Year Walk Review – The new creeper in town

By
On March 5, 2013

App Type: Uncategorized

Year Walk Review – The new creeper in town

Our rating:

By: Simogo

Version #: 1.0

Date Released: 2013-02-21

Developer: Simogo

Price: 3.99

User Rating:
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Move over, Slenderman. Year Walk has truly got my guts. A spooky forest, some eerie music, lack of guided interaction, some ghouls and some spirits make for one of the creepiest games I have ever gotten my hands on.

Who doesn’t love a good thrill?

In this game, players take control of the protagonist seeking to catch a glimpse of the future. To do so, he must embark on a crazy adventure which serves as the basis of the game.

The thing with Year Walk lies in the apparent lack of instructions and tutorials. Players are pretty much left to fend for themselves so as to advance in gameplay. Expect random swiping and flipping as you try to navigate around the haunted forest. Players will then encounter puzzles here and there, requiring extreme wit and creativity to solve. Of course, things aren’t always what they appear to be and players will have to think out of the box to move on.

So amidst the adrenaline rush, players will have to maintain a level head and some sanity in order to keep advancing. Add in some plot twists here and there and this makes for a great game.

And for those who would like to take a further step into the word of Swedish legends, Year Walk comes with a companion app, aptly titled Year Walk Companion. This is basically an encyclopedia documenting the lore surrounding the game.

The eerie music in the game and the silhouette-like graphics add towards the scariness the game portrays. Bordering on being grossly disturbing, this is not meant for the faint-hearted.

Quick Take

Value:Med

Would I Buy Again:Yes

Learning Curve:Extreme. Lack of cues and tutorials make the game very hard to play at the start.

Who Is It For:Thrill seekers

What I Like:The game thrills, and is very addictive.

What I Don't Like:Actual game time is rather short.

Final Statement:You're on your own, literally

Read the Developer's Notes:
In the old days man tried to catch a glimpse of the future in the strangest of ways.

Experience the ancient Swedish phenomena of year walking through a different kind of first person adventure that blurs the line between two and three dimensions as well as reality and the supernatural.

Venture out into the dark woods where strange creatures roam, on a vision quest set in 19th century Sweden. Solve cryptic puzzles, touch and listen in your search to foresee the future and finally discover if your loved one will love you back.

Mysteries and clues await everywhere in Year Walk, but to fully understand the events that took place on that cold New Year's Eve, you will have to delve deeper than the adventure and lose yourself between fact and fiction.

For the complete Year Walk experience, or if you're curious about the folk lore on which Year Walk is based, we recommend downloading Year Walk Companion, available for free on the App Store.


"An iOS game like nothing else you’ve seen on the format to date.
This is a brave and truly original work"
Edge - 9/10

"Elegant and artful, Year Walk is an unmissable piece of work.
You can close the app and put down the phone, but the forest may spread beyond its glassy confines, its spindly, silver-skinned trees taking root in your own home, your own dreams."
Eurogamer - 9/10

"A game this distinctive, this different, this thrillingly new is the best possible demonstration of the format’s versatility; indeed, of the narrative power of the interactive medium. Simogo has made something very special here."
The Telegraph - 5/5

"It's a gripping, somber, atmospheric, and elegantly-designed game, and everyone should play it.
I've never played anything quite like it."
Touch Arcade 5/5

"An incredible showcase for the potential of tablet games and will undoubtedly become influential over the next few years."
CVG - 9/10

"Simogo has packed Year Walk with a hefty share of spine-tingling jump scares, but it’s these external trappings that cause the game’s lore to get under your skin and stick with you long after your phone or tablet has been turned off."
Gamezebo - 4,5/5

"Year Walk is smart, thrilling, and absolutely stunningly crafted. It'll throw you for a loop, leaving you transfixed to the screen until you shake out all of its dark secrets."
Mac|Life - 5/5

"As with any good page-turner, you won't want to put this game down until you get to the end. It's quite a journey, too. Year Walk is a beguiling adventure, and a truly memorable experience."
Pocketgamer - 8/10

Article By

A water polo player from Singapore, Wei Jie devotes most of his time to training. However, when he's not occupied by water training or pushing himself in the gym, expect to see him squinting at his iPhone testing out new apps.

eng-wei-jie has written 308 awesome app reviews.