It's been seven years since the "magic realist adventure game" Kentucky Route Zero successfully completed its $6500 Kickstarter campaign. Four acts have been released since then, the most recent in July 2016, and in September of last year developer Cardboard Computer said it was "totally focused" on finishing the game. It appears that the work might finally be approaching completion, as the studio dropped a tweet today that leads to a surreal trip inside a tiny independent television station somewhere deep in the Bluegrass State.
Un Pueblo De Nada -- https://t.co/UzKsdTQhDZJanuary 25, 2018
The "station" is actually broadcasting, sort of, at wevp.tv, in parallel with the events of the mini-game interlude that can be found through the above link. If you don't care for Rita's broadcast, a selection of others can be found behind the "copy-it-right" message at the bottom of the page (or here). Selections include Junebug Teaser, Aunt Connie PSA #2, A Five Minute Romp Through the IP, and WEVP Technical Difficulties.
It all comes off as very true to the spirit of public access television, leavened with Kentucky Route Zero's supernatural undertones. And the simulation runs pleasingly deep: I don't want to spoil too much but I will suggest that if you're intrigued, you might want to try that phone number. Also, the Bureau of Secret Tourism is real. Just putting that out there.
There's no hard release date for Kentucky Route Zero Act 5 just yet, unless it's buried somewhere in WEVP video databank. (If so, I haven't found it yet.) But it's reasonably to say that it's probably coming soon—in the meantime, find out why Joe chose it as his "Staff Pick" for our 2016 Game of the Year Awards.
