AIQS Workbook Spring 2026

Summarizing Walking Simulator

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)


Reed et al. propose that by removing the controversies and stigmas surrounding the label "walking simulator", the name refers more to the genre of the game as opposed to the content itself (117). Walking simulators tend to be slow paced, centering more around details and storytelling, allowing for the player to be further immersed within the digital world. These games allow for exploration and growth that players may not find in more challenge-oriented games (Reed et al. 117).

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