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Emma Austin | Louisville Courier Journal

No, it's not a real highway.

"Kentucky Route Zero" is the name of an indie video game that has released four episodes over the past seven years, with the "final act" debuting this month.

Described as "a magical realist adventure game," "Kentucky Route Zero" follows a character named Conway as he travels through a fictional highway running through the caves of Kentucky.

The game begins as Conway embarks on a journey to make a delivery for an antique store, and along the way he meets "dozens of strange characters" and overcomes different obstacles. The game is slow-paced and narrative-focused, with text dialogue and original hymn- and bluegrass-style background music.

The game was created by Cardboard Computer, which is made up of three independent game developers, including Jake Elliott of Elizabethtown.

"This is a game we started working on in 2010, so it’s been a pretty long road," Elliott told The Courier Journal.

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Cardboard Computer released the first act in January 2013 following a Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $8,500, exceeding its $6,500 goal. The following three acts have been released periodically and are available for Windows, Linux and MacOS. After the final act is released on Jan. 28, all five acts will be available on Nintendo Switch, Playstation and Xbox One.

Elliott said he met Tamas Kemenczy and Ben Babbitt, the other two members of Cardboard Computer, when all three were students at the Art Institute of Chicago. They worked together on art installations and other projects before deciding to make a video game. The three are largely self-taught in video game development and used their collective musical and artistic talent to create "Kentucky Route Zero."

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'Kentucky Route Zero' final act: Check out artwork from the game

Though not originally from Kentucky, Elliott visited the state often. He said Mammoth Cave National Park was part of the inspiration for the game.

"Kentucky Route Zero" isn't the first game based on Kentucky's cave systems. In 1975, programmer and cave enthusiast Will Crowther developed a game for his daughters, drawing on his explorations of Mammoth Cave, according to the National Park Service.

Called "Colossal Cave Adventure," the game is known as the first work of interactive fiction. Like "Kentucky Route Zero," it was text-based, though its original version did not include any visuals. Players controlled a character in the game through simple text commands to explore the cave and earned points by collecting treasure and escaping the cave alive.

"Kentucky Route Zero," however, is less about action and more about the story.

"It's kind of a fantastical story, but it's also really grounded in realism of what it's like to live in America at this moment," Elliott said. "People are dealing with a lot of debt and sort of predatory institutions and a lot of corporate power, especially this energy company, which is responsible for a lot of the problems people are having in the game."

The game compresses Kentucky's geography, which Elliott said gives players a broad sense of the state's culture, as well as time periods. For example, parts of the game look like they may be set in the 1970s or 1920s, while some characters use computers and cellphones.

The Guardian wrote in 2014 the game "induces a rare, unhurried feeling that you are in the hands of master storytellers."

"Kentucky Route Zero" has received multiple awards, including "Best Narrative" in 2015 from Game Developers Choice and "Excellence in Visual Arts" at Independent Games Festival in 2013.

In a GameSpot review, writer Carolyn Petit said the game "can take on a life of its own."

"Kentucky Route Zero has always challenged traditional notions of player control and choice," Petit wrote. "You don't play as any one character — you might be choosing dialogue options for Conway one moment, and then choosing the tone an unheard voice on the telephone is using the next."

Rock Paper Shotgun writer Adam Smith said in a review of the first act that the game is "destined to be a modern classic."

"Smart, thoughtful, sweet and incredibly well crafted – it’s the perfect game to play in the small hours of a lonely night," Smith wrote. "Be warned though; it’ll leave you hungry for unknown roads and longing for an invitation to the blues."

How to play 'Kentucky Route Zero'

"Kentucky Route Zero" is available for Windows, Linux and MacOS through Humble, Steam, gog.com and itchio.io for $25.

On Jan. 28, a "TV version" including all five acts will be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox One.

BONUS: A reproduction of the original "Colossal Cave Adventure" can be played by sending a text to 669-238-3683 and responding "yes" to the automatic reply, “WELCOME TO ADVENTURE!! WOULD YOU LIKE INSTRUCTIONS?”