The First Tree
A beautiful, 3rd-person exploration game centered around two parallel stories: a fox trying to find her missing family, and a young couple dealing with a tragedy in their own. Uncover artifacts from the young couple's life as they too become intertwined in the fox's journey towards The First Tree.
What it feels like
The parallel narratives and artifacts invite reflection on loss, connection, and meaning rather than action. The parallel stories of loss, longing, and reconnection carry both sorrow and hope intertwined. The handling of family bonds and reconnection treats its subjects with warmth and gentleness.
What it's about
The fox's pilgrimage to The First Tree and the son's reconnection with his father form transformative journeys that anchor the experience. Both stories center on family bonds—the fox seeking her missing family and the son reconnecting with his estranged father. Both the fox's search for family and the couple's tragedy dealing with loss are central emotional subjects.
How it plays
Exploring and uncovering artifacts woven into the world is a core interaction loop. Listed as Platform genre; exploration of 3D terrain likely includes jumping and traversal.
How it looks and sounds
Explicitly described as a 3rd-person exploration game. Described as beautiful and colorful with nature-focused visuals; hand-drawn or painterly aesthetic fits the contemplative tone. Described as beautiful and colorful in both official and user descriptions.
How it's structured
Single-player only, no multiplayer component mentioned across any platform. A bounded, authored narrative arc following two intertwined stories with a definite narrative endpoint at The First Tree. Open-world exploration allows player-chosen order of discovery, though within a shaped narrative framework.
Kindred games
Shares Third-Person, Journey & Pilgrimage, Contemplative, Environmental Puzzles.
Both lean into Single-Player, Third-Person, Campaign, Journey & Pilgrimage.
Shares Contemplative, Grief & Loss, Hand-Drawn 2D, Melancholic.
Both lean into Single-Player, Contemplative, Grief & Loss, Hand-Drawn 2D.
Shares Contemplative, Family, Grief & Loss, Third-Person.
Both lean into Single-Player, Campaign, Contemplative, Family.
See all games like The First Tree →
Closest hidden gems
A lesser-known kindred — Grief & Loss, Hand-Drawn 2D, Contemplative, Bittersweet. 95% positive across 4,380 Steam reviews.
Both lean into Single-Player, Campaign, Grief & Loss, Hand-Drawn 2D.
A lesser-known kindred — Grief & Loss, Third-Person, Bittersweet, Contemplative. 87% positive across 4,685 Steam reviews.
Both lean into Single-Player, Grief & Loss, Campaign, Bittersweet.
A lesser-known kindred — Third-Person, Environmental Puzzles, Journey & Pilgrimage, Platforming. 85% positive across 4,626 Steam reviews.
Both lean into Single-Player, Third-Person, Campaign, Environmental Puzzles.