Publisher: The Chinese Room
Developer: The Chinese Room
Year: 2012
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS

Rating: 4

Released just a month before Journey, Dear Esther is often considered the OG of walking simulators (even though it isn’t) and is similar insofar as there is little to do outside of walking and experiencing the story. Unfortunately, a questionable storytelling mechanic severely mars this otherwise gorgeous trip.

Publisher: 11 bit studios
Developer: Starward Industries
Year: 2023
Platform: Windows, PS5, Xbox Series

Rating: 5

Based on the 1963 hard science fiction novel by Polish writer Stanislaw Lem, The Invincible is the first game by Polish indie developer Starward Industries. A walking simulator with eleven possible endings based on choices you make, this game does a fine job at honoring the spirit of hard science fiction, while unfortunately allowing the game to be slower-paced than actually reading the novel.

Publisher: Campo Santo
Developer: Campo Santo
Year: 2016
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, PS4, XBox One, XBox Series, Switch

Rating: 5

A quite common theme with lower-budget indie developers when it comes to three-dimensional gaming is the general lack of NPC interaction. I get the reasons why but it often limits the scope of the narrative. Suspense is often a theme of these types of games as the player’s isolation is highlighted by finding cryptic notes and mysterious situations highlighted by spooky sounds and a haunting soundtrack. Gone Home subverted the player by pretending it was horror when it turned out to be anything but. Firewatch does deliver some earned suspense along the way, but similarly and disappointingly negates the player’s experience at the end.

Developer: Fullbright Company
Publisher: Fullbright Company
Year: 2017
Platform: Windows, Xbox One, PS4, Linux, Mac, Luna

Rating: 5

I am a sucker for games about abandoned science stations. So needless to say I was delighted firing up Tacoma, where you must explore an abandoned space station to collect all the data on what went wrong. And while the plot mechanic remains engaging throughout, unfortunately the story holds no surprises.

Developer: Freebird
Publisher: Freebird
Year: 2011
Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Switch, tvOS

Rating: 6

The ending isn’t any more important than the events leading up to it.

To the Moon is near highly regarded and nearly every review you’ll see is from a dude who cried or became otherwise really emotional while played. While it didn’t hit me as much as most, it is indeed a lovely little interactive story that just about anyone would enjoy.