by I have always been a great admirer of Northern European mythology, with its vivid (and sometimes disturbing) imagery that draws on the wintry beauty of the landscapes that the inhabitants of Scandinavian countries know so well.
In Simogo’s $4 Year Walk for iOS, you will plunge right into the middle of a harsh, snow-covered winter, searching for your future through what the Swedes call Årsgång, a mystical experience that can only be achieved by wandering—alone, at night, and on an empty stomach—until you make your way to a cemetery, reading signs of the things to be along the way.
Here be monsters
If this sounds like the synopsis of a horror movie, it’s not that far off: Year Walk is an intense game that is guaranteed to give you a good scare or two, and one that I suggest you play within reach of a soft surface on which your device can fall without shattering in a million tiny pieces, because you’re highly likely to drop it at some point or other. (If you don’t suffer from a heart ailment, I suggest you play the game at full volume—it’s very effective.)
The protagonist’s love plays a small but crucial part in the game.
As the game’s protagonist, your job is to put your Årsgång on and make your way through the night, solving a series of puzzles to gain insight into your future. Along the way, you come into contact with your beloved girlfriend (who is deeply worried by your intentions) and by a dark crescendo of bizarre creatures, strange symbols, and genuinely frightening nightmares.
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