"You're swimming against the tide making games like this": Why more developers didn't copy Firewatch's reactive storytelling

Firewatch was meant to spark a subgenre but its influence didn’t spread. A decade on, we ask why Roblox and Minecraft are more

"You're swimming against the tide making games like this": Why more developers didn't copy Firewatch's reactive storytelling

Firewatch was meant to spark a subgenre but its influence didn't spread. A decade on, we ask why Roblox and Minecraft are more

Rock Paper Shotgun

I love games like this. I replay Firewatch probably once a year. Walking simulator is such a dismissive genre name, but these games tend to be short and emotionally rich. What Remains of Edith Finch is one of my other favorites.

I wish there were 1000 more to play. Yes, I enjoy sinking hundreds of hours into Satisfactory or Dark Souls, but sometimes I want to feel things and that is what these games deliver.

I really like Quantic Dream’s games. A little bit of action sprinkled in to a narrative-driven walking sim where your choices can impact the game really gets you emotionally connected. Their use of facial mocap really takes the immersion to the next level too.

I highly recommend all of Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human if that’s the sort of games you enjoy.