Kentucky Route Zero is a newcomer to the realm of point-and-click adventures. In a classic genre with influential titles for decades, Kentucky Route Zero aims to bring something new to the table. It’s an indie game from developer Cardboard Computer and published by Annapurna Entertainment. The game intertwines the elements of interactive fiction with intense storytelling and is set in a surreal Kentucky landscape.
The game is divided into different Acts, of which the first one is the focus here. This article aims to serve as your guide to understanding the game, its key characters, and, naturally, the cheats and tricks potentially available for the player. Do note that the following might feature story spoilers.
Kentucky Route Zero: Act I Premise
Kentucky Route Zero: Act I introduces players to Conway, a truck driver on a quest to deliver antiques. Subsequently, he finds himself navigating the mysterious Route Zero in Kentucky. Throughout his journey, he is guided by odd characters and surrounded by surreal events. Initially, the story begins at Equus Oils, where Conway meets the station owner Joseph and sets off on an adventure that leads him to the Márquez Farm, the Elkhorn Mine, and ultimately to the eerie Route Zero itself.
After that, he gains insights from Weaver Márquez from the Márquez Farm, who sends him on his way to the elusive Route Zero. As Conway traverses through the game, he encounters strange phenomena and delves into the mine’s tragic history. The narrative unfolds through Conway and other key characters, where players get to experience the strange Kentucky Route Zero from various vantage points.
Kentucky Route Zero: Act I Characters
The game is abundant with unique characters that each add to the intriguing storyline. These figures are far from ordinary and bring added mystique to Conway’s journey. As a traditional point-and-click adventure, the characters, dialogue, and parsing of the information and potential agendas of key characters are essential. Through conversing with the unique personas that you come across, you advance in the mission of making your final delivery.
Conway
Conway, the central character in Kentucky Route Zero, is an aging deliveryman for Lysette’s Antiques. Accompanied by his loyal hound in a straw hat, Conway drives an old truck with starting issues. He embarks on a quest to deliver an antique to 5 Dogwood Drive, which leads him to discover and navigate the mysterious Route Zero. Conway has a troubled past marked by alcoholism and a series of odd jobs, before finding stable work. In the game, Conway’s journey takes him to diverse locations like Equus Oils and the Marquez Farmhouse, which introduces him to intriguing characters like Shannon Marquez. His adventures are complicated by a leg injury he sustains, which leaves him with a limp.
Shannon Márquez
Shannon Márquez is a TV repairwoman with family drama and financial problems. She first encounters Conway at Elkhorn Mine, where she’s searching for something important at her cousin Weaver’s request. She spent her childhood near the mine, playing with Weaver while their parents worked. After her parents passed away in a mine flood, she was raised by her aunt Remedios. Shannon’s life takes a sharp turn when she joins Conway in his search for 5 Dogwood Drive. Shannon helps Convay in the mine. She chooses to accompany him on his strange quest, perhaps for feeling responsible for his injuries sustained at the mine.
James B. Carrington
James B. Carrington is a man of many hats. He’s a director, playwright, and a pseudoscientist. If anything, he’s an eccentric character with his long robe and carrying large antlers. He is focusing on his play called The Death of the Hired Man. He finds himself stranded at Equus Oils, out of gas, and strikes up a conversation with Joseph Wheatree and Conway about potential venues for his play. Carrington’s appearance depends on whether the player returns to Equus Oils before going to Elkhorn Mine.
Joseph Wheatree
Joseph Wheatree is a blind poet who also works as a gas station attendant at Equus Oils. He holds an advanced degree in electronic writing. He also was once in a partnership with Lula and Donald, two characters found in a later Act. In the game’s timeline, he operates Equus Oils, where Conway meets him. When Conway asks for directions, Joseph introduces him to the concept of the Zero, a mysterious nearby highway. Conway finds emails suggesting that there’s something odd going on with Joseph. The fact that he shrugs off the strange phenomena experienced by Conway doesn’t help either.
Weaver Márquez
Weaver Márquez is a cousin of Shannon Márquez. She seems to be truthful to a fault but is mysterious nonetheless. Weaver has a background in mathematics and was once an intern at the Bureau of Reclaimed Spaces. She also worked for the community station WEVP-TV. One of Weaver’s oddities is her sudden and mysteriously disappearing and reappearing. However, that’s hardly all that is odd about her. She directs Conway to the Zero via Elkhorn Mine.
Games in the Series
Kentucky Route Zero is a standalone game that unfolds through five acts, each released at different intervals between 2013 and 2020. In addition to the periodic releases, there was a TV Edition released for consoles alongside the last act. In 2023, the game was also released for the next-generation consoles, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
- Kentucky Route Zero: Act I (2013)
- Kentucky Route Zero: Act II (2013)
- Kentucky Route Zero: Act III (2014)
- Kentucky Route Zero: Act IV (2016)
- Kentucky Route Zero: Act V (2020)
Kentucky Route Zero: Act I Cheats
Kentucky Route Zero focuses primarily on storytelling and offers no traditional cheats. Players are suggested to experience the game as is, as advancing faster and skipping content doesn’t serve a purpose. However, with the TV Edition of the game, there are PlayStation Trophies and Xbox Achievements. Here they are for those who would like to collect them all.
PlayStation Trophies
| Trophy | Description | Trophy Type |
| Act IV | Complete Act IV | Silver |
| Limits & Demonstrations | Complete “Limits & Demonstrations” | Silver |
| The Entertainment | Complete “The Entertainment” | Silver |
| Here And There Along The Echo | Complete “Here And There Along The Echo” | Silver |
| Un Pueblo De Nada | Complete “Un Pueblo De Nada” | Silver |
| Phil and Jane | Find Phil and Jane on the Zero | Silver |
| Say something romantic | Watch Flora launch her paper boat | Silver |
| Finding Carrington | Return to Equus Oils and find Carrington there | Silver |
| Patch speaking | Answer the phone in the Rum Colony | Silver |
| I bet a dog will eat it | Share Joseph’s home-made jerky with the dog | Silver |
| Here, you pick | Learn about 12 dishes in Sam & Ida’s | Silver |
| You died | Die in Xanadu | Silver |
| Death of the Hired Man | Complete “Death of the Hired Man” | Silver |
| Paperclip Labyrinth | Follow the bureaucratic loop in the Bureau 3 times | Silver |
| Organ Performance | Listen to the organ performance in the Bureau | Silver |
| Happy Tuesday | Win the claw game at Sam & Ida’s | Silver |
| Hypnagogic | Hypnotize Shannon in the mine | Silver |
| Under the horizon | Find Flora’s boat in the distillery | Silver |
| The map | Walk the Seer’s earthwork path in the town | Silver |
| Act I | Complete Act I | Gold |
| Act II | Complete Act II | Gold |
| Act III | Complete Act III | Gold |
| “Look for me under your bootsoles” | Complete Act V | Gold |
| Act IV again | Complete Act IV a second time | Gold |
| All Done | Unlock all trophies | Platinum |
Xbox Achievements
| Achievement Name | Description | Points |
| Act I | Complete Act I | 15 |
| Act II | Complete Act II | 15 |
| Act III | Complete Act III | 15 |
| Act IV | Complete Act IV | 15 |
| Limits & Demonstrations | Complete “Limits & Demonstrations” | 15 |
| The Entertainment | Complete “The Entertainment” | 15 |
| Here And There Along The Echo | Complete “Here And There Along The Echo” | 15 |
| Un Pueblo De Nada | Complete “Un Pueblo De Nada” | 15 |
| Phil and Jane | Find Phil and Jane on the Zero | 30 |
| Say something romantic | Watch Flora launch her paper boat | 30 |
| Finding Carrington | Return to Equus Oils and find Carrington there | 30 |
| Patch speaking | Answer the phone in the Rum Colony | 30 |
| I bet a dog will eat it | Share Joseph’s home-made jerky with the dog | 30 |
| Here, you pick | Learn about 12 dishes in Sam & Ida’s | 30 |
| You died | Die in Xanadu | 30 |
| Death of the Hired Man | Complete “Death of the Hired Man” | 30 |
| Paperclip Labyrinth | Follow the bureaucratic loop in the Bureau 3 times | 30 |
| “Look for me under your bootsoles” | Complete Act V | 70 |
| Organ Performance | Listen to the organ performance in the Bureau | 90 |
| Happy Tuesday | Win the claw game at Sam & Ida’s | 90 |
| Hypnagogic | Hypnotize Shannon in the mine | 90 |
| Under the horizon | Find Flora’s boat in the distillery | 90 |
| The map | Walk the Seer’s earthwork path in the town | 90 |
| Act IV again | Complete Act IV a second time | 90 |
Kentucky Route Zero Cheats FAQ
Is Kentucky Route Zero available on consoles?
Yes, the game is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch under the TV Edition moniker.
Is Kentucky Route Zero a puzzle game?
The game does not contain traditional puzzles or challenges. Instead, it focuses mainly on storytelling and creating a mysterious atmosphere.
Can you play Kentucky Route Zero in multiplayer?
No, the game is simply designed as a single-player point-and-click adventure game.