10 Video Games That Influenced EVERYTHING You Play
9. Gone Home
Introducing a gameplay mechanic little beyond walking point to point seems like an antithesis to video games on the whole, when you think about it.
And that sentiment was felt by some detractors when Gone Home was released, you can be sure of that.
Yet... look where we are now. We've had some of the most evocative and powerful narrative experiences with "walking simulators" in the wake of this dynamic shift. What Remains of Edith Finch, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Firewatch... all following in the footsteps (pun intended) of Gone Home.
Whilst it was unfairly dragged into the mess that was GamerGate for its use of LGBT themes in its narrative, Gone Home was nevertheless highly praised for its approach to the subject on critical review.
It indeed shows the staying power of a title if it can turn "walking simulator" from derision to badge of honour, as well as inadvertently create a type of genre revolved around it.
That it led to a new kind of accessibility in gaming that didn't require complex skills or unlocking endings through difficulty is testament enough.