'Below the Root is an adventure game released in 1984 by Windham Classics, a division of Spinnaker Software. It is based on the Green Sky trilogy, published between 1975 and 1979 by Zilpha Keatley Snyder.
Below the Root is an adventure game released in 1984 by Windham Classics, a division of Spinnaker Software.It is titled after Below the Root, the first of the Green Sky Trilogy of novels, written by Zilpha Keatley Snyder and published between 1975 and 1977.
733 likes 1 talking about this. This is an Unofficial fan page for those who have played and love or even hate this game. All images are copyrighted (Please tell me if you would.
Below the Root is both forgiving and demanding. It gives you a generous 50 in-game days to save Green-Sky, allowing you plenty of time to explore and get lost. At the same time, it demands precise movement through the treetops, punishing you with a long fall to the bottom if you take a wrong step.

Below the root level editor. During regular gameplay, when you use the Kiniport skill, the little square that appears is the same as the level editor square. This means that the level editor's code is actually used during the game, and is therefore probably in the Apple II and PC versions as well.

Below The Root

Below The Root

DOS - 1984

Also available on: Commodore 64 - Apple II

4.3 / 5 - 56 votes

Description of Below The Root

I discovered this game on a Commodore 64 site about 13 years after its release, but I sure am glad I did! Below the Root is an epic fantasy adventure with some RPG flavor that is truly one of its kind.

As one of three possible characters, you must save the 'treehouse' world from certain destruction. From Matthew Murray's thoughtful review of the game:

'As another interesting game from Windham Classics, Below the Root is far more original than Alice in Wonderland, since the story is devised completely from scratch, with few real ties to the series of books on which it is based. You can choose one of five characters, each of whom has different skills and levels of magical powers, which make the game easier or more difficult. Each of the games is otherwise the same, however.

For originality, Windham Classics deserves high marks, though the execution is far poorer. There is little direction in this game, and the series of books it is based on, unlike the other games from Windham Classics, are hardly famous reading material. The endgame is also very difficult, and requires too much time and exploration to be the exciting ending it should be. A good game, but designed primarily for the young and patient who are willing to replay the game the numerous times that may be required.'

My impression of the game is a bit more impressive than Matt's, since I believe that the vast and unique gameworld that requires intensive exploration is one of the game's strongest points. But it does require a lot of patience to solved, so be warned. With unique atmosphere and NPCs, non-linear path, and a truly vast gameworld, this is really one of the games dying for a facelift. Two thumbs up!

Review By HOTUD

Captures and Snapshots

Screenshots from MobyGames.com

Comments and reviews

jaggz2020-09-071 point

Many wanted to play this, so I made a video showing how to get it running in an emulator. I used the Vice emulator.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJiRl61fgts

Roadrunner2020-06-210 point DOS version

Does anyone still have this game on 5 1/4' floppy disk. I just got a Tandy 1000 and wish I still had the game.

Neric Generic2020-02-23-1 point DOS version

This was the first game I ever played on a PC, back in 86. I fell in love with it, and would love to play it again, but I cannot get this emulator to work on either my Windows 10 machine or my old Windows 7. Download or browser play, neither work. I even tried the Apple version with no luck. Any advice?

DaleBryTheScienceGuy2020-02-140 point Commodore 64 version

Below The Root, is a fantasy, role-playing game; one, of the very first, of its kind!
I began playing this game, back in 1992, after having discovered it for sale, at $7 - at a local gas station! Much thought was put into this, and this becomes obvious, throughout the gameplay. It took me around 5 months to solve (with lots of interruptions, by real life!), the GreenSky 'quest'....
Around my 4th month, my 5 year old son, Aaron, sat down, at my primary Commodore 64, one afternoon - and solved the game in under 15 minutes!! I was stunned. STUNNED!
I don't know how he did it, as, I wasn't watching, most of that 15 minutes....
But, after a few minutes of play, you really get into the game: discovering new people, both, friend, and foe; new places, habitats, new tools, food, etc. I actually began drawing my own map of the tree-tops, the ground area, the root areas, and, ultimately, what was below the root area.
Below The Root is a game I'll always remember. The 8-bit graphics, are, well - 8-bit. So what? The gameplay negates all of that. There is a pleasant, hopeful, theme song to help you along, at certain points in the play.
Out of 5 stars (divided!), I would rate this game a '4.8'! I'll never forget it, and neither will Aaron! (Who now works for NBC Boston/NECN, as a meteorologist!)

Trisha2019-12-300 point DOS version

I played this game all the time as a kid and was so excited to find it here to download! But unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I did everything right with dosbox but it just wouldn't run. Even after running the directory and finding the file, when typing it in, it would just restate the directory name. Bummer!

Lenni2019-03-040 point

One of the best game I had on Apple IIe.
I established the map, it was very big, about 500 screens.
We need to make the map to understant and win the game.
Very interesting !

Tom2015-10-030 point

Here's a similar game Phoenotopia. The sleeping music reminded me of Below The Root. http://armorgames.com/play/16093/phoenotopia

Hoytman2015-05-031 point DOS version

Wow, played this game back in school. Great find!

Skully2015-03-03-2 points DOS version

Is there anything around on modern consoles that mirror this, loved, loved, loved this game as a kid on the good old 64

Ty2014-07-292 points DOS version

Thank you, thank you, thank you.....this was the first game I every purchased as a kid and played it through to the end countless times.....what a blast from the past!! Love this game!

Jackie2014-06-150 point DOS version

I played this game when it came out. Loved it!

Eyal2014-04-150 point DOS version

...

Boleros2014-02-201 point DOS version

To play this game and many of the ' ancient' Dos Games in modern computers, you need to use a softwsre calle DosBox, It emulates the MS-DOS Operative System.
You only need to download it from:
http://www.dosbox.com
You install It, the there will be an DosBox icon in your Dektop, then You only need to open your game directory and drag the main file exe to the DosBox icon in your desktop.
Some keys:
Control+F11 to decrease the cycles or the Mhz of the emulated Ms-Dos
Control+F12 to increase the cycles or the Mhz of the emulated Ms-Dos.
Alt+Enter to fullscreen.
Read the FAQ in tho Dos Box web page.

Games Like Below The Root

valdecir2014-01-270 point DOS version

legal

wolf2013-09-231 point DOS version

This was the first game I bought when I was a kid. Very much ahead of its time. An obscure but noteworthy classic.
Notes: Win7 x64: You may need to la

Below The Root Game