[Storyfags only] Best Walking Sims ?

[Spukrian]

As the name says, the main "gameplay" feature of these games is - well... that you walk around.
You may have some minimal interaction, but mostly it's just walking.

Well, in the game you mostly just walk around and read notes left by other people... and there is some some minimal interaction. Actually you're right, most of the time spent in the game is exploring to find secrets which upgrade your Stats.

 

[Neuromancer]

Yeah, but the genre is Walking Simulator, not Exploration Simulator.
In these games you don't really explore. You just walk on a more or less fixed path in one direction. Sometimes you can choose the right or left path or search a very small area.

And yes, you generally read lots of texts in these games (or texts are read fore you) and do minimal stuff like open doors and press some buttons.
If you have to eat stuff to survive, craft tools etc., that is already more than "minimal interaction" and out of scope for pure walking simulators.

And these games never have stats!
You cant even really die or loose. In the few rare cases, that there are death scenes, they are either scripted (especially at the end) or you just respawn shortly before that.


So you confirmed it: Solus Project is not a Walking Simulator.

Might still be a good game, of course. So thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Neuromancer]

P.S.: If you want to see, what a walking simulator is about (or more what it isn't), you can try "Dear Esther", which is basically the prototype that gave the genre its infamous name.

Or for a good Walking Simulator (which "Dear Esther" isn't) try "What Remains of Edith Finch", which is considered by many one of the best games from this genre.

 

[Spukrian]

I'll probably never try Dear Esther. I have a feeling that I won't like it.

I played Gone Home. I did not like it, I found the story to be boring and uninteresting.

I also played Tacoma. It's better than Gone Home, the story is more interesting and the gameplay is more involving. But I can't really say that I liked either.

Walking simulators probably aren't for me. But I have The Vanishing of Ethan Carter in my library, so I guess I'll play that eventually.

 

[rohand]

I recommend the Enigma Machine

 

[AN4RCHID]

Dear Esther is the embodiment of the worst of walking sims. Totally linear, snails-pace movement, drab environments, and a story that is fully up its own ass.

Ethan Carter is worth a try though.

 

[pickmeister]

Stanley Parable was funny. Had a good time with it.

Firewatch is excellent. But I may biased, as I pirated it after seeing how whiny the devs are.
In any case, the hiking around Noth American forests was extremely enjoyable. The ending does feel a bit anticlimactic but I recommend watching the following video after finishing.
Beware, there's a spoiler right in the video title, in case you're planning on playing that.

Spoiler

Ethan Carter is a mixed bag. I liked the exploration, the detective work but the story and horror elements were kinda meh.

 

[pakoito]

I played Alba: a Wildlife Story and it was mellow fun.

 

[Spukrian]

Ethan Carter is a mixed bag. I liked the exploration, the detective work but the story and horror elements were kinda meh.

I got around to playing The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. I actually enjoyed it. The horror elements where not particularly scary, but I don't think they were meant to be either...

 

[wishbonetail]

The Medium. You may call it light adventure. The only mechanics there is traversing through mirrors, which was borrowed from SilentHillOrigins. Faithfull 3D adaptation of Beksinski's paintings, good plot actually, storyfags should be satisfied. Gameplay is not there as expected, it's more about overall mood.
Another one is Inside. Platformer with light puzzles here and there. Only thing you really do is holding directional buttons, so it can be fitted the discription of walksim. Again, the mood is superb and plot has something to think about.