Rosewater is a point-and-click adventure game developed by Grundislav Games. The game tells the story of Harley Leger, a freelance writer who travels to the frontier town of Rosewater in an alternate history version of the American West. It is set in the same world as the studio's previous game, Lamplight City.
The game was announced March 12th, 2019[1] and features the voices of Greg Chun, Roger Clark, Neil Ross, Maya Murphy and more.[2] It was released March 27, 2025.[3]
Plot
The game focuses on Harley Leger (voiced by Maya Murphy[4]), who arrives at the town of Rosewater to start a job in journalism, but an interview with a wild west legend named Gentleman Jake (voiced by Gavin Hammon) has her joining the hunt for a lost fortune.[5]
Development
Rosewater is set within the universe of Lamplight City, as the game's designer, Francisco González, wanted to explore more of that game's world.[6] He began thinking of the game during Lamplight City's development, deciding on creating the "complete opposite" of its industrial setting with a rural, wide-open space, settling on the American West.[7] However, the game didn't enter production until January 2019.[8]
Unlike Lamplight City, Rosewater uses a traditional point-and-click adventure game inventory system.[9]Rosewater uses a higher resolution (1280× 720) than González's previous games,[5][9] although it shares their engine, Adventure Game Studio.[10]
González worked as a designer, writer, artist, and programmer on the game, rotoscoping the animations.[11] Jess Haskins, an adjunct game design professor at the NYU Game Center,[12] co-wrote it.[9]
Reception
Rosewater received generally positive reviews, scoring 83% on Metacritic.[13]Vice said the game brings "the technical polish of today’s age while retaining an old-school charm," adding: "If you’re looking for a charming, dynamic adventure through the Western Frontier, strap in those boots and saddle up" and giving it a Highly Recommended verdict.[14]
Rock Paper Shotgun was more ambivalent about the game, praising it but criticising its adherence to point-and-click adventure game formulas: "It’s one of those games that, if I had played it from the dusty disk drive of my parents’ Dell Inspiron circa 2010, I would think about it once every couple of weeks. In a decade of updates to point-and-click formulas, Rosewater refuses to update basically anything, for better and for worse."[15]
PC Gamer described Rosewater as a “worthwhile journey” with “genuine charm,” praising its Western steampunk setting and narrative. While adhering to traditional point-and-click mechanics, it was noted for offering fresh ideas and a strong lead character.[16]Yahoo! praised the game's “compelling story,” “memorable characters,” and atmospheric steampunk Western setting, but noted some pacing issues.[17]Adventure Game Hotspot praised Rosewater for its “authentic-feeling Western” atmosphere, strong production values, and player-driven branching storylines, writing, "The wait for its release was clearly worth it, as this is masterful, cinematic storytelling, where the journey and evolving camaraderie are more important than the destination." It added, however, that there was little complexity or challenge to the puzzles.[18]
Adventure Gamers gave the game a glowing, five-star review, calling it a "modern classic...an experience that players will remember long after the game is over."[19]RPGFan called it an "excellent Western point-and-click adventure," noting "minor bugs" and a "linear quest" as cons but concluding it was an "excellent Western point-and-click adventure."[20]
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