belongings give rise to questions about their family that will be exciting to delve into, and with so much attention to detail, it's the kind of experience that just begs you to soak up everything you can when it releases on February 22, 2024. As Fincher says, "this is a great game for nosy people".
