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Adventure

Walking simulator

An adventure where you wander a place at your own pace, usually in first person, and uncover a story through what you see, read and hear. There is no combat and no way to lose; the interest lies in exploring and interpreting.

Also known as: walking sim, narrative exploration game, exploration game

This is a basic entry: it has the definition and the classification. Full entries add history, games and a demo.

History

  1. 2008
    Origin

    Dear Esther came out in 2008 as a free mod for the Source engine and was remade as a commercial game in 2012. There were 1980s forerunners such as The Forest for the ZX Spectrum.

    Dear Esther (Wikipedia)
  2. 2012

    The commercial release of Dear Esther is a breakout hit that popularises the modern walking simulator.

    Walking simulator (Wikipedia)
  3. 2013

    Gone Home, The Stanley Parable and Proteus establish the style as a recognisable genre.

    Walking simulator (Wikipedia)