How to Make a Better Walking Simulator

Every so often there's a game, genre, or design trend that gets people into an uproar decrying its existence. In recent years, one such example of this has been the pejoratively christened "Walking Simulator". Games like Dear Esther, Gone Home, and others have fallen under the basilisk gaze of this group of people as they pour down their scorn upon them. "This isn't a real game!" "All I'm doing is walking around!" "I'm so angry about this that I am going to buy this game on Steam specifically so that I can give it a bad user review!" (Wut?) They're not a large group of people, but they are a vocal one and they want other aficionados of the medium to understand the depths of their disdain.

To these people, I say, "Not so fast!" As tempting as it may seem to think otherwise, your much abhorred sub genre could contain such massive veins of untapped potential that should someone come along and find a way to properly utilize them Walking Simulators could be catapulted to the forefront of gaming. I plan to prove this with three examples of games that could make the genre something that could stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Grand Theft Auto, Minecraft, and Call of Duty. While they may not exist now, all it takes is someone with a dream and a can-do attitude, and one day Walking Simulators will rule all of our hearts.

You Are: That Guy...

There's no denying that mobile phones have changed society forever. The way they help people stay in touch, the plethora of apps, texting, maps, visiting random sites during the commute, they really are a wonder of technology. Unfortunately, there is one major drawback to the devices: sometimes they're almost too engaging for some. So enthralled are they that these people are compelled to continue texting, updating their Facebook status, and so forth even while walking down the street, inevitably bumping into people, almost causing an accident, and miraculously not falling into open manholes. In this game you are that guy. That's right. You. Jerk.

In That Guy, about 80% of the screen will be used for the cell phone with the top 20% for seeing the actual world around you. Players will be expected to reply to texts in a timely manner, update their social media, double check the start times for movies, make reservations at restaurants, watch videos of cats that their friends send them, and all of the usual stuff people do on their phones. All the while, you must still be acutely aware of your surroundings. Look out, here comes a dog that's off it's leash, get away but don't forget to email Sarah. Be sure to check your map so you can find that bar your meeting your friends at, but also try not to trip over that woman that just went into labour in front of you.

There would even be opportunities for moral choices that significantly change the direction that the game goes in. Do you text back your clingy, needy significant other, or do a solid for the guy who just had a heart attack next to you and call him an ambulance? Do you let that senior borrow your phone so she can wish her grandson a happy birthday or pretend to not notice her while you hammer out a few more levels on your mobile RPG and listen to some music? These are the sort of important decisions you'll be faced with while playing That Guy.

If there was any justice, this game would leap to the top of the charts. More importantly, it would help teach people to at least be better at walking around with their faces buried in their phones without bumping into people in real life. In time it would grow beyond simply being a game but also a learning tool.

Gentleman Walker

Games that take place in a Victorian England setting have been pretty popular for the last few years. Top hats, monocles, walking sticks, haberdasheries, what's not to like? Something where you walk around the streets of London as an English Gentleman during the 1880s seems like a no-brainer.

Obviously, it would be open world with players deciding where they would like to walk and exude their gentlemanly je ne sais quoi. (Well, don't put it like that. You'll be docked points for saying something suspiciously French, an act that your English counterparts simply won't tolerate.) Will you strut through the theater district? Perhaps see the sights at Piccadilly Circus? If you go to Victoria Station you can give people directions while using your walking stick for big points and a possible new high score, as one of the most challenging things in the game is to combine these with a gracious, gentlemanly saunter.

Of course, there will be obstacles in the way of being the most respectable of walkers. You'll need to be wary of people riding the old time bicycles with the big front wheel, checking your watch to make sure you're punctual for engagements, avoiding the press gangs, and then there are the street urchins. So many street urchins. What will you do with these wretches? Shoo them away with your cane? Give them a good kick? Hire them for your textile factory? Maybe slip them a shilling when your friends aren't looking? It's entirely up to you.

I can't see how this game wouldn't be a hit, especially with online competitive multiplayer to see who is the gentlemanliest gentleman in all the boroughs. There could even be expansions like Gentleman Walker Goes to Belgium (But They Seem So French!), Gentleman Walker Meets an American, and Gentleman Walker vs. The Kaiser. Really, that such a game does not yet exist seems almost criminal.

Gotta Go!

At one point or another in our lives most of us have probably been in this situation. You're just out and about doing your errands for the day, maybe doing some shopping, or heading to the library when all of a sudden your stomach gives a little gurgle and you know that you need to find yourself a bathroom. Fast.

This is the premise of Gotta Go!. Mother nature has given you a call and you simply have to accept the charges, and you'd better hurry. Now, the tempting thing here is to assume that this is actually a running game and not a Walking Simulator, but the key to winning in this game is maintain a sense of decorum. You can't have people see you sprinting, hands on your bottom. The first thing they're going to think is, "Boy! That guy really needs to take a shit!" Points in game will be docked for stuff like this.

There would be multiple maps in urban settings and points would be awarded depending on how nonchalant the player is, how quickly they find a bathroom, and how luxurious it is. If you casually walk into the Savoy in under five minutes to do your business, expect to get a very high score. However, should you sprint to the closest gas station, you're score will be significantly less.

Players will be faced with countless obstacles such as red lights at crosswalks, line ups at the washroom, representatives from charity groups asking for a moment of your time, tourists in need of directions, and so much more that will try to get between you and sweet relief. The Gotta Go! Meter is flashing red so you better hurry, but don't run. You've already used your three Super Clenches for this stage, so that meter isn't going to wait much longer before it's game over. Sure, you could try and explore the level to find more clenches hidden through the area but that's going to be risky.

Over time, map packs could be released for fans to try their luck in new locales. Visit all of your favorite cities from around the world: The Big Apple, romantic Paris, exotic Japan, and so much more. You won't have time to take in the painstakingly detailed environments given the circumstances, but this game's going international. It makes things even more tense when visiting a part of the world where you can't even ask directions because you don't speak the language. I see no reason why Gotta Go! couldn't be the game that everyone's gotta get.

So there you have it, folks. Three excellent examples of how Walking Simulators could work. Don't be so hasty to dismiss these things. They've still got a ton of potential. It's just a matter of finding people who want to make these ideas a reality.