It’s (not) too late to love you now
Hey, quick question. Do you pronounce the word ‘route’ as “R-out” or “root”? I’m in the latter camp, myself.
Anyway, independent developers Cardboard Computer releasedanother140-character progress update on the much-anticipated fourth act of their superb bourbon-tinged‘Phantom Tollboothby way of Johnny Cash’ adventure gameKentucky Route Zero. They alsoposted a teaser imagefrom the episode, which we’ve embedded above. The fishing trip, an iconic part of Americana, has been stripped of its humanity, leaving its core bare for all to see. A perfect encapsulation of the melancholic nostalgia that oozes from the Zero’s every pore.
— cardboard computer (@cardboardcompy)July 11, 2025
If you have yet to experienceKentucky Route Zero, you shouldtreat yourself. It’s the perfect game to play during these long, dark months, especially as you return to your hometown for Thanksgiving, spending precious free time in a place that you reject for its unflinching tradition but also resent for moving on without you, all the while torn asunder by the space between these two irreconcilable truths. It’s an, uh, extremely moody game, if you haven’t surmised. But don’t let me lead you astray —Kentucky Route Zeroisn’t depressing; it’s just bittersweet.
Each version of the game comes with the soundtrack, which I’d argue iseasilyworth the price on its own. There’s not much I wouldn’t give to hear ‘Long Journey Home‘ on a good vinyl player, and that’s to say nothing of the mesmerizing ‘Too Late to Love You‘.
