Favourite Games of 2013: Number 3 - Year Walk

(iOS)

“In the old days man tried to catch a glimpse of the future in the strangest of ways.”

Year Walk is a very strange game, but an incredibly satisfying spooky experience.  Year Walk is based on Scandinavian folklore and is an Adventure Graphic Novel requiring the player to journey on a vision quest (or Year Walk).  The myth is that if the quest rules are followed correctly then the person on the Year Walk will be able to see into the future and know events that have yet to occur.

Year Walk is cathartic in nature, as you journey through the woods with only the sound of your footsteps crunching through the snow and the quiet, soothing, wind whistling in the backdrop.  There is little actual music, but at certain important times some amazingly poignant and deeply atmospheric musical wonders will establish themselves at the forefront of the experience.

It is extremely well suited to the iPad; the controls are quite simple to use - swipe left, right, up or down to move from one area to the next.  The game has been stripped of an inventory system and only requires dragging your finger along the touchscreen to move objects around the environment.  The fact that you have to be so close to the iPad also creates a very intimate affair, thus delving you deeper into the location – this is a game that needs to be played in a dark room for the best experience.

Year walk actually comes in two parts, there is the game itself, and a free companion app can also be downloaded from the App store.  The companion app includes some details and short stories about Scandinavian folklore and myths, which also act as a well-disguised hint guide for the various puzzles presented in Year Walk.  The companion app does not have to be downloaded to enjoy Year Walk, but it is recommended alongside the main component – as you will be greatly missing out and will not have the chance to fully experience what Year Walk has to offer.

It did not take a long time to complete Year Walk, but it stayed with me long after I had finished it.