Grade: B+
In “Walden: a Game,” you are Henry David Thoreau, and you live on the famous Walden’s Pond. THIS IS YOUR LIFE.
In “Walden: a Game,” you are Henry David Thoreau, and you live on the famous Walden’s Pond. THIS IS YOUR LIFE.
Lots of woodsy things to do
To kick things off, you wake up in a peaceful half-finished cabin in the woods. As you look around, you realize that you are in a 3D reconstructed view of the famous Walden’s Pond area. In the ultimate love letter to Henry David Thoreau, each tree, leaf, cabin, furniture, pen pal letter, boat, dock, and the wood path has been lovingly recreated in careful detail.
In exploring, finding inspiration in the woods is a core game mechanic in Walden. This “inspiration” manifests as arrowheads lying on the ground. As you pick up these inspirational arrowheads, you see Thoreau quotes and little reflections pop up on the screen. You realize you have quite a few options for activities as you walk around:
- build up your bean farm
- do housework and chores for your mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson
- fish
- boat
- sew your clothes
- pick blueberries
- chop wood
- just take some walks and enjoy the scenery.
Reflect and think about life in a scenic environment
If you work too hard, though, you get exhausted. When you are tired, you can rest by the fire and reflect on life. These introspections by the fire help you gain back your stamina. Alternatively, you can walk in the woods to recover your energy.
There are several scenic places to sit and reflect. The sunset by the lake is particularly gorgeous and beautifully rendered. As you look around, you can zoom in on most of the objects in the woods to get more detailed descriptions. It ends up being a nature lesson about Massachusetts on top of a history lesson.
Sounds galore
On top of the gameplay, the soundscape in the game was very carefully designed with realistic ambient noises. In the peaceful time when I was working in the bean garden, I heard a horse and carriage, someone, in the distance. I ran in many different directions to find the source, but alas, it was nowhere to be found. In the calm of this game, this horse and carriage appearance was an exciting event. I felt slightly disappointed when I could not find the sound source, but the disappointment soon passed, and I was back to my bean farming.
Overall, “Walden: A Game” was a remarkable experience and encouraged the player to be in the moment. After playing this game for even a short amount of time, you will want to put it down and go for a walk in the real world. Perhaps that is the point.
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