AIQS Workbook Fall 2026 (2:45 Section)

Paraphrasing Group 1

1. “We embrace the term ‘walking simulator,’ however, for its connection to the outsider tradition of reclaiming slurs as proud labels; for its unambiguous association with a particular kind of game (compared to less-specific alternatives); but most importantly for the way it foregrounds what these games make visible: a certain pace of storytelling, driven by navigation through an environment and without the frustrating challenges of other styles of gaming (including their ancestor, the adventure game)”  (Reed et al. 117)

In the chapter "Gone Home? Walking Simulators and the Importance of Slow Gaming", Reed et al. argues that labelling games as "walking simulators" is good because it allows any negative associations with the label to be positively redefined and it highlights the specific style of these games.  This label emphasizes the slower pace of these games and describes the unique way these games are played via exploration of environments without traditional gameplay challenges (Reed et al. 117).  Gone Home is an exemplar of these features, as it relies on the player exploring an environment and piecing together clues at their own pace to tell the story, with the challenges lying in the player drawing their own conclusions rather than any typical gameplay challenges. 

 

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