Bitterroot

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Stranded, you knock at the Bitterroot Mansion. Its curse takes you in.

Platforms: Browser
Stores: itch.io
Price: Pay what you want
Rated: 4.6/5 from 75 ratings on itch.io
Players: 1
Controls: Arrow keys or D-pad to move and face, Z (A) to interact, X (B) to use the camera when prompted, Enter (Start) for the key item list, Shift (Select) to save.
Made by: Horatiu.nyc
Released: 2021

What frightens A stranded stranger looking for help ends up trapped in the cursed Bitterroot Mansion, searching its dark, chandeliered rooms for a way out while otherworldly inhabitants close in, in grim Game Boy greys broken by flashes of blood red.

Bitterroot is a free Game Boy-style horror game by Horatiu.nyc that you can play in the browser or as a real Game Boy ROM. A stranger stranded near the cursed Bitterroot Mansion goes looking for help and is caught in its curse, and must find the key items to escape while fending off what lives there.

About Bitterroot

Bitterroot was made by Horatiu.nyc in GB Studio and released on itch.io in 2021. It plays in the browser, and the page also offers the ROM to run on an original Game Boy or an emulator, at a price you choose, including nothing. A Deluxe edition with concept art and a manual is available for a few dollars more, and there is a Spanish translation.

You play a stranger who is stranded on a dark road by a broken-down car and goes to the mansion looking for help. Instead you are caught in the web of the Bitterroot curse. The house is drawn in side view with large sprites and detailed backgrounds for the Game Boy: a chandelier over a drawing room, mounted antlers, long corridors, and stranger places beyond.

You use your wits to find key items that may help you escape the dark powers of the mansion, fight off its otherworldly inhabitants and piece together what caused the curse. A camera comes into play when prompted, and red figures stand out against the greys. One player compared its tone to the original Clock Tower.

The maker set out to see how far the Game Boy's limits could be pushed to make a truly atmospheric game. It suits players who like short retro horror and haunted houses explored in 2D.

How to play Bitterroot

Press Run game on the itch.io page, or download the ROM for a Game Boy or emulator.
Walk with the arrow keys or D-pad and press Z to examine and interact.
Search the mansion for the key items; press Enter to see your checklist.
Use the camera with X when the game prompts you.
Save from the menu with Shift.

Screenshots

A pale-haired woman stands on a dark road beside a broken-down car under a stormy sky, in grey Game Boy pixel art

The woman in a mansion drawing room with a chandelier, a sofa, a portrait and mounted antlers

A red figure faces the woman across a room of twisted grey shapes: You're not ready to face what lies ahead

Bitterroot title screen: a dripping white candle under a red title and Press Start

Tips

Check the key item checklist with Enter when you are unsure where to go.
Save often from the Select menu.
Room transitions are slow, as one player notes, so plan your route through the house.
Play the ROM on an emulator for achievements, as some players did.