While I think I get what people are referring to with the term "walking simulator", I just don't like that term. It sounds like a pejorative, akin to calling first-person shooting games "murder simulators", as some detractors have in the past. Nobody calls platforming games "jumping simulators" either, as has been pointed out. I mean "walking simulator" isn't an official genre description that's used on Wikipedia for any game, or example. The act of walking certainly doesn't capture what appeals to me about these types of games.
Anyway, I consider myself open-minded when it comes to game genres. I like lots of games falling into the exploration-based or story-driven adventure categories, definitely, especially as I get a little older and my reflexes stop being as sharp as they once were. Gone Home and a lot of the games people have mentioned here, including What Remains of Edith Finch, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Dear Esther, and Firewatch come to mind. The Stanley Parable, Oxenfree, and Virginia are other examples that I enjoy. (Well some people consider Oxenfree to fall into this genre anyway.) Oh yeah, and some people consider Death Stranding to fall into this genre too obviously (which is prolly the whole real reason this thread got posted today and not some other time) and I'm definitely enjoying that game so far. They're relaxing (except Death Stranding!), emotionally evocative (at least to me anyway), and I find that they're often quite meaningful games.
Last edited by Jaicee - on 10 November 2019
