Year Walk Review

Back in the days of old people did the strangest things to learn about their future. One of these strange rituals is the Year Walk. The game starts out with Daniel who is visiting his lover Stina. Stina tells Daniel that she has been proposed to by another man, leaving Daniel distraught. She warns him about doing the Year Walk and reminds him of what happend to her cousin when he did it.

Daniel does not heed the warning and begins his Year Walk. The main goal is to get to the church to look through the keyhole and see the future. On his way to the church he runs in to mythical creatures from Swedish folklore. Daniel meets the following:

The Night Raven

A creature from Norse mythology, the Night Raven is a bird with no eyes, and looking into it’s empty sockets will cause death to the onlooker.

The Mylings

Souls of lost children roaming earth untill they can convince someone to give them a proper buryal. Mylings came to exist if they were born unwanted, and killed by the mother.

The Brook Horse

A white horse appearing near rivers during foggy weather. Getting on the back of the horse would mean certain death as it would ride into the river, drowning the victim.

The Huldra

A seductive creature living in the forest, known as a forest spirit.

The Church Grim

The guardian spirit watching over a Christian church, and a protector of the graveyard.

After encountering (and helping) these creatures of olde Daniel gets to the church, walks through the doors and gets to witness his future.

Year Walk is first and foremost a puzzle game. You walk around the in-game world using your problemsolving skills in order to help the creatures, and getting keys to progress your Year Walk. The in-game world has a nice, unique art-style and is at times quite creepy. The horror elements are well done, albeit some relying on jump-scares. The game is atmospheric, and the ambient track and occational music really helps set the tone.

Whilst playing the game you can’t help but learn a bit about the Swedish (and even Scandinavian) folklore that inspired the game. This reimagined version works well, an example being the game is taking place in the 19th century, but still the Brook Horse is sporting a modern suit, making it look more unsettling. This link from past to future is also evident if you choose to play the game after ending your Year Walk, where you learn there is a connection between 19th century Daniel and a modern-day historian looking into what happend to Daniel.

The game itself is a short one, even when going through the ‘extra matieral’ after beating the game. Despite being short it is still a fantastic game. The story is unique and interesting, the artstyle is cool and the ambience eerily and fitting. It leaves you with a hunger to learn more about the creatures you meet and even more so the inspiration for the game – Årsgång (Year Walk translated from Swedish).

If you are a fan of horror and/or folklore the game is right up your alley. It breaks from the usual storytelling from Scandinavia (that being mostly of Norse mythology), and tells some lesser known folktales. It will not fail to both creep you out and leave you interested. Available on almost all platforms (phones included) for a minimal price, this is a game worth picking up – maybe even on New Years Eve for your very own Year Walk.