Road Not Taken is interesting
So far, I've logged only 4 hours and made it as far as level 6 before I fail my way out. I picked the game up on a sale, and will definitely be playing it more. To help anyone else who was on the fence about it, I decided to write my review.
Road not taken is a procedural puzzle game. In it, you are a ranger trying to save children, and getting them either to their parents or back to the mayor is your job. Getting them there is the puzzle.
The puzzles are generated procedurally, but they mostly seem to be solvable. That does not mean they are not sometimes frustrating, or that you cannot mess yourself up. You will occasionally make something you did not intend to, like combining spirits to make an evil spirit that chases you, but the worst frustration for me has been self inflicted from not thinking all the consequences of my actions through. Ultimately, it's the children who are going to suffer for it. I think that's what makes it so frustrating.
There is also a minor element of story telling, as you can woo one of the townspeople and develop a modest "relationship", but it is mostly transactional (you give them gifts, they give you gifts), and thus far the characters seem one dimensional. There seem to be a few different characters to choose from.
The main draw of this game would be the sometimes frustrating puzzle game at its center. The puzzles get pretty tricky, and making them harder on yourself by not thinking things through isn't going to help you. You're only required to save half the children each year, but as an in game ranger's guild sign found out in the wilderness says:
"The mayor will be happy if you save only half the children... but will you?"
If you can handle getting mad at the game or at yourself, and you can enjoy a game that is almost all puzzle, this one could be for you. I picked it up on sale, but I think this one is worth the full price.
Edit: While I originally thought the puzzles were completely procedural, it looks like only the arrangement of rooms really is. This game seems quite challenging and is downright frustrating at times, but I'd still recommend it.