Road 96

Road 96 is a 2021 adventure video game developed by DigixArt. Set in the fictional authoritarian nation of Petria in Summer 1996, the player controls a series of nameless teenagers attempting to flee the country by reaching its northern border as political tensions rise with its upcoming election. The player navigates procedurally-generated journeys composed of various segments in different locations, traveling between them by walking, hitchhiking, or using vehicles including buses, cars, and taxis. In each, the player interacts with eight recurring non-playable characters and engages in minigames before resuming their journey. Each journey can end in success, arrest, or death, which in turn influences the narrative of subsequent runs. The game culminates on Petria's election day, in which the result is based on the player's actions throughout.

Road 96 was developed by DigixArt, with the goal of creating a narrative-driven adventure that offered a different experience with each playthrough. The team spent two years designing the storytelling system for the game's procedural structure. They drew inspiration from road trip films of the 1990s and the works of filmmakers like the Coen brothers, Bong Joon Ho, and Quentin Tarantino. Many characters were based on those from films and television from the 1980s and 1990s, and aspects of the gameplay, including escape methods, were inspired by real-life stories from people who lived behind the Iron Curtain. The development team of 15 sought to combine action, exploration, and human encounters, with each segment designed to last 30 to 50 minutes to emulate the feel of a television series.

The game was released on the Nintendo Switch and Windows on August 16, 2021, being published by the developer in partnership with Plug In Digital. It was later released for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S on April 14, 2022, by DigixArt and Ravenscourt. Road 96 received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its storytelling, characters, and soundtrack. Reviewers responded negatively to the game's handling of its political themes and occasional performance issues. A prequel, titled Road 96: Mile 0, was announced in January 2023 and was later released on April 4.