Roki
By Michael Lafferty,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Wonderfully visual and imaginative tale based on folklore.
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Roki
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What’s It About?
Based on Scandanavian folklore, ROKI tells the tale of young girl named Tove searching for her brother, who was taken during an attack by a monster. The game's puzzle-oriented but also features elements of exploration. Players will combine elements from Tove's backpack to create a variety of tools to get past intriguing characters and monsters. While the game isn't English-based, and the story is told through text, Roki manages to weave an intriguing story that pulls players through its fantasy settings, which are based on a tale that Tove reads to her younger brother.
Is It Any Good?
Lush and colorful settings create the backdrop for a highly imaginative story of adventure and self-discovery. The first thing that sets Roki apart is the handcrafted artwork that creates both a snowy 'real' world, and the fantasy world populated by the Four Guardians (Bear, Wolf, Stag and Raven). There are also fantasy monsters that appear to be manifestations of children's toys. While the story's text-driven, and there's a lot to explore, the path through to the ending takes a somewhat linear approach. Even so, Roki has a fresh and startling honest approach with its story.
This game's about logic puzzles. Want to make a molotov cocktail to throw at a monster's hand? You'll need a bottle of alcohol, cloth, fire and voila. But you can't focus on those items solely. The story that Tove tells her brother at the start is about self-realization, and this tale involves not only love but respect. The sound quality is fine, but the stars here are the narrative and visual style. There may be elements too intense for younger players, but even with that said, Roki is delightfully refreshing, with a wonderful art style and captivating story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about folklore and fables, and how each country has their own tales. What creatures do younger players think may be linked to folklore from different countries? How do monsters create suspense in stories? Why should younger players not be frightened by imaginative tales involving monsters?
What elements of the story in Roki do players like? Which elements do they not like? What frightens them about the game?
Game Details
- Platform: Windows
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: United Label CI Games
- Release date: July 23, 2020
- Genre: Adventure
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Great Girl Role Models
- ESRB rating: E for No Descriptions
- Last updated: July 25, 2020
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