A new epic journey around the world, Roots in the Sky is the sequel to the acclaimed point & click adventure The Hand of Glory!
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Update #21: Revolution in the Air!
10 months ago
– Wed, Jun 18, 2025 at 08:46:50 AM
Adventurous friends, May was not your average development month—it was a whirlwind of events, workshops and unforgettable moments. We took a short break from our usual behind-the-scenes work to step into the spotlight, meeting players, fellow devs, and even legends. Buckle up, because we’re taking you with us on this crazy marketing tour!
Rome Videogame Lab 2025: Trastevere Takes the Spotlight First stop: the eternal city! Stefano made his way to the Rome Videogame Lab 2025, hosted right in the heart of Trastevere.
The event was the perfect opportunity to showcase our brand-new demo and graphics to a fresh audience. The reactions? Nothing short of glorious. Players gave us invaluable feedback that’s already making its way into the next builds. Plus, we heard “When can I play the full game?” more than we hoped to hear, which is good for the heart!
Comicon 2025: Developers, Podcasters... and Totally Exhausted Next up: Naples! Stefano and Cristiano hit the Comicon 2025, this time wearing two hats: indie devs and proud members of Calavera Café, the biggest Italian community dedicated to point-and-click adventures.
But wait—there's more! Stefano hosted a workshop on how to create an adventure game from scratch. To his great joy (and slight panic), the room filled up with young, curious faces eager to learn the tricks of the trade. It was a powerful reminder: adventure games are alive and kicking, and a new generation is ready to pick up the torch.
A Dream Come True: Meeting Charles Cecil But nothing—nothing—could have prepared Stefano for what happened next. At Comicon, he finally met his all-time hero: Charles Cecil, the brilliant mind behind Broken Sword, the game that started it all for us. As a humble thank-you, Stefano gifted Charles a copy of The Hand of Glory, simply because the game wouldn’t exist without Broken Sword. Charles, along with his equally wonderful wife and business partner Noirin Carmody, turned out to be the kindest, most supportive people you could ever meet. It was an emotional moment. We didn't cry, but we really felt inclined to!
What’s Next? While May was a month of events and emotional milestones, June marks the return to development with renewed energy and inspiration. And yes—new scenes, new animations, and new surprises are cooking. But more on that in the next update!
Viva l’Avventura!
Update #20: Light, Pencil, Action!
about 1 year ago
– Mon, Apr 07, 2025 at 04:25:01 AM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
Update #19: End-of-Year Update!
over 1 year ago
– Wed, Dec 25, 2024 at 03:08:08 AM
Hello Adventurers!
We hope this update finds you well. It’s been an exciting year for Roots in the Sky, and we’re thrilled to share some big news about our progress. Let’s dive right in!
Alpha Complete!
That’s right, we’ve officially reached a major milestone: the alpha version of the game is complete. This means you can now play Roots in the Sky from start to finish—a huge step forward in development!
And about that, Here’s where we stand with the game’s development:
We know some of these numbers might make it seem like there’s still a ton to do. But rest assured, we’ve already tackled the most time-consuming parts of the project. The finish line is in sight!
New Scene Reveal
To celebrate the holidays, we’re giving you a sneak peek at a brand-new scene! We’re showing it off in both its daytime and nighttime glory—because why not? This is just one of the many new assets we’ve been working on, and trust us, there’s plenty more where that came from.
Also, we have a little graphic surprise in the works! We’re putting the finishing touches on an additional feature that we think will make the game even more exciting, but we want to test it thoroughly before sharing it with you. We can’t wait to reveal it in the next update, so stay tuned!
Looking Ahead to 2025
Our top priority for the new year? Releasing Roots in the Sky! While we’re not ready to commit to a specific date just yet, we can promise you this: the game will launch in 2025. Mark your calendars… or, well, just keep an eye on these updates.
As for now... happy holydays!
Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, ringing in the New Year, or just enjoying the season, we wish you all the best. Thank you for your unwavering support—it means the world to us. Here’s to an amazing 2025 filled with adventure!
Viva l'avventura!
Update #18: Kinesics Evolution
over 1 year ago
– Thu, Nov 07, 2024 at 08:59:52 AM
Hey there, everybody!
It’s been a while since our last update, so we thought we’d share something exciting with you! Today, we’re diving into what we’ve been working on, with a special focus on – drum roll – our heroine, Alice!
Alice is back, different yet familiar
Unlike Lars, Alice’s model didn’t require a complete overhaul, as it was already well-crafted in the first game. We did make a few tweaks to her look, though! Notably, her signature tuft that used to cover one eye is gone. This change isn’t just cosmetic; it has narrative significance. If you played The Hand of Glory and know the reason behind her original hairstyle, Roots in the Sky might reveal why we decided to make this adjustment.
Naturally, Alice’s outfit has also evolved to reflect her new role. Without giving away too much, let’s just say Alice isn’t an intern anymore, and her appearance had to convey her personal growth.
Additionally, we addressed a detail that felt a bit off in the first game: our main characters wore the same outfit the entire time. This time, like Lars, Alice will change outfits as she travels around the world!
A heroine and her superpower
The Alice we met in the first game was a sweet, slightly shy character, but with an undeniable talent. She’s tenacious, competent, reliable, and, most importantly, she knows how to use kinesics!
For those unfamiliar, kinesics is the study of body language, gestures, and facial expressions as a form of nonverbal communication. Alice uses this skill to question suspects and uncover hidden clues.
We’ve brought this power back for the second installment but didn’t want to simply replicate the first game. So, without further ado, here’s the new and improved kinesics mechanic!
One challenge we faced designing the kinesics feature in the first game was that kinesics is inherently a synchronous activity. You’re supposed to observe a person in real-time, catching subtle body language cues. In the original game, however, this process was entirely automated, leaving players only to draw conclusions based on Alice’s observations.
For the sequel, we want you to engage in the entire process. We’ve added an initial interactive phase where, during specific dialogues, you’ll need to quickly respond to particular cues, allowing Alice to take note of them.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We know that some of you may not love quick-time events, but trust us: this really works! And most importantly, accessibility is one of our core values for Roots in the Sky, so you’ll have the option to select the difficulty level for this phase!
After completing Phase 1, you’ll see the results of your observations. This part will feel familiar to players of the first game: for each observation, you’ll need to choose a possible interpretation.
Is it the same as before? Not exactly! We’ve made two key improvements. First, you might now draw incorrect conclusions if the selected elements form a plausible—though ultimately unhelpful—train of thought. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, you’ll see a transcription of the dialogue that led Alice to each observation, giving you all the context you need to make informed conclusions!
The keyword here is EVOLUTION, while keeping the core of the mechanic intact. We hope you enjoy our ideas and execution, and we can’t wait for you to try it!
Castile Folklore and More!
To wrap up this update, we wanted to share another fantastic Kickstarter campaign that launched just a few days ago: Legends of Castile by Torrezno Entertainment!
Step into the shoes of María de Salazar and investigate the mythical creatures spotted around Castile, embarking on an epic journey through folklore and legends!
And that’s it for this update! Let us know in the comments what you think of the new kinesics mechanic, or feel free to share any thoughts you have! Until next time!
Viva l'avventura!
Update #17: Italian Section Complete and Desert Adventures Await!
over 1 year ago
– Mon, Aug 19, 2024 at 08:59:25 AM
Hello, dear backers!
Whether you're on vacation, have already been, or are still planning to go, we wanted to keep you company this scorching summer with a themed update!
Let’s dive into what we’ve been up to these past few months and what’s coming next.
Italy's section: it's-a-done!
Let’s start from the beginning. In the spring, Stefano focused on writing the final texts for the first part of the game, set in Rome. It’s a rich and complex section, full of places to explore and suspects to interrogate, but he managed to get it done (and celebrated for a full three minutes before getting back to work)!
The texts are currently under review. Starting in September, we will begin localization into English, followed by voice acting.
Beach or mountain? Nah, desert!
Finishing the Italian section allowed us to shift our full attention to the more adventurous part of the game—traveling! We decided to start with Alice to take a break from Lars’s jovial antics. Our young and promising detective will be dealing with an intriguing excavation in the desert, where a mysterious idol has recently been discovered. Here’s a sneak peek just for you!
One of the things we enjoy most about development is creating characters, both psychologically and visually. We’ll discuss the psychological aspect in a future update, but for now, we want to show you some of the characters Alice will interact with.
And of course, there are animations, which, as you know, are one of our passions. Enjoy this cute camel with its jaw always in action!
Estimated Release
Many of you have asked if we’ve set a tentative release date for the game, and unfortunately, we can’t provide a precise answer just yet. Please keep in mind that Roots in the Sky is developed by just three people, who also need to work to make a living.
We’re currently aiming for a release in Q1 2025, but don’t take it as a definite date. We’re doing our best, and believe us, we’re just as eager to let you try out our creation!
That’s all for this update. We hope you enjoyed the new material! Again, happy summer to everyone!
