Games come in many forms, and there are so many styles out there that there is enough to please everyone. With these different style of games though comes the ones where they are given names that sometimes stigmatise them, for often stupid reasons. One of these is the “Walking Simulator” like Dear Esther: Landmark Edition which is now available on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Dear Esther is about exploration and the telling of a story. The player makes their way around an isolated island being told of stories of the landscape, as well as the story of Esther. To say too much about what is revealed would be spoilers, and would ruin the experience, so I’ll say no more.

If I hear a game called a “Walking Simulator” it is easy to work out what will happen. The player won’t have a weapon, will likely not die,...