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Year Walk
iOS icon
DeveloperSimogo
PublisherSimogo
WriterJonas Tarestad
ComposersDaniel Olsén, Jonathan Eng
EngineUnity
PlatformsiOS, OS X, Microsoft Windows, Wii U
ReleaseiOS
21 February 2013 [1]
Microsoft Windows
6 March 2014
OS X
3 April 2014
Wii U
  • WW: 17 September 2015[2]
  • JP: 13 November 2015
GenreAdventure
ModeSingle-player

Year Walk is an adventure game developed and published by Swedish mobile game developer Simogo for iOS devices in 2013.[3] The game is loosely based on an ancient Swedish tradition called "Årsgång" (pronounced [ˈoːʂgɔŋ] or [ˈoːrsˌɡoŋ] depending on dielect; "Year Walk").[4] The game was ported to Windows and OS X PC platforms via Steam in 2014, and on the Wii U via eShop[5] on 17 September 2015. It was succeeded by the free, e-picturebook Year Walk: Bedtime Stories for Awful Children.[6]

Plot

[edit]

Year Walk begins with the protagonist Daniel Svensson visiting his lover, Stina, who hints that she has been proposed to, and warns the player about the dangers of year walking (a divination ritual on New Year’s Eve which involves circling a churchyard). She also implies that her cousin had died while engaging in the activity. Daniel returns home, and prepares to engage in the Year Walk anyway.

As he proceeds towards the church, the protagonist encounters a series of fairies and mythical creatures from Swedish folklore: the Huldra, the Brook Horse, Mylings, the Night Raven, and finally the Church Grim.

In the end, the player succeeds in receiving glimpses of the future, in the form of ominous bits of conversation that are presumably from Stina. They then see a beautiful grassy meadow. When they venture right, they see Stina on the ground, her eyes closed. At first, she appears unharmed, but then blood seeps from her chest onto her clothes and the grass.

If the player uses the hints given after the credits to access the Journal component of the PC Game/iOS companion app, they can discover the journal of Theodor Almsten, a modern-day man obsessed with Swedish folklore, as he investigates the meaning behind the Year Walk. Through his research, the full story is revealed. The fate of Almsten himself is also uncertain; his research seems to have taken a toll on his mental state, and his final entry takes place immediately before he went on a Year Walk of his own. However, Almsten believes that the desire to Year Walk alone is enough to be punished for the Watchers, so it is implied he met the same fate as Daniel Svennson.

Ultimately, clues from the Journal can be used in-game to reach an alternate ending, considered the ultimate ending (as it says "the end"). Daniel receives a knife along with a newspaper article from the future describing his execution for the murder of Stina, and a letter from Almsten telling him to do what must be done to save Stina. It is left ambiguous whether Daniel kills himself or uses the knife to conduct the murder.

Development

[edit]

Year Walk started out as a film script that writer Jonas Tarestad shared with developer Simon Flesser. The two considered turning the script into a game, according to Flesser, "almost jokingly to start with".[7] However the two eventually grew serious about the prospect and changed the script so that it would better suit the medium.[7] In the transition from movie script to game script, according to Flesser, they "basically rewrote everything about it" keeping only the beginning and ending the same.[8] In designing the game Flesser studied horror movies, specifically the timing "to get the scary bits right".[7] He has additionally cited the games Killer7, Fez and The Legend of Zelda series as well as the film Hedgehog in the Fog as inspiration.[7]

In collaboration with Dakko Dakko, the developers behind Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails, Simogo rebuilt the game from the ground up for release on Nintendo's Wii U console in 2015, taking advantage of the Wii U GamePad for various mechanics.[5]

Reception

[edit]

Year Walk received "generally favorable reviews", according to the review aggregator Metacritic.[9][10][11]

148 Apps praised nearly every aspect of the game, writing that "Year Walk is a haunting adventure game from Simogo that blends a dark world and involved mythology together to create an absolutely amazing experience."[13] TouchArcade liked Year Walk's companion app, feeling it freed up the game from having to rely on exposition, "Knowing which creatures exist and what they’re capable of... makes every screen transition, every peek inside an abandoned shack fraught with apprehension". Game Informer enjoyed the puzzles, saying that they often relied on clever solutions, "each demands that you think in a new and surprising way, and draws you deeper into the cold and minimalistic presentation".[14]

IGN criticized the puzzle design of the game, noting that it could often lean into obtuse solutions, "there are a handful of obstacles that are oblique in their presentation and execution, to the point where I nearly lost all motivation for solving them".[15] Pocket Gamer liked the game's atmosphere, describing it as "pervasively uneasy".[16] PC Gamer praised the constant variety in Year Walk, writing, "It's in turn bamboozling and disturbing, constantly throwing up both chilling curiosities and fresh interactive experiences".[17] Nintendo Life felt the game's story left a lasting impact, "Like most great art, though, Year Walk sticks with you well beyond your time with it".[18]

As for the Wii U version, Nintendo World Report enjoyed the title's use of motion controls with the GamePad, "This creates a whole new way to solve puzzles, from carefully manipulating an object to large and fast movements".[19]

At the 2013 Unity Awards, Year Walk won the award for Best 2D Artistic Experience.[20] Year Walk was included in Pocket Gamer's "top 10 best iPhone and iPad games of the year - 2013 edition" list.[21]

The game sold 200,000 copies in 2013.[22]

References

[edit]
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Year Walk

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from Grokipedia
Year Walk is an adventure video game developed and published by the Swedish indie studio Simogo, released on February 21, 2013, for iOS devices. Drawing directly from the ancient Swedish folk ritual of årsgång—a solitary, midnight divination walk through dark forests to glimpse future events such as deaths, marriages, or harvests—the game immerses players in a first-person narrative set in 19th-century Sweden. Players control a protagonist who, after isolating in a darkened room without food or drink to prepare for the ritual, ventures into haunted woods filled with mythical creatures like the huldra and myling, solving cryptic environmental puzzles to progress and uncover a meta-narrative involving regret and supernatural consequences. The game's atmospheric design blends 2D side-scrolling exploration with puzzle-solving, emphasizing tension, folklore authenticity, and a non-linear story structure that rewards careful observation. Simogo, founded by Simon Flesser and Helena Salabacke, crafted Year Walk as their fourth title, building on the studio's reputation for innovative mobile experiences like Device 6 and Sayonara Wild Hearts. The game's development was inspired by Flesser's discovery of årsgång in Swedish folklore texts, aiming to translate the ritual's eerie isolation and peril into interactive form without relying on jump scares, instead focusing on psychological horror and cultural depth. Accompanying the core game is the free Year Walk Companion app, which provides illustrated lore on the featured mythical beings and historical context of the ritual, enhancing the educational aspect for players unfamiliar with Scandinavian traditions. Ports followed the iOS debut, including releases for PC and Mac via Steam and the Mac App Store on March 6, 2014, and for Wii U on September 17, 2015, with the latter utilizing the GamePad for immersive inventory and map management. In 2025, Year Walk was included in the Simogo Legacy Collection, announced for release on December 2 for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Critically acclaimed for its haunting narrative and faithful integration, Year Walk received an 8/10 from , praised as a "brisk and energetic horror novella adventure" that evokes the stark visuals of while delivering a concise two-to-three-hour experience. It holds a "Very Positive" user rating on , with over 1,200 reviews highlighting its atmospheric —composed by Daniel Olsén—and replayability through hidden endings and puzzles. The game revitalized interest in , a practice documented since the late in Swedish records but largely faded by the due to its perceived dangers, including risks of madness or death from encounters. By merging gaming with ethnographic elements, Year Walk stands as a notable example of indie titles preserving .

Overview

Release and Platforms

Year Walk was initially released as a premium mobile title for devices on February 21, 2013, developed and published by the Swedish studio . Priced at $3.99 upon launch, it was designed specifically for touch-based controls on , , and , emphasizing its atmospheric adventure rooted in Swedish folklore. The game was ported to personal computers on March 6, 2014, supporting both Windows and macOS via and the . These desktop versions, initially priced at $5.99, introduced enhancements such as mouse and keyboard controls, redesigned puzzles for non-touch interfaces, an integrated encyclopedia detailing the game's mythical creatures, a hint system to assist players, and an in-game map. A console port followed for the via the on September 17, 2015, in and , with the Japanese release occurring on November 13, 2015. This version was rebuilt in collaboration with developer Dakko Dakko, incorporating Wii U-specific features like motion controls for pointing, a digital note-taking system on the GamePad, and an e-manual puzzle integration, while maintaining the core experience and adding Japanese localization. In October 2025, a minor update was deployed to the Steam version on October 10, consisting of file optimizations and depot changes without altering gameplay or adding new content. On October 28, 2025, Simogo announced the Simogo Legacy Collection as part of their 15th anniversary celebration, bundling Year Walk with six other early titles (Kosmo Spin, Bumpy Road, Beat Sneak Bandit, Interloper, Device 6, and The Sailor's Dream) for $14.99 on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2, scheduled for release on December 2, 2025 (as of November 19, 2025). These versions feature improved control support (including touchscreen, mouse, controllers, and motion controls) and bonus content such as an ebook of Year Walk side stories, to ensure compatibility and accessibility while preserving the original experience. Over its history, the game has seen periodic sales, with Steam prices dropping as low as $2.99 during promotions, and inclusions in bundles like Humble Bundles.

Premise and Inspirations

Year Walk is a horror in which the player assumes the role of Daniel Svensson, a young man in 19th-century who performs the "," or Year Walk, an ancient of rooted in Swedish folklore. This solitary journey, undertaken on (or in some variants), requires the participant to isolate themselves without food or drink beforehand, then traverse the woods and churchyard at midnight to catch glimpses of the coming year's events, often at great personal risk. Along the way, Svensson encounters supernatural beings drawn from Scandinavian mythology, such as the seductive Huldra and the ominous , heightening the ritual's peril and the player's sense of unease. The game's premise draws directly from traditional Swedish folk practices of prognostication tied to and , where individuals sought prophetic visions through hazardous nighttime walks around churches or through forests, confronting spirits that embodied omens of death, misfortune, or personal fate. These rituals, documented from the 17th century through the 19th century, emphasized psychological and physical , with participants warned that failure to complete the walk properly could result in madness or demise. , the game's developer, adapted this obscure cultural to create an immersive narrative foundation, aiming to revive forgotten myths for modern audiences without relying on conventional horror tropes like gore. Beyond , Year Walk reflects 's deliberate evolution from their earlier portfolio of whimsical, lighthearted mobile titles—such as Bumpy Road and Beat Sneak Bandit—toward atmospheric horror, marking a stylistic pivot to explore tension through ambiguity and isolation. Visual and narrative influences include the surreal animation of the 1975 Soviet film , which informed the game's storybook-like art style and dreamlike perspectives, as well as broader nods to nature-inspired 19th-century illustrations for evoking a sense of the uncanny. This shift allowed to experiment with psychological dread, prioritizing player disorientation over explicit scares. The core experience is expanded through tie-in media that deepen the lore. The free companion app, Year Walk Companion, released in 2013, serves as an interactive encyclopedia detailing the mythical creatures and rituals, while unlocking context for the game's alternate ending through the perspective of Almsten, whose investigative notes reveal additional layers of the story's events. In 2015, released the e-picturebook Year Walk: Bedtime Stories for Awful Children, featuring five original dark folktales illustrated in the game's aesthetic, which further explore moral ambiguities and supernatural encounters in Swedish woods to enrich the thematic universe.

Gameplay

Mechanics and Puzzles

Year Walk is a first-person point-and-click that employs a hybrid 2D/3D visual style, allowing players to explore side-scrolling environments in Swedish woodlands and otherworldly dimensions through intuitive navigation. Players progress by interacting with the surroundings via clicks or touches to examine objects, open pathways, and trigger events, without any mechanics or system to manage. Exploration is non-linear, encouraging backtracking across areas that shift between realities, such as past and future timelines, to uncover clues and advance the ritualistic journey. A built-in provides lore on creatures encountered, serving as contextual hints without direct puzzle solutions. The game's puzzles emphasize environmental manipulation and observation, requiring players to interact with static scenes—like aligning symbols or positioning objects—to reveal progress. Timing-based sequences demand precise actions synchronized with audio cues or environmental changes, such as waiting for specific moments in the shifting dimensions to interact successfully. Riddle-solving draws from Swedish folklore motifs, where players interpret symbolic clues from the environment or encyclopedia to decode interactions, often involving trial-and-error experimentation due to the puzzles' obtuse nature. Failure typically results in brief death animations depicting -inspired demises, followed by immediate retries from the last checkpoint, maintaining momentum without harsh penalties. Controls adapt to platforms for seamless interaction: on mobile devices, touch and swipe gestures navigate hallways and select elements, mimicking natural hand movements in the side-view perspective. The PC version uses and keyboard inputs, with left-clicks for examination and movement via directional keys or cursor dragging. For the Wii U port, the integrates motion controls for aiming interactions and its for note-taking hints, enhancing puzzle-solving by allowing players to sketch clues separately from the main screen. Later ports include an optional hint system to mitigate frustration from cryptic designs, revealing subtle guidance without spoiling solutions. A main playthrough lasts approximately 1.5 hours, though puzzle difficulty can extend this to 2-3 hours for newcomers relying on trial-and-error. Replayability arises from multiple endings, including an alternate conclusion unlocked via clues from a companion journal or app, prompting revisits to alter key interactions and explore hidden paths. This structure rewards attentive players with deeper narrative layers upon subsequent runs, without introducing new mechanics.

Art, Sound, and Technical Features

The of Year Walk draws heavily from children's book illustrations and , creating a haunting, stylized aesthetic that evokes 19th-century Swedish . Creatures and characters are depicted as 2D puppets with individually animated limbs, blending hand-crafted details with subtle 3D elements like layers in the forest environments to simulate depth through . The monochromatic winter palette, dominated by dark grays, whites, and subtle blues, reinforces themes of isolation and dread, with the 2014 PC port introducing enhanced snow effects and bloom lighting for added atmospheric immersion. Sound design emphasizes ambient audio to build tension, featuring creaking woods, crunching snow, and howling winds that form dynamic collages reacting to player proximity and actions, such as volume shifts in the Huldra's ethereal song to guide navigation. Composer Daniel Olsén crafted sparse, otherworldly that integrates seamlessly with these effects, using sustained notes and tonal cues for puzzle feedback—tinkling chimes for correct choices and dissonant strings for errors—while avoiding traditional to maintain ambiguity through text and environmental . Technically, Year Walk utilizes the Unity engine to enable cross-platform compatibility, starting with iOS optimization for Retina displays and multitouch controls in its 2013 debut. The 2014 Steam and Mac ports added controller support, achievements, and an in-game encyclopedia for folklore lore, enhancing accessibility beyond touchscreens. The 2015 Wii U version incorporated off-TV play and GamePad integration for mapping, note-taking, and motion controls, leveraging the dual-screen setup for immersive puzzle hints without breaking the atmosphere. Upcoming in the Simogo Legacy Collection, set for December 2025 release on Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and PC, the game will include expanded input options like dual-mouse controls on Switch 2 and minimal visual tweaks to preserve its original style, alongside extras such as an ebook of side stories and prototype demos.

Story and Themes

Plot Summary

Year Walk follows Daniel Svensson, a young man in 19th-century , who, driven by desperation over his for Stina—who is set to marry another due to his lowly status—undertakes the perilous ritual on to glimpse the future and alter his fate. The narrative is structured as a framed story, blending Svensson's harrowing journey through a frozen, supernatural landscape with a modern-day investigation by Theodor Almsten, who uncovers details of the event through journals and artifacts, revealing connections across time. Svensson's path requires isolation in preparation, leading to visions and encounters with entities such as the seductive , the vengeful , and other spectral beings, as he navigates toward a distant church to complete the and receive his . Non-linear elements emerge through flashbacks and Almsten's journal entries, which interweave personal regrets with the ritual's unfolding horrors, emphasizing themes of inescapable fate, the torment of , and the enduring dangers of ancient in a rational world. The story culminates in multiple outcomes depending on the ritual's success, with an alternate path accessible via the companion app's deeper lore, underscoring the psychological terror of confronting one's destiny and the blurred line between past actions and future interventions.

Folklore Integration

The core ritual of the årsgång, or year walk, serves as the foundational element of Year Walk's world-building, faithfully recreating a historical Swedish divination practice from the late through the . This rite involved during the day—such as isolation in without food, , or speech—followed by a midnight pilgrimage to a distant church to interpret omens like sounds or visions that foretold the coming year's events, including harvests or personal fortunes. The game accurately portrays the ritual's perils, including the risk of madness, death, or eternal haunting by spirits if participants broke rules like , emphasizing the guardians or "watchers" that enforced these taboos. Central to the game's integration of are eight mythical beings drawn from Swedish traditions, each encountered during the protagonist's journey and linked to puzzles that unveil deeper cultural narratives. For instance, the Näcken appears as a seductive who lures victims to drown with enchanting music, reflecting its role in as a perilous entity inhabiting streams and lakes. Similarly, the manifests as a spectral guardian of sacred grounds, often depicted as a grim figure protecting churchyards from , while the Huldra embodies a forest seductress with a hollow back, symbolizing the dangers of straying into wild, untamed spaces. Other creatures, such as the Brook Horse (a malevolent steed that drowns riders), the (unquiet spirits of unbaptized infants seeking burial), the (a harbinger of with ominous cries), the (a spirit that ensnares hunters), and the Watchers (punitive overseers of rules), are profiled in the game's companion materials, blending horror with ethnographic insight into their origins as cautionary figures in rural Swedish lore. To ensure cultural accuracy, the developers consulted Swedish anthropological experts, including Theodor Almsten, who drew from rare 19th-century sources like local folk manuscripts to authenticate depictions of the and its associated myths. This approach integrates recurring motifs, such as watchers who punish rule-breakers with madness or demise, while merging terror with subtle education on how these beings warned against or isolation in . Thematically, Year Walk delves into folklore's function in pre-modern Swedish communities as a mechanism for grappling with existential uncertainties, such as crop failures or untimely deaths, by ritualistically engaging the to impose order on chaos. This is contrasted through a framing set in the , where a rationalist dismisses such traditions as primitive superstitions, only to confront their lingering potency, highlighting the tension between empirical and enduring mythic worldviews. The 2015 companion e-book, Year Walk: Bedtime Stories for Awful Children, extends this integration via a free illustrated collection featuring five original tales rooted in the same , reimagining creatures like the Huldra in child-accessible yet narratives that preserve the myths' moral ambiguities and dark whimsy.

Development

Concept Origins

The concept for Year Walk originated in 2011 as a horror script written by Swedish Jonas Tarestad, inspired by the ancient Swedish of "" (year walking), which he discovered in Ebbe Schön's book Folktrons År. Tarestad casually shared the script with Simogo co-founder Simon Flesser, who recognized its potential for adaptation into an interactive experience. Simogo, the Malmö-based studio founded by Flesser and Magnus "Gordon" Gardebäck, selected the script for their fourth iOS project, internally code-named "Game 4," marking a deliberate pivot from their earlier whimsical titles such as Beat Sneak Bandit () toward a more mature, horror-oriented narrative. This shift allowed the duo to explore darker themes while leveraging their expertise in mobile storytelling. Early creative decisions emphasized building atmospheric dread through subtle tension and environmental immersion, deliberately avoiding reliance on jumpscares to heighten psychological unease. From the outset, the team incorporated an interactive encyclopedia—later realized as the companion app Year Walk Companion—to provide contextual lore on rituals and mythical creatures, enhancing player engagement with the cultural elements. The core development team consisted of Flesser, who handled design, art, and sound, and Gardebäck, responsible for programming, with external collaborators including Tarestad for the adapted script and composers Daniel Olsén and Jonathan Eng for the haunting audio landscape. began in 2012 with prototyping focused on the , such as first-person in a 2D environment via touch controls, to create an intimate horror experience tailored for mobile devices. This mobile-first approach stemmed from Simogo's desire to exploit the iPhone's portability for personal, immersive encounters with .

Production and Adaptations

Development of Year Walk began in mid-2012 following the completion of Simogo's prior project, Beat Sneak Bandit, with an initial prototype created in late March 2012 using Unity for rapid iteration on its 2D first-person mechanics. The core team consisted of founders Simon Flesser and Magnus "Gordon" Gardebäck, augmented by freelancers and collaborators including composers Daniel Olsén and Jonathan Eng, researcher Theodor Almsten, and writer Jonas Tarestad for the narrative script inspired by Swedish . Over approximately 10 months, the project evolved from scrapped third-person prototypes to a touch-optimized experience, emphasizing atmospheric tension through custom tools like Maya for 3D modeling, Photoshop for visuals, and Audacity for audio. Key challenges during production included designing intuitive controls for mobile swiping in a 2D first-person view, akin to navigating web pages, while ensuring puzzle difficulty fostered immersion without causing excessive frustration. The integration of the companion app, which provided deeper context via entries on mythical , required careful balancing to enhance the narrative without disrupting the core game's flow or requiring constant device switching. 's small indie scope prioritized conceptual depth in horror and puzzle over expansive scale, resulting in a focused experience completed by early 2013. The original iOS release on February 21, 2013, was tailored for touch and gyroscopic inputs, leveraging for interactions like rotating objects. For the PC and Mac ports launched on March 6, 2014, redesigned several puzzles to accommodate mouse and keyboard controls, replacing touch-specific mechanics with new interactions, while adding features such as an in-game map, hint system, achievements, and an integrated drawn from the companion app. Updated artwork and entirely new puzzles were incorporated to refresh the experience for desktop platforms. The adaptation, released on September 17, 2015, involved a full rebuild in collaboration with developer Dakko Dakko to incorporate the for simultaneous access to the map, hints, and encyclopedia, including a built-in note-taking feature. New motion controls allowed players to "point" on-screen elements, with several puzzles redesigned for the hardware's tactile feedback and localization added for broader accessibility. Post-launch updates included the 2014 Steam enhancements, which introduced additional puzzles and refined visuals to better suit PC hardware. In 2025, Simogo announced the Simogo Legacy Collection for its 15th anniversary, revisiting Year Walk alongside other titles for ports to modern platforms including and , with optimizations for contemporary hardware while preserving the original's atmospheric integrity. The collection is slated for release on December 2, 2025.

Reception and Legacy

Critical Response

Year Walk received generally favorable critical reception upon its release across multiple platforms. The version earned a score of 87/100 based on 32 critic reviews, indicating universal acclaim, while the PC port scored 87/100 and the version 82/100. On , the game holds a "Very Positive" user rating, with approximately 90% of 1,241 reviews positive as of 2025. Critics widely praised the game's atmospheric immersion and haunting aesthetic, with TouchArcade describing it as a "gripping, somber, atmospheric, and elegantly-designed" experience that creates a sense of dread through its snowy, folklore-inspired world. The innovative integration of Swedish mythology was highlighted as a standout feature, earning a perfect 5/5 score from 148 Apps for its mysterious and culturally rich narrative that blends ritualistic horror with puzzle-solving. Reviewers also appreciated the game's concise length, typically 1-2 hours, which delivers a focused and impactful emotional journey without unnecessary padding, allowing players to experience its themes of isolation and the in a single, memorable sitting. Common criticisms centered on the puzzle design, which some found obtuse and requiring external hints or trial-and-error, potentially frustrating casual players lacking hand-holding guidance. awarded it 8/10 but noted that while inventive obstacles were engaging, "obtuse obstructions still retain their inherent frustration," leading to moments of aimless wandering. echoed this, scoring 84/100 and observing that the , though part of the charm, could feel overly cryptic without the added hint system in later ports. Platform-specific feedback highlighted the Wii U version's effective use of the , which Life praised in its 8/10 review for integrating a , , notepad, and audio cues on the secondary screen to enhance immersion and reduce frustration from navigation. In October 2025, developer announced the Simogo Legacy Collection for and Switch 2, including Year Walk alongside bonus content like an e-book and unreleased prototypes, set for release on , which has generated excitement for broader on modern consoles. Notable reviews include Eurogamer's 9/10, which lauded the horror execution as a "poised, playful" that masterfully balances tension and imagination through its unique swiping mechanics and folklore-driven plot. Common Sense Media described it as delivering family-friendly psychological scares suitable for ages 13 and up, emphasizing its tone without relying on gore or jump scares.

Commercial Performance and Awards

Year Walk experienced strong initial commercial success following its iOS launch in February 2013, selling 100,000 copies on the App Store within its first two months. By November 2013, sales had climbed to 170,000 units, helping propel Simogo's overall revenue to an estimated SEK 4.5 million (approximately $700,000) for the year. The game ultimately sold 200,000 copies in its debut year, yielding about £498,000 in gross revenue at a price point of £2.49. These figures represented a significant milestone for the independent studio, with net earnings after Apple's 30% cut estimated at £348,600. The PC port on , released in March 2014, saw more modest engagement, achieving a peak of 79 concurrent players on January 2, 2015. By 2025, daily active players had stabilized at a low but consistent level of 2 to 10. Inclusion in the weekly promotion in January 2015 extended the game's reach and longevity through discounted bundles alongside titles like Dust: An Elysian Tail. In terms of awards, Year Walk received the Best 2D Artistic Experience at the Unity Awards, recognizing its innovative visual design. It was nominated for Excellence in Visual Art at the 2014 , highlighting its storytelling rooted in Swedish folklore. Apple featured the game as Game of the Day upon launch, underscoring its immediate appeal. Additionally, it earned Game App of the Year at Sweden's Dataspelsgalan and runner-up for TouchArcade's Game of the Year in . Key milestones included its selection for Pocket Gamer's top 10 and games of 2013, boosting visibility in the mobile horror genre. The Wii U eShop release in September 2015 further solidified its niche in console horror adventures, leveraging the for immersive puzzle-solving. In October 2025, announced ports of Year Walk to additional platforms, including , as part of a legacy collection marking the studio's 15th anniversary, anticipated to drive renewed sales into 2026.

References

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  4. https://store.steampowered.com/app/269050/Year_Walk/
  5. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/year-walk-companion/id597879895
  6. https://simogo.com/work/simogolegacycollection/
  7. https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/21/year-walk-review
  8. https://danielolsen.bandcamp.com/album/year-walk
  9. https://steamdb.info/app/269050/
  10. https://steamdb.info/patchnotes/20336788/
  11. https://www.engadget.com/year-walk-device-6-and-other-early-simogo-games-are-coming-to-steam-and-nintendo-consoles-160056076.html
  12. https://folklore.usc.edu/swedish-arsgang-the-year-walk/
  13. https://www.polygon.com/features/2013/8/1/4546026/simogo-year-walk/
  14. https://www.macstories.net/reviews/year-walk/
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  26. https://illgaming.net/year-walk-review/
  27. https://metro.co.uk/2015/09/23/year-walk-wii-u-review-from-smartphone-to-gamepad-5403572/
  28. https://howlongtobeat.com/game/11429
  29. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=368556001
  30. https://www.macstories.net/reviews/year-walk-review/
  31. https://www.thesoundarchitect.co.uk/supporting-sounds-how-audio-functions-as-feedback-in-year-walk/
  32. https://media.gdcvault.com/gdc2015/presentations/Olsen_Daniel_The_Sounds_of.pdf
  33. https://simogo.com/2013/03/20/year-walk-music-out-now/
  34. https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Year_Walk
  35. https://simogo.com/work/year-walk/year-walk-and-the-wii-u-gamepad/
  36. https://pixelkin.org/2014/04/10/review-year-walk/
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  38. https://simogo.fandom.com/wiki/Year_Walk_Companion
  39. https://www.popmatters.com/185703-living-folklore-in-year-walk-2495616684.html
  40. https://simogo.com/2012/10/11/collaborators-part-02-research/
  41. https://www.campustimes.org/2015/02/19/year-walk-dark-mythology-redux/
  42. https://su.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:944806/FULLTEXT01.pdf
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  44. https://simogo.com/2013/03/15/year-walk-the-early-days/
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  46. https://simogo.com/work/device-6/
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  48. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/into-the-dark-year-walk-strolling-onto-steam
  49. https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/07/14/simogo-announces-year-walk-for-wii-u
  50. https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/08/interview_simogo_and_dakko_dakko_explain_why_year_walk_is_coming_home_on_wii_u
  51. https://store.steampowered.com/app/3817040/Simogo_Legacy_Collection/
  52. https://www.metacritic.com/game/year-walk/
  53. https://toucharcade.com/2013/02/21/year-walk-review-be-careful-what-you-wish-for/
  54. https://www.148apps.com/year-walk/year-walk-review/
  55. https://www.pcgamer.com/year-walk-review/
  56. https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/wiiu-eshop/year_walk
  57. https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/10/simogo-celebrates-15th-anniversary-in-style-with-switch-2-ports-a-compilation-and-a-gorgeous-book
  58. https://www.eurogamer.net/year-walk-review
  59. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews/year-walk
  60. https://simogo.com/2013/04/05/year-walk-x-100-000/
  61. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/simogo-on-course-to-double-revenue-in-2013
  62. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/08/simogo-year-walk-iphone-ipad-sales
  63. https://steamdb.info/app/269050/charts/
  64. https://gamingbolt.com/dust-an-elysian-tail-and-year-walk-part-of-weekly-humble-bundle
  65. https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-room-and-year-walk-honoured-at-unity-awards-2013/
  66. https://www.pocketgamer.com/year-walk/year-walk-super-hexagon-and-bad-hotel-amongst-2013-igf-award-finalists/
  67. https://www.engadget.com/2013-02-21-daily-iphone-app-year-walk-exudes-a-mysterious-and-personal-fee.html
  68. https://www.gamespress.com/SIMOGO-REVEALS-NEW-PROJECTS-INCLUDING-COLLECTION-AND-BOOK-IN-SIMOGO-15
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