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A walking simulator, shortened walking sim, is an
adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story, driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based m ...
that consists primarily of movement and environmental interaction. Walking sims sometimes include
puzzle A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to find the solution of the puzzle. There are differe ...
elements, and generally do not have combat mechanics or traditional win/lose scenarios. While these video game elements originated in the 1980s, the term began to be used pejoratively to refer to new games as walking simulators in the late 2000s, notably with '' Dear Esther''. The term was eventually used less pejoratively and adopted by
gamer A gamer is someone who plays interactive games, either video games, tabletop role-playing games, skill-based card games, or any combination thereof, and who often plays for extended periods of time. Originally a hobby, gaming has evolved in ...
s, while still being negatively perceived by some game developers and retaining negative
gameplay Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game. The term applies to both video games and Tabletop game, tabletop games. Gameplay is the connection between the player and the game, the player's overcoming of challenges, and t ...
connotation. Other descriptors have been commonly used for games of such style, including empathy, narrative, and exploration game. Such games are often a hallmark of
art game An art game (or arthouse game) is a work of Interactive art, interactive new media art, new media digital art, digital software art as well as a member of the "art game" subgenre of the serious game, serious video game. The term "art game" was ...
s, but some mainstream games have been described as having walking simulator elements. The central elements of walking simulators are controversial due to purported lack of challenge, and discontent of such games became common in the mid-to-late 2010s among "hardcore" gamers. However, the artistic aspects and emphasis on decision-making and morality are appreciated and remain popular across other video games.


Characteristics


Gameplay

Walking sims are centered around exploration, with the player being thrown into an unfamiliar environment that ranges from mundane to fantastical. The player uncovers aspects of that environment, gaining an understanding of who inhabits it and whether or not it is hostile. Most walking sims lack aspects such as combat,
strategy Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "troop leadership; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the " a ...
, or
economic systems An economic system, or economic order, is a system of production, resource allocation and distribution of goods and services within an economy. It includes the combination of the various institutions, agencies, entities, decision-making proces ...
. Most are also created by indie developers, although major titles such as '' Death Stranding'' have been referred to as walking sims. Walking sims sometimes include
horror game A horror game is a video game genre centered on horror fiction and typically designed to scare the player. The term may also be used to describe tabletop games with horror fiction elements. Unlike most other video game genres, which are classif ...
elements, adding tension to the exploration aspect. Though most
survival horror Survival horror is a Video game genre, subgenre of horror games. Although combat can be part of the gameplay, the player is made to feel less in control than in typical action games through limited ammunition or weapons, health, speed, and visio ...
games include combat and other actions the player can use to survive, some games–like '' Outlast'' and '' Paratopic''–remove combat abilities, which leaves the player without any means to otherwise react to events. These games can be seen as walking simulators as they help to create an emotional response in their narrative by removing player agency to react to frightening events, combined with the ability to insert visual and audio cues designed to frighten the player.


Naming

The name "walking simulator" often has negative connotations, implying that the
gameplay Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game. The term applies to both video games and Tabletop game, tabletop games. Gameplay is the connection between the player and the game, the player's overcoming of challenges, and t ...
is tedious and mundane. Critics, including
Gamergate Gamergate or GamerGate (GG) was a loosely organized online misogyny, misogynistic online harassment campaign motivated by a right-wing backlash against feminism, diversity, and progressivism in video game culture. It was conducted using the ...
proponents and "hardcore" gamers, contend that walking sims are not "real games", asserting that games must include some sort of challenge or fail condition and that under this definition walking sims do not qualify as games. Game developers–including Dan Pinchbeck, co-creator of '' Dear Esther''–reject this narrow definition in favor of a more expansive and inclusive one. The initially pejorative term "walking simulator" was later embraced by fans, going so far as to be used as a description tag to help users find similar games on the
Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
digital distribution service. The term is sometimes used in an
ironic Irony, in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what, on the surface, appears to be the case with what is actually or expected to be the case. Originally a rhetorical device and literary technique, in modernity, modern times irony has a ...
manner. For example, upcoming game ''Baby Steps'' by Bennett Fody has been described as a "literal walking simulator" because the character must directly control the character's legs. Fans and developers continue to debate whether the gaming community should continue to use the term, or switch to something else. Those in support point out the mental and health benefits of walking as a sign that it is not inherently derogatory as a genre label. Detractors characterize the label as dismissive and condescending, relating it to other insults like "
social justice warrior ''Social justice warrior'' (SJW) is a pejorative term and internet meme mostly used for an individual who promotes socially progressive, left-wing or liberal views, including environmentalism, affirmative action, gun control, single payer he ...
", although some have expressed a feeling of inevitability that it would continue to be used for the foreseeable future.


History

The first known walking simulator was an
indie game An indie video game or indie game (short for independent video game) is a video game created by individuals or smaller development teams without the financial and technical support of a large game publisher, in contrast to most "AAA" (triple-A ...
, ''The Forest'', developed as an
orienteering Orienteering is a group of sports that involve using a map and compass to navigation, navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specia ...
simulation by Graham Relf for the
ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. One of the most influential computers ever made and one of the all-time bestselling British computers, over five million units were sold. ...
in his spare time. Intended to be based around map-making and navigational skills, it allowed the player to navigate a vast virtual forest. It eventually received a commercial release, and was praised for its originality. A 1980s
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
successor, ''Explorer'', took place on a forested Earth-like planet and featured 40 billion procedurally generated individual locations, randomly combining graphical components. It also had a rudimentary combat system that allowed the player to shoot arrows at ghost-like creatures, as well as a form of fast travel via
teleportation Teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. It is a common subject in science fiction and fantasy literature. Teleportation is often paired with tim ...
. However, the game was poorly reviewed by most outlets due to its slow pace, calling it more of a
tech demo A technology demonstration (or tech demo), also known as demonstrator model, is a prototype, rough example or otherwise incomplete version of a conceivable product or future system, put together as proof of concept with the primary purpose of sho ...
than a fully-fledged video game. Both ''Explorer'' and its predecessor were therefore considered commercial failures. In 2003, '' omestic', an art game developed by Mary Flanagan, reused
first-person shooter A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a First person (video games), first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through t ...
environments to reconstruct a childhood memory of a fire. In 2012, '' Dear Esther'', a walking sim about exploring an unnamed island, was a breakout hit that popularized the modern incarnation of the walking simulator, receiving a large amount of positive critical acclaim. Despite receiving backlash, it was seen as a radical concept. It was directly followed by '' Gone Home'' in 2013, ''
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter ''The Vanishing of Ethan Carter'' is a 2014 horror adventure game, adventure video game developed and published by The Astronauts (company), The Astronauts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Gameplay ''The Vanishi ...
'' in 2014, and, later, ''
Firewatch ''Firewatch'' is an adventure game developed by Campo Santo (company), Campo Santo and published by the developer in partnership with Panic Inc., Panic. The game was released in February 2016 for Linux, OS X, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox ...
'' in 2016. Walking sims started to be recognized by critics, with three of the 2016 BAFTA Games Award winners being walking simulators. As walking sims rose in popularity, some gamers began to voice dissatisfaction with the emerging genre.
Gamergate Gamergate or GamerGate (GG) was a loosely organized online misogyny, misogynistic online harassment campaign motivated by a right-wing backlash against feminism, diversity, and progressivism in video game culture. It was conducted using the ...
, beginning in 2014, added momentum to claims that walking sims are too "feminine" or "political" because they are generally story-focused, do not contain player combat, and often deal with themes such as race, class, and identity. Beginning in the 2020s, several walking simulators that made use of the liminal space aesthetic were developed, including ''Anemoiapolis'' (2023), '' The Exit 8'' (2023) and '' Pools'' (2024). Walking simulations remain primarily a product of indie game developers. AAA studios have mostly refrained from creating walking sims, although there is a possibility that environments created for standard games could be reused without combat, as in the educational "Discovery Mode" of ''
Assassin's Creed Origins ''Assassin's Creed Origins'' is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the tenth major installment in the ''Assassin's Creed'' series and the successor to ''Assassin's Creed Syndicate'' (20 ...
'' and ''
Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...
''.


Reception

In 2017, Nicole Clark of '' Salon.com'' called walking sims "the most artful and innovative genre within video gaming", saying that it was "here to stay". In 2019, Rachel Watts of ''
PC Gamer ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games m ...
'' stated that walking sims "have challenged the way in how video games are played, experienced and defined", and that some of the criticism over their mechanics has begun to shift.


See also

*
Interactive storytelling Interactive storytelling (also known as interactive drama) is a form of digital entertainment in which the storyline is not predetermined. The author creates the setting, characters, and situation which the narrative must address, but the user ( ...
* Non-game *
Pace (narrative) In literature, pace or pacing is the speed at which a story is told—not necessarily the speed at which the story takes place. It is an essential element of storytelling that plays a significant role in maintaining reader interest, building tens ...
*
Visual novel A visual novel (VN) is a form of digital interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustratio ...
* Wikipedia category for walking simulator games


References


External links

* {{Video game genre 2010s controversies Adventure games First-person adventure games Video game genres