Ashwalkers
Reaching the end of our journey to the Dome Of Domes, humanity’s last bastion in Ashwalkers’ monochromatic volcanic wastes, we’re offered a summary screen. It shows which of the 35 possible endings we landed on, names our playstyle based on the choices made along the way, and informs us that 60 days have elapsed in-game, translating to just under three hours of our own time. There’s a step count, too: 9,625 paces taken. And honestly? We felt every last one.
It would be inappropriate to expect a trek through a climate cataclysm to be much fun. But we certainly expected our band of four explorers, in search of a new home, to be in more of a hurry. They’re controlled with a mouse-click towards the horizon and then, after waiting for them to trudge over, another. With the desolate landscape offering little in the way of scenery, the wait is practically an invitation to check our phone.