It was an interesting experience! I am impressed by the world you created and how it feels both magical and somehow realistic. Though it is mostly a text game, it is easy to get immersed in the surreal atmosphere the beetles created.
Some comments that I'd like to give on the gameplay and overall impression:
- I was very intrigued by the game's description (especially this "human being underground for centuries" part), but as you are playing the game it is stated very briefly. I believe it would be cool to have some time to realise the current state of events while you are actually in the game, like communicating with other people at first or maybe doing some everyday tasks before following the roots. It would give a better contrast between the current life of the civilization and your journey and allow you get immersed faster/better,
- I think that the game raises many interesting topics, and sometimes I was a bit overwhelmed by them as it was a little too much to comprehend for a short game. I usually tried to follow the main character's thoughts or conversations and was always a bit too slow :D As there was not enough time for me to process all the topics that were discussed and it would be really great to have this time. I would prefer to focus on one problem/topic to be able to think about it myself while reading about my character's experience. At times it felt like I had to choose an answer just because I want to proceed, not because I actually contemplated what was happening :D This was probably the main issue for me as I couldn't fully get the experience I was offered here,
- I am not 100% sure that plant growth works as a theme here, maybe it was a bit too subtle if you take into account the main focus of the game,
- I liked the illustrations and the visual style, but would probably prefer that the dialogue texts were in the same font - as they were also in different colours, that would be enough to differentiate them,
- This might be a totally personal issue, but the rotating scene got me dizzy after some time :D I liked how you used the effects in the game, but this one was a bit too powerful for me haha.
All in all, I believe this is a decent entry! And the plot is quite unique :)