STORY EVENT · COMMON
Reached 18 but nothing happened?
If your counter changed to 18/33, your previous answers were accepted. The next story progression is tied to the phone.
PROGRESS TROUBLESHOOTER
Stuck in The Roottrees Are Dead?
Tell us what's going wrong. We'll help isolate the actual blocker instead of making you recheck everything.
What's Going Wrong?
Pick the symptom that fits. You do not need to know which stage the game calls it.
Common Base Game Stuck Points
MISSING RELATIVES
Only missing a few relatives?
Check which late-game evidence chains you've completed and isolate the branch you're missing instead of rechecking the entire family tree.
FINAL PROGRESSION
Reached 49/49 but Top Secret didn't appear?
Separate a progression problem from a Top Secret puzzle problem.
Roottreemania Stuck Help
The batch won't lock
A batch needs four correct entries below 20 locked relatives and five from 20 onward.
Inconsistencies didn't appear
That section opens after the Roottreemania chart is complete, not at a set relative count.
The final phase makes no sense
Once the re-check is done, the closing candidates are chosen rather than searched for.
Why Won't My Family Tree Lock?
A batch closes only once it holds enough completed entries. In the Base Game that is 3 correct entries below 33 locked relatives, and 4 from there. Roottreemania wants 4 below 20 and 5 from 20 onward.
Missing a Portrait?
Tessa Roottree
Roottree Motors 3
Periodicals
Butler County Times
Roottree Motors
Why Isn't My Search Working?
Where are you searching?
Looking for Chris's photos and Cousins puzzles?
ChrisRaff75
Why Won't My Progress Increase?
What did you just fill in?
What Evidence Am I Missing?
Have these?
Need Another Tool?
Stuck FAQ
Partner and non-blood slots belong on the complete family tree, but they do not increase the 49-relative story-progress counter. Only correct main ChartPoints move 9 / 18 / 33 / 49. Check the Family Tree →
If the meter changed to 18, the game already accepted those answers. The next story beat is The Phone Rings — not another ordinary visitor. Fix 18/33 →
The last gaps are almost always a late evidence chain (Ronald / Penelope, Roottree Motors, James / Diamond), not a hole in the early tree. Find the last relatives →
49 correct main ChartPoints should make the hidden section available. If Top Secret never appears, that's a progression trigger. If it appeared, that's the puzzle — not the meter. Fix 49/49 →
You may be in the wrong engine, or using the full name when the route wants a handle. Tessa is Periodicals. Chris's Cousins photos use ChrisRaff75, not the full name. Open Search Terms →
A batch locks on completed entries, not just on names. The Base Game needs 3 correct entries below 33 locked relatives and 4 from there, and every blood entry also needs its portrait and occupation. Check the batch →
Yes. Below 20 locked relatives a Roottreemania batch needs 4 correct entries; from 20 onward it needs 5. Check the Roottreemania batch →
No. A recovered spouse entry is checked on the person alone, so the portrait and occupation requirements used for blood entries do not apply. Open the Roottreemania chart →