Are you looking for a calm and relaxing style of video game to play? Look no further than the walking simulator genre! In these fantasy worlds, you will move around and interact with the environment while the story is unfolding right before your eyes. This style of gameplay makes for a peaceful experience that all types of gamers can enjoy. Experience the allure of this genre with our choices for the top 15 best walking simulator games that you can play!
Table of Contents
What are the Best Walking Simulator Games Available?
The best walking simulator games are ones that take you on an immersive adventure of storytelling similar to experiencing a book. These games are those that offer in-depth and emotional stories for the player to experience and be a part of. The best ones are atmospheric, engaging, and provide a memorable experience. The following games are top-rated and beloved by the gamer community.
Journey
Journey is a fan favorite in this genre of video games and is easily one of the best walking simulator games out there. In this emotional game, you will play as a person who sets out to explore a distant mountain. This adventure leads you to find ruins left behind by an old civilization. As the character discovers different parts of the ruins, you will be taken through visions that give you more insight into what occurred. Along the way, you may meet another player that you cannot speak to, but you may choose to travel alongside. This player is another real person in the world who is also going on the adventure of the game with you, which is a very unique style of online co-op not seen in many games. Journey is known for its beautiful visuals and soundtrack that complement the touching experience that the game takes you through.
What Remains of Edith Finch
What Remains of Edith Finch takes you on an intensely interesting adventure as you play through the eyes of the character Edith. Edith is the only person that is still alive in her family and she seeks to understand why. You learn about her family as you explore their house and learn about their haunting past. The game takes you through the reasons for her family member’s deaths, leading her to believe that her family must be cursed. What Remains of Edith Finch is an award-winning game that is extremely well-received among the gaming community. The story is rich with mysterious content, with each part of the story being well told and immersive, which will leave you hooked until the end. This is a must-play game for anyone in search of the best walking simulator games.
Check out What Remains of Edith Finch on Steam!
Firewatch
Firewatch is a single-player walking sim game that delivers a mystery-packed story. You play as a man named Henry, who is doing firewatch duty in the wilderness of Wyoming state. The only person that he has contact with through his walkie-talkie is his supervisor Delilah. Henry ends up being tasked with leaving his post to investigate an occurrence within the wilderness, starting the thrilling adventure that you will be taken on. The storyline continues to deepen between Henry and Delilah as the story gets told. Despite this game being a walking simulator, you will be faced with different choices to select as you navigate through the game. However, these choices do not impact the ending of the game.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a thrilling mystery game that promises to keep you captivated from start to finish. You will play as a detective named Paul Prospero who receives a letter from Ethan Carter. He soon uncovers the disappearance of Ethan and the strange supernatural phenomena that are occurring in his hometown. As Paul continues to investigate, he learns the hidden mysteries that are kept secret from outsiders. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter submerges you into the dark atmosphere of the game as you uncover what really happened to Ethan. This is an excellent game to play for someone who enjoys mysteries and a haunting atmosphere.
Check out The Vanishing of Ethan Carter on Steam!
ABZU
Rather than walking through a story, you will be swimming through one in ABZU. This game takes you through an ocean adventure as you set out to explore the waters as a diver. As you investigate the depths, you come upon ruins and reveal a story that tells the many hidden secrets about an ancient civilization. ABZU is a beautifully crafted video game that has amazing visuals and a soundtrack that will leave you captivated. If you thought Journey was well crafted, ABZU’s art is made by the same person. If you are seeking a relaxing and peaceful adventure, this masterpiece on our list of the best walking simulator games is for you.
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture takes you along for the story of a once vibrant village that now remains deserted. Follow the orbs of light to learn the story of what befell the village as you are led to different areas. You will learn the story of Kate and Stephen, scientists who witnessed the tragedies that the mysterious lights caused in the village. Learn the tales behind each character, and discover what the strange lights in the night sky are and what they have done. Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture takes you through a unique storyline that will be different from any other game that you’ve played before!
Check out Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture on Steam!
Paradise Killer
Paradise Killer makes for one of the best walking simulator games for people who love murder mysteries. A group of immortals leads a council that is placing humans on an island and running an experiment to formulate the perfect island. If the group on the island does not work, all humans are killed. In the latest version of the experiment, the island council ends up being murdered. Here begins the mystery of uncovering the story behind the murders. Take the perspective of the detective who must solve the murder, explore the island, and find clues to learn what took place.
Check out Paradise Killer on Steam!
Gone Home
Step into a walking simulator that puts you deep into uncovering the mystery of what happened to your family in Gone Home. You will play a character named Katie who is finally returning home after traveling overseas. Upon arrival at your family’s house, you?soon realize that the house is empty and no one is anywhere to be found. It is up to you to explore the house and try to find clues that will help you understand what happened to your missing relatives. Gone Home allows the player to interact with the environment and to search through the house in a very realistic way. This game will take you through a detailed and emotional story as you reveal the truth of what has happened to Katie’s family.
Tacoma
Made by the same makers as Gone Home, Tacoma is a space exploration walking simulator game that puts you in the year 2088. In this game, you are placed into the perspective of Amy, a woman who is assigned to explore the abandoned Tacoma station. You must gather data from the ship’s AI system ODIN from the different areas of the ship before finally retrieving its processing unit. You will be able to use the augmented reality system on the ship to review previous data and events that took place. As you do this, you will learn about what took place on the station in the days prior. Can you find the clues and figure out what happened to the crew aboard Tacoma?
Lake
Lake is one of the best walking simulator games if you are looking for a calm and relaxing experience. In this game, you will play as a woman named Meredith who takes a two-week vacation from the stress of the city life to go back to her?small hometown. Meredith fills in for her father as a mail carrier while she is back home, making deliveries throughout the town each day. As you explore the town, you will be able to have conversations with other people, make friends, and even start a new romantic relationship if you wish. Choose to relax, work extra, or participate in activities around the town. Will your choices lead you to stay in your hometown for good or head back to the hustle and bustle of city life once again?
Dear Esther
Dear Esther is an adventure and explorative-focused walking simulator. In this game, you explore a deserted island while a man reads a letter that he wrote. The letter is written to his wife Esther, who has previously passed away. As you make it to different locations on the island, you will hear a new part of the letter and reveal more of the story. Explore the island and figure out what mysteries took place there. Dear Esther is a story-driven game with beautiful graphics and music that will keep you interested until the end.
Check out Dear Esther on Steam!
The Longing
The Longing is a point-and-click walking simulator that will put you in control of a character named the Shade. This creature is?filled with loneliness waiting to wake the king in 400 days and receive the reward of a world without any longing. The king must sleep for this amount of time to regain his powers once again. As the Shade, you must stay underground, explore, and keep yourself busy with various tasks within the game to pass the time. This game is very unique, as the 400 days are real-time, making this a long game to play through completely. Fortunately, the time in the game will continue to pass even when the game is closed. Depending on your choices and the areas that you have explored, you will unlock different parts of the story. Do you have what it takes to wait all 400 days for your king?
Check out The Longing on Steam!
Kentucky Route Zero
Kentucky Route Zero is another point-and-click walking simulator that offers plenty of narrative to keep you hooked. This game is a top pick for the best walking simulator games for lovers of the genre due to the depth of the story. In this game, you will play a character named Conway, as you control his actions and choices throughout the game. Conway is a delivery driver who gets lost during a job and while trying to find an address. A strange story unfolds as Conway tries to find his way, and leads him to explore many important and heart-wrenching themes of life. The game is split up between five separate acts that were released individually over several years but are now all available to be played. Kentucky Route Zero tells a story that will leave you excited for each part of the tale!
Check out Kentucky Route Zero on Steam!
SOMA
SOMA is an award-winning and highly rated game that many people consider to have some qualities of a walking simulator game. This game has elements of actual gameplay and puzzles to solve, however, most of the game is focused on uncovering what happened in the past as you look for clues and explore. Additionally, there is a safe mode that you can play where the monsters in the game will not be able to hurt you, making it even closer to a walking sim. If you enjoy walking simulator games, this is a game that is adjacent to the genre that you might come to love due to its excellent storyline and atmosphere.
In SOMA, you will play a character named Simon, who was in a terrible car accident that gave him brain damage. His brain scan was given to scientists who managed to upload his consciousness and bring a version of him back in the future. This version of Simon wakes up in an underwater facility after the Earth’s population was destroyed. You will play as Simon while he struggles to uncover what happened and the dangers that exist around him.
Death Stranding
Death Stranding is another adjacent game to the genre that is a bit different than your average walking simulator game, although it shares many elements. If you’re a fan of the genre, likely, you will also enjoy a game like this. This game is played in an open-world format and puts you center stage in the story of an apocalyptic United States.?An event has occurred that many call the Death Stranding, which has caused invisible creatures called BTs. You will play as a character named Sam who has to deliver cargo to different cities within this chaotic world, while also connecting them to a communications system and trying to stay alive. Although Death Stranding has a lot of action and challenges to it, it is still among the best walking simulator games.