{"id":43096,"date":"2026-06-02T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vgu.tv\/?p=43096"},"modified":"2026-06-01T20:26:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T00:26:15","slug":"aphelion-mixtape-redefining-the-walking-simulator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vgu.tv\/?p=43096","title":{"rendered":"Aphelion & Mixtape – Redefining the “Walking Simulator”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this landscape of diverse video game genres, few seem to be attacked as often as the \u201cwalking simulator.\u201d An extremely broad, vague description of any game with minimal combat and a heavy reliance on environmental storytelling, the \u201cwalking sim\u201d genre has more opponents than defenders these days, and today I will do my best to shut these voices out. This wasn\u2019t planned as a \u201cdefending walking simulators\u201d piece. In fact, I was hoping to do two separate reviews of Don\u2019t Nod\u2019s Aphelion <\/em>and Mixtape <\/em>from Beethoven & Dinosaur, two terribly controversial titles of the last few weeks that I thoroughly enjoyed. However, it has become increasingly clear to me that games like this, while exciting and satisfying to play, tend to fall to the wayside and be met with extreme criticism due to their nature of gameplay and storytelling. It\u2019s a genuine shame, and it\u2019s an issue I hope I can help clear up through this discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s no secret I am a huge indie game fanatic. I\u2019d wager over 60% of what I play in a year \u2013 between older games and new \u2013 are indies. I find them easily accessible, with shorter playtimes (on average) and the lack of a \u201cAAA feel\u201d helps me approach them with less bias and see the passion through the production. Indies always exude a \u201cquality over quantity\u201d kind of presence, even when the runtimes are longer \u2013 looking at you, Expedition 33<\/em>. But this love of indie gaming shaped the niche to which I gravitate: narrative-driven experiences, where the choices you make matter and the mystery unfolds around you. This isn\u2019t to say I don\u2019t enjoy a little shooty-shooty bang-bang here and there. Hell, my love of video game storytelling began with larger AAA titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops<\/em> and early Assassin\u2019s Creed<\/em> installments. What makes indies fascinating, though, is their ability to turn gameplay one is passionate about into a rich story that sticks with the player forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Genres of the indie space are extremely varied, and I would argue it is because of these games that AAA developers learn of emerging trends. Survival games wouldn\u2019t be as big without Minecraft <\/em>and Terraria<\/em>; roguelikes owe their popularity to The Binding of Isaac<\/em> and Spelunky<\/em>; deckbuilders earned their time in the spotlight with big hits like Slay the Spire<\/em> and Balatro<\/em>. But as indie games kept coming and the rules of genre kept bending, we started to run out of words in some cases. Enter: the \u201cwalking simulator.\u201d I\u2019ll stop putting it in quotes going forward, but I want to make sure I\u2019ve stressed my distaste for the term. Calling something a walking simulator has become commonplace for anything without action and \u2013 according to most users of the phrase \u2013 anything without substance. My biggest gripe out the gate is how offensive that is to all the pioneers that have come before. As much as a game like The Binding of Isaac<\/em> started a movement in its own niche, the likes of Telltale games (The Walking Dead<\/em>, The Wolf Among Us<\/em>, etc.) and even Don\u2019t Nod\u2019s Life is Strange<\/em> series really hold their own and deserve more than a catch-all term used to describe story-focused indie games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most would probably credit the earliest use of \u201cwalking sim\u201d to games like Dear Esther<\/em> in 2008 or even Fullbright\u2019s Gone Home<\/em> in 2013. The most ironic being the former, whose developer \u2013 The Chinese Room \u2013 worked on the second installment in one the most iconic survival horror franchises of the 2010\u2019s: Amnesia<\/em>. But who would call a game like Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs<\/em> a walking simulator? Surely, its reputation as survival horror or even a puzzle game overshadows such a pitiful descriptor and thus earns it a spot above the rest. But at its core, Amnesia <\/em>is just like those who get shot down by the crowd. No combat, a focus on environmental storytelling, random puzzle encounters, stealth segments\u2026 are we talking about Amnesia <\/em>or Aphelion<\/em>? Funny, I\u2019ve only seen comments on Aphelion <\/em>videos and forums calling it a \u201cwalking and climbing simulator,\u201d yet I grew up with games like Amnesia <\/em>and Soma <\/em>and hey, they were beloved! Weird double standard, huh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, I know I\u2019m getting a little cranky here and I really want to keep this on track and not just go on rude tangents against the internet. I refuse to interact with a whole leg of the walking sim argument \u2013 no pun intended \u2013 in which people just yell about these games being \u201cwoke.\u201d There’s a whole argument to be had about how bastardized the definition of the term has become, and how nobody wants to accept wokeness for what it is: being “aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues<\/a>.” I\u2019m sorry Life is Strange<\/em>, Aphelion<\/em>, Mixtape<\/em>, and Dustborn<\/em> all have female protagonists and some of them mention queer topics. Actually, I\u2019m not sorry at all. Grow up, Grandpa. But seriously, I would like to take a little bit and talk about two of these games and while I won\u2019t do a massive deep-dive review of each like I\u2019d intended, I will focus on why their \u201cwalking sim\u201d qualities shouldn\u2019t keep you from playing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Aphelion <\/em>released back on April 28, launching on Game Pass and keeping my Xbox Series X and I occupied for, oh, about 7 hours. The game is rather short, but that does seem to be the theme of the day. Aphelion <\/em>follows two astronauts, Ariane Montclair and Thomas Cross, as they crash land on a planet they were sent to explore. The crash separates the two, and as they set out to find each other in this desolate world, a mystery unravels about the planet\u2019s history. The gameplay of Aphelion <\/em>is its most intriguing quality. Ariane\u2019s journey takes her across a barren, cavernous tundra where she scales mountains and swings from cliff to cliff. Her gameplay is very reminiscent of Uncharted <\/em>with a little Jusant<\/em> mixed in \u2013 a welcome callback to another Don\u2019t Nod title. Peppered around Ariane\u2019s levels are some stealth sequences, as well. These never felt particularly tense until the game\u2019s final level, but they broke up the exploration with some close-quarters action, and I found it all flowed quite nicely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other half of Aphelion <\/em>follows Thomas Cross as he is injured in the crash and subsequently cannot explore freely due to mobility issues and a damaged oxygen tank. Thomas\u2019s perspective is a lot more puzzle-based, with the player having to find oxygen stations to hook up to and then plan the quickest route to the next. It adds a layer of tension to this \u201cwalking simulator\u201d and while the oxygen tanks are placed in a linear fashion throughout the world, getting to them may require some skill between planning a path and navigating obstacles to reach the destination. Thomas also uncovers most of the story\u2019s mystery, which plays out through audio logs, text logs, and a more labored approach to exploration than his counterpart. I really enjoyed these scenarios, as it brought me back to games like Fort Solis<\/em> and Deliver Us the Moon<\/em>, wandering around and letting the world tell a story. You know, the bread and butter of the walking sim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The beauty of Aphelion <\/em>is how it showcases so <\/em>much more than walking and climbing. For someone with no desire to pick this game up, it gets dragged for its use of yellow paint, its black female protagonist, its short runtime, and the inability to throw a punch. But as someone who let this game into their life, Aphelion <\/em>may end up as one of my favorite experiences of the year. I found its traversal mechanics engrossing and as I scaled enormous mountains I was blown away by the stunning lighting and particle effects. The character models look insanely detailed and realistic; the water and the shadows are just incredible. The story at hand is shocking and tragic and full of heart. It\u2019s always so fascinating to me how a story this short (and rather cheap at only $40) can provide such a deep, thought-provoking experience that satisfies me more than some AAA titles ever have. Maybe it is a little janky at times with the movement and maybe the music wasn\u2019t as memorable as I would\u2019ve hoped, but everything else from the visuals to the acting to the story at hand earn Aphelion <\/em>a 4\/5 from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wait, what was that about music? If you want music, look no further than Mixtape<\/em>, the new walking simulator from Annapurna Interactive. I\u2019m just kidding, calling Mixtape <\/em>a walking sim isn\u2019t even scratching the surface of what\u2019s on offer here. See, back in the day we had games that defied all genres in the form of \u201cminigame collections.\u201d I\u2019m talking about something like WarioWare<\/em> or Rhythm Heaven<\/em>. These games basically said, \u201cwhat if Mario Party<\/em> told a loose story and we made a game where the levels were just various little tasks?\u201d It\u2019s kind of brilliant. It was definitely fun. But then over time this concept evolved – thanks to indie developers \u2013 into a sort of\u2026 interactive film with gameplay elements. Two of the largest examples that come to mind are That Dragon, Cancer<\/em> and What Remains of Edith Finch<\/em>. Both games are immensely tragic in their own ways, and while I refuse to spoil either, I will say they both touch upon illness, death, and the enduring pain of those who live on. They’re some of the most beautiful stories in gaming, and they are not to be missed. From WarioWare<\/em> to absolute misery, what a tonal shift this paragraph was!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This leads me to a sentence I\u2019ve been wanting to say for years: to call a game like What Remains of Edith Finch<\/em> a \u201cwalking simulator\u201d should be considered a hate crime. Edith Finch<\/em> is an experience, and one that has deeply affected nearly everyone who has picked it up. It\u2019s a mystery that is told through multiple perspectives, multiple lives, and multiple varied level designs. It\u2019s a minigame collection, yes, and sort of an interactive film, in a way. It\u2019s a passion project brought to life through the art of game making. It\u2019s certainly not something you shut your mind off and relax with. That, in essence, is at the core <\/em>of all walking sims \u2013 thought. These games are cerebral, they take your mind for a journey, and they grab hold of your emotions. Whether they\u2019re an interactive memoir like That Dragon, Cancer<\/em> or a means of storytelling through an alternate visual medium like Everyone\u2019s Gone to the Rapture<\/em>, these games have layers that go deeper than simply\u2026 simulating walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, what\u2019s the new hotness in terms of \u201cinteractive experience?\u201d How do we keep building upon a style of entertainment that asks more than watching a film does, and pulls you right into the story at hand? Perhaps blending said experience with yet another medium that practically anyone on the planet can relate to. Enter: Mixtape<\/em>, a musical adventure told across nearly 30 licensed, real-life songs from the 80s and 90s. If you haven\u2019t been following the news closely this month, Mixtape <\/em>has kind of set the gaming landscape on fire, what with its plethora of positive critic reviews amidst negative feedback from gamers in general. To call Mixtape <\/em>\u201cpolarizing\u201d would be a severe understatement, yet this backlash is easily thwarted when applied to the context of our current discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mixtape <\/em>checks a lot of the typical boxes when describing the infamous \u201cwalking simulator:\u201d a coming-of-age story, hints at queer representation, female protagonist, zero combat, some levels play themselves \u2013 the list goes on. Not to mention the entire game takes roughly three hours, with almost no replayability nor a way to stretch the length further. For all intents and purposes, Mixtape <\/em>could be compared to a film, or as I described it earlier, an \u201cinteractive experience.\u201d We could argue all day about how it doesn\u2019t fulfill the \u201crequirements\u201d for what a \u201cvideo game\u201d is, but I\u2019m only here to dispel the label of \u201cwalking simulator,\u201d as well as the fact that it \u201cdoesn\u2019t deserve praise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Call me a shill for coming-of-age media, but as someone raised on books like To Kill a Mockingbird<\/em> and films like The Breakfast Club<\/em>, it\u2019s hard not to have a nostalgic fondness for the naivete of youth. As a coming-of-age experience, Mixtape <\/em>delivers on all fronts, following a group of three teenagers as they rebel through their final summer together before life takes their futures in separate directions. Our main character, Stacey Rockford, plans the soundtrack to the summer \u2013 the titular Mixtape to our tale \u2013 and levels play out in the aforementioned \u201cminigames\u201d set to these tracks. Sometimes we may be TP-ing the principal\u2019s house to \u201cZebra Crossing\u201d by The Eye Gouge or soaring across a field to \u201cAirwalker\u201d by Bertrand Dolby. Every level tells its own short story, accompanied by vibrant colors and a fitting tune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There’s a pretty excellent interview with the developers over at ScreenRant<\/a> that I’d like to highlight, because as I’m talking about the passion of indie devs, nobody explains it better than they do. Game director Johnny Galvatron gave a wonderful quote that just solidifies the feeling of making a game like this, “Every person on the team, especially when it’s an indie team, is always at it. And every time I walk through the level I see new things and I see the team members who did it. \u2026 I see my friends there, constructed in the level, and they’ll be there forever. I think that’s a great feeling.” Having personally been to conventions like PAX East and seeing the immense dedication and zeal of these developers, I understand how seeing a labor of love like Mixtape <\/em>come to fruition must be a feeling unlike any other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why, then, all the backlash? Well, aside from the obvious braindead “woke” criticisms, I think it’s just difficult for some to find a game like Mixtape<\/em> instantly enthralling. I cannot fault them for having their preferences, but as I’ve said before, that doesn’t mean calling it downright bad is the right way to go, either. I think GameSpot described Mixtape<\/em>\u2019s style best as \u201ca buffet of gameplay elements that come and go quickly, but are always exciting.\u201d This is a game that \u2013 like Aphelion <\/em>and other \u201cwalking sims\u201d before it \u2013 you must let into your heart and let it take your emotions on a journey. Mixtape <\/em>is rewarding, fun, and beautifully made, and as it left a tear rolling down my cheek, I knew it was worthy of a perfect 5\/5 after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Before I let you go back to your lives of playing honestly whatever <\/em>you want to play, I\u2019d like to recap a little and go over the lessons I hope we\u2019ve learned. I\u2019m not going to claim I have a better name for these games than \u201cwalking simulator.\u201d I have tried for many <\/em>years now to think up a better genre descriptor, especially when games like Life is Strange<\/em> feel completely different than Gone Home<\/em> and Aphelion<\/em>\u2026 yet the world looks at them with the same negative lens. I could go on and on about this, yelling on various podcasts and writing another huge opinion piece when the next Don\u2019t Nod production arrives. Hell, there are more games like these that I\u2019ve yet to touch this year! What do we call Directive 8020<\/em>? Or Tides of Tomorrow<\/em>? While we\u2019re at it, why do we get to call Myst <\/em>and The Witness<\/em> puzzle games and not walking simulators when that\u2019s exactly what they are? Hold on, some website put Death Stranding<\/em> on a Top 10 Walking Simulators list?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you see my point now? Calling a video game a walking simulator is essentially one of two things in 2026: either a game without enough action and combat to keep the average Fortnite <\/em>player entertained, or a game that touches upon real-life issues like race and gender identity. Scratch that, a game that includes <\/em>someone of a different race or gender identity. Even while writing these two qualifications, I thought of a third: a game that many struggle to \u201cclassify as a game,\u201d whatever that means. The whole genre is twisted, and it\u2019s for that reason that a whole side of the games industry is in shambles. Every time a game like Aphelion <\/em>or Mixtape <\/em>comes out, there will always be YouTube comments saying, \u201cjournalist game,\u201d \u201csomebody got paid,\u201d and \u201cthe reason we can\u2019t trust journos anymore to give us valid opinions.\u201d There will always be trolls online, yes, but an overwhelming amount of people truly think anyone<\/em> with a different opinion than you must have been paid off. Not to mention, the consistent hatred of internet commentors that refuse to allow any levity in games journalism. Heaven forbid a review not be the law of the land; heaven forbid a critic have a little fun with the content they make. This harkens back to a classic Cuphead scandal online from 2017<\/a>, in which Dean Takahashi of GamesBeat posted himself failing at the game just as a fun showcase of the difficulty, and was met with nothing but vitriol. All this to say, perhaps we need to be a bit more open-minded, if not a bit kinder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I disagree with games journalists\u2019 reviews sometimes, but if a large majority give a game a near perfect score, chances are it\u2019s a great game. I think Mixtape <\/em>is nearly perfect, and I wasn\u2019t paid a cent to believe that. Other VGU editors played it and loved it, because it is <\/em>the type of game we enjoy. Look at our other opinions, we gave The Forgotten City<\/em> GAME OF THE YEAR<\/strong>! The beauty of video games, and indie gaming especially, is that there is something for everyone out there. I feel so blessed to live in a world with games like Aphelion <\/em>and Mixtape<\/em>. They tell stories I want to hear and deliver it through accessible means that I enjoy. Shorter games are easier to play with my busy schedule and coming-of-age stories harken back to a time when I felt happiest. Some people need that sometimes, and they\u2019re not wrong for enjoying it. I don\u2019t exactly know how to end this, but I know I feel better having said my peace on what a walking simulator is to me. If we could just put a positive light on the name for once and realize these games do <\/em>deserve a pedestal amongst the Doom<\/em>\u2019s and the Halo<\/em>\u2019s and even the Madden<\/em>\u2019s of the world, then maybe more people would give walking sims a chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for listening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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This game is 90 minutes long, and there's no mechanical motivation to replay it. There are only 3 enemy types, 4 if you include a single boss enemy that you fight in the game's only\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Game Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Game Reviews","link":"https:\/\/vgu.tv\/?cat=15656407"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vgu.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Metal-Garden-Review.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vgu.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Metal-Garden-Review.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vgu.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Metal-Garden-Review.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vgu.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Metal-Garden-Review.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vgu.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Metal-Garden-Review.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vgu.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vgu.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vgu.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vgu.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/104224742"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vgu.tv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=43096"}],"version-history":[{"count":71,"href":"https:\/\/vgu.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43096\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43224,"href":"https:\/\/vgu.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43096\/revisions\/43224"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vgu.tv\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/43223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vgu.tv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=43096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vgu.tv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=43096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vgu.tv\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=43096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}