STORY
The Winter Rose is an AGS point and click adventure game. It was made by BaRoN, and released on November 9th 2005.

The land used to be lush and peaceful. But then, an evil ice-dragon came, and brought a cold eternal winter to your peaceful land. The ice-dragon breathes a 'black fire', which instantly freezes his victims.

You are Rose, a brave young archer who must defeat the evil ice-dragon, and end his reign of terror.

GAMEPLAY
The game is controlled by various icons at the top of the screen. Just move your mouse up there to see them. The icons are Walk, Look, Get, Talk, etc. Move Rose by clicking on the Walk icon, then clicking anywhere on the screen, and Rose will walk to that area.  You can control the speed she walks at by using the icon at the top right of the screen.

One thing I like about this game was the 'Retry' feature. You die frequently in this game (don't worry, one of the puzzles is 'How To Stop Yourself Being Killed'). Instead of having to worry about that, and constantly saving your game, you are offered the 'Retry' option.

The author has put a lot of thought into the dialogue. Nearly everything you try will have a funny comment or pun. Try everything!

GRAPHICS
The backgrounds have been hand painted, giving the whole game a very 'arty' look.  The snow falling is very effective. You can see Rose's footsteps as she walks around, which is a lovely touch. One thing I did find disturbing is that Rose has no face. 

MUSIC AND SOUND EFFECTS
The music is nice, it does its job, but it's nothing special. The sound effects are funny.  The gnome's laughter is quite contagious, and the sound when you get the arrow is a classic. Even things like water bubbling in the springs and the gnome's horn are very good.

CHARACTERS
The characters are funny to talk to. Some are helpful and some are a hindrance. The sasquatch is my favourite. I'll let you discover the rest for yourself. 

SUMMARY
Overall, this is an enjoyable game. It is a bit short, but worth playing. The graphics are very 'arty', and the sound effects are amusing. Nice touches are Rose's footsteps, falling snow, and the gnome's laughter. Once you get used to Rose having no face, you will enjoy this game.

I give this game 3.2.