10 articles in this issue
Sarah Stang
Walking Simulators Special Issue Editorial
Hugo Montembeault, M., Maxime Deslongchamps-Gagnon, M.
This article examines walking simulators through the lens of video game genre study. Following Arsenault’s (2011) thesis which theorized genre as the “temporary crystallization of a common cultural consensus” (pp. 333–334), it maps the shared horizon of e... see more
Felix Zimmermann, Christian Huberts
When Dear Esther (The Chinese Room, 2012) was released in 2012 as a standalone game, the new “walking simulator” genre name came into popular use. The term implies a banalization of game design while also missing the core characteristics of the games subs... see more
Caleb Andrew Milligan, Kyle Bohunicky
In this article, we address the histories and influences of reading and writing within the genre of digital games called “walking simulators.” Reading is framed as an activity separate from (and, sometimes, incompatible with) the set of actions afforded t... see more
Daniel Frank
In answer to calls for a 21st century reconsideration of traditional procedures of classroom writing, I offer student-created interactive fiction (IF) as a classroom exercise that blends digital literacy, games-based pedagogy, and writing practice. I find... see more
Dave Hawey, Alexandra Ferland-Beauchemin, Jocelyn Benoit
The aim of this paper is to contribute both theoretically and methodologically to discussions on walking simulator video games. We base our reflection on results grounded in a video game design project conducted as part of our master's thesis. Our researc... see more
Mark Tempini
Research has demonstrated the difficulty in achieving a balance with User Interfaces(UI) in games. Almost all large, nonlinear levels rely on UI practices outside level design in order to guide players. The use of nondiegetic UI can lower player immersion... see more
Andrew Remington Bailey
This paper looks at how the walking simulatorand artgame categories intersect, before comparatively analyzing two game designers whose work functions to disrupt the notions of genre these terms exemplify. The first work is Bill Viola’s The Night Journey (... see more
Hayley McCullough
Proponents of the walking simulator genre laud it for itscomplex storytelling. As Gohardani (2017) explains, walking simulators are “about dropping the player into an experience packed with ... a compelling narrative” (para. 5). In order to more fully und... see more
Dean Bowman
This article argues that—due to their lack of conformity to key characteristics of dominant videogame paradigms, particularly the violent competitiveness of “agonistic” play—the walking simulator is at the heart of a struggle over changing definitions and... see more