Playing with Otium? On the Aesthetics of Walking Simulators.

This article addresses the question what kind of experiences the aesthetic assemblages of walking simulators such as Dear Esther (2012), Gone Home (2013), and What Remains of Edith Finch (2017), with their marked departure from established conventions of mainstream videogame design, afford their players. It argues that, when analyzing these experiences, we should move beyond terms such as "immersion" and "agency" in order to explore whether or to what extent or in which way(s) walking simulators afford their players what could be described as otium. Put in a nutshell, otium can be conceptualized as resulting from an interplay between two forms of freedom, namely "freedom from" externally imposed constraints and "freedom for" the kinds of activities that afford experiences of otium. Videogame players will need "freedom from" externally imposed constraints in order to have the "freedom for" playing videogames, yet most videogames establish what could be described as "second-order constraints," with a lack of the "freedom from" having to engage with the challenges of the gameplay leading to a lack of the "freedom for" the kind of contemplation and reflection associated with experiences of otium. As the article shows, however, walking simulators' prioritization of focused narrative exploration within evocative 3D game spaces as opposed to challenging game mechanics, complex game goals, sprawling storyworlds, or nonlinear narrative structures make them particularly likely to offer their players the "freedom from/freedom for" dynamic that is a core requirement for experiencing otium not just in order to play them but also while playing them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]