Xbox Game Pass Just Added The Best Gaming Road Trip of the 2020s
Hit the road Jack.
Few things in the world are as liberating as hitting the road for a long-distance trip. Especially when taking a break from the daily grind of work and daily responsibilities, a road trip accompanied by the right people can be a perfect way to recalibrate oneself with who they are and what life has to offer. It’s no wonder why so many games, from the cross-country high speeds of The Crew, the narrative poignancy and intimacy of 2024’s Open Roads, or even the cel-shaded charm of last year’s Caravan Sandwich, have tried replicating that spectacle in virtual form.
But few games nail that sense of “anything can happen” as well as this week’s most interesting new addition to Xbox Game Pass, Road 96. This clever mix of modern adventure games, roguelike elements, tabletop-inspired role-playing mechanics, and fantastic world-building makes for one of the best indies available on the service, and a perfect game to burn through during the January release 2025 lull.
Set in the fictional and politically divided country of Petria in the lead-up to a tumultuous election, Road 96 is an adventure game made in the style of Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead or Don’t Nod’s Life Is Strange. The game puts players in the shoes of a missing runaway teenager hoping to make it to the nation’s border to escape the tyrannical, anti-youth administration of President Tyrak. You have the choice of hitchhiking, taking the bus, taxi, trekking on foot, and whatever else to complete the journey north.
The Road is a roguelike adventure game centered around dialogue choices and player actions.
Unlike Telltale’s illusion of choice though, Road 96 takes a cooler approach to player agency. Players don’t just take on the role of a single runaway, but several. See, the journey to the border isn’t guaranteed. In Road 96 threats to the player are very real. Not managing sleep or failing to talk your way out of sticky situations can mean getting detained by a government on the brink of authoritarianism, passing out from starvation and exhaustion, or even certain death.
Road 96 plays like a choose-your-own-adventure book. But instead of flipping back to a previous page after a screw-up, the end of one run means the start of a new journey from an entirely new teen’s perspective. Each run plays out differently depending on the circumstances of the missing teen. One nameless playable character may have left home with more money while another starts in a better part of the map.
Each run introduces players to several of Road 96’s large cast of characters, each of whom finds themselves on the road for different reasons. These encounters typically reveal pieces of their back story, which in turn helps fill in the blanks of the larger history surrounding how Petria became so divided in the decade leading up to this election cycle. With every subsequent run, you’re meeting new people and familiar faces at different points in their lives, all while the game’s calendar inches closer and closer to Petria’s Election Day. It’s worth noting that these characters will also mention specific encounters they’ve had other runaways in days and weeks prior, making your exploits as a player feel meaningful.
The Road 96 is a game clearly inspired by modern history and politics.
While the circumstances that bring players to said road aren’t exactly ideal, it doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the ride. Most encounters will introduce new minigames and activities that range from fun to nerve-racking. The choices you’re forced to make are consistently captivating. The game’s roguelike mechanics also mean acting on instinct or making a risky choice is usually rewarded. And the citizens of Petria each have interesting backstories and give context for where they fall on the political spectrum and why. All this makes it easy to get invested in the politics of this world and what’s on the line for each of its citizens.
This brings up the best part of Road 96. It’s a game that actually has something to say. Its setting amid an election is used with great effect. It’s clear early on that this game was developed during and in direct response to the rise of controversial world leaders like President Donald Trump (and likely France’s conservative National Rally party since Road 96 developer DigitxArt is based in Montpellier).
The delivery of Road 96’s thinly veiled allegory can be hamfisted. But when so many developers are hellbent on staying completely neutral on current events, it’s refreshing to see a modern video game have the guts to present a clear, bold take on the state of the modern world. Considering we’re heading into another four years of the exact climate this game was developed in (at least here in the U.S.), some of its finer points about immigration, the radicalization of disenfranchised people, and the stagnant nature of establishment politics will likely ring prophetic for first-time players.
The Road 96 is an excellent game to play during a quieter time for game releases. It’s an excellent twist on the adventure game genre. Its clever writing, surprisingly fun minigames, and engaging characters will likely keep you captivated until reaching its conclusion. Best of all, it's one of the few (but increasingly less rare) examples of a video game that doesn’t feel siloed from the real world. Road 96 is well worth your time and hard drive space if you’re a Game Pass subscriber.
