I chose the game Journey and played it on Steam. The game was designed by Thatgamecompany and published in 2012. Through Clark’s article, I learned that although walking simulators do not typically belong to the modern action-oriented gaming genre and can be seen as reductive due to their lack of combat, I believe that walking simulators possess tremendous power and impact on players through their innovative design and beautifully, thoughtfully crafted stories.
So how does the story in Journey unfold? In this game, walking is the primary means of moving forward and gradually reveals the story. According to a 2012 GDC talk by the game’s creative director, Jenova Chen, Journey was designed to form relationships and create bonds, whether friendships, partnerships, or intimate connections that generate transformative emotions between two strangers online. These interactions occur without gender, age, enemies, weapons, or even verbal communication. As a result, walking, or more specifically, walking together, becomes the central function of this multiplayer experience. Interestingly, the game was designed from the beginning as a multiplayer title when the team first pitched it to Sony, with the goal of redefining the multiplayer experience.
From a mechanics perspective, Journey is quite simple. The player controls a robed figure who begins the journey alone, walking, running, and jumping across an empty desert. Soon, the player learns to use the scarf or the “chirping carpet” to glide through the air for short distances. The scarf is a key flight mechanic, as it starts short and lengthens as the player progresses. This design reduces repetitive walking and prevents the player from feeling fatigued. The game also uses the hiking metaphor to make the experience feel natural, as if the player is simply a regular person on a journey rather than a powerful hero with special abilities.
Along the way, players can find shelters where they can hide with their “guide” (another player) during sandstorms. The mechanics are also designed to allow continuous play without failure or death. If the player falls or fails to complete a task, they are simply sent back a short distance rather than facing a traditional game over. Although Journey is a co-op game, it gives players a great deal of freedom. Players do not need a predetermined teammate; instead, they can choose their own playstyle — either playing alone or engaging with others if they feel lonely. Players can also decide whether to play collaboratively or more independently. Also, to eliminate the feeling for players that your “guide” is just gathering/fighting over leftover resources, the game is designed to have infinite resources, but each player can only carry a limited amount in their pocket. The matching mechanics are also interesting. Although this is an online game, they deliberately try to eliminate the “friends-invite” system and encourage players to bond with strangers as humans.
I really enjoyed Journey’s overall dynamics. When I first started playing, I had no idea where I was going, whether I would meet anyone, or what to expect. However, as I continued, I gradually realized that I had a “teammate” playing alongside me. At first, I was unsure whether they were following me or were more experienced, and I wondered how we should communicate. Yet the game’s mechanics naturally pushed us forward, and we ended up accompanying each other throughout the entire journey without speaking. It was a truly meaningful experience, especially during the final scene. As the game’s designers intended, Journey reveals its story through images, character designs, and environmental storytelling, gently guiding players toward an emotional destination.
Aesthetically, it is both sensation and discovery. When I first entered the game, the music, which was composed by Austin Wintory, really captured my attention. It is mellow, yet with the hum of cello/strings and flute, it is a combination of sorrowfulness and some determination. The art design itself is also very beautiful and, in a sense, transcends spiritual elements. For example, the red robe the character wears, with a sort of ninja-like look, is very pretty, and the door the character will find, with its halo light, can be seen as a symbol of ultimate freedom or liberty. Through artwork, you can feel the awe and wonder in the game through its vast environment and creative landscapes, including the illuminating sand. You can also feel your personal growth, as a feeling of transformation through your companionship and connection with others. However, personally, I believe Journey is a game that symbolizes a person’s life cycle from birth to death. So it is quite a bittersweet moment to finish the game.
The original sketches of the game
Holy-temple design
The game itself really is an abstract form of a person’s self-discovery, as I can feel it through the different stages of the game and the tone/emotional intensity of each phase. For example, in the beginning, I felt a great sense of freedom/wonder, as I had just been born and was exploring the world. Soon, I started the journey of hard work and needed to accomplish tasks, and I then encountered my “guide players” to help me through it. At the end, the truth was elevated, and I started to really stop and reflect on the whole playing process and how it connects to my life.
Journey creates different landscapes (sand, snow, ocean, summit, cave, canyon, waterfall, ruin, graveyard, valley) using different color tones/palettes, designing different NPCs throughout game progression to reflect the different stages of up and downs of a man’s life, and the emotional intensity of it (as Jenova was struggling hard throughout the game due to a team management and cash flow crisis, he used this inspiration to create the final scene).
The game’s base design structure, according to Jenova Chen
The first playtesting prototypes of Journey (2-D version) for two players (But this version cannot be played alone)
Early stage 3-D prototyping (two players sharing resources… physically but not mentally)
