Walking simulators are a very interesting type of video game. Rather than having a lot of action, walking simulators are exactly what they sound like. They are games that heavily focus on their stories, often with mystery or horror elements, in which players walk around. Most of these titles are short and can be beaten in just a couple of hours.

RELATED: 10 Awesome Looking Indie Games That Are Actually Releasing In 2021

Because of this, many gamers underestimate how great the genre can be. Be it a person who has never tried this genre before or a fan looking to find another title to enjoy, these ten games are some of the best walking simulators ever made.

10 Dear Esther

Dear Esther begins once the main character arrives on an island that he wanted to go to. As the players explore the island, they can hear the man read letters to a woman named Esther. It is up to the players to determine what these beautifully written letters actually mean in order to figure out the true story of the game.

As the story progresses, players see how stunning the island is until they reach the top of it, where the main character wanted to go in order to be with Esther.

9 Gone Home

Another very popular walking simulator is Gone Home. Before the game begins, Katie's family had moved to a new house that she had never seen before. When she moves there and expects to see them, she is surprised to find that they aren't around.

Players control Katie as she searches for answers to figure out where they are. In doing so, she learns a lot of things about her sister, Sam, that she didn't know before.

8 The Unfinished Swan

After a woman who didn't complete her painting of a swan dies, her son, Monroe, finds himself inside of an artist's world. Players control him as he follows the swan and learns the story of the king that ruled this world.

RELATED: The 10 Best Indie Games Of 2020 (According To Metacritic)

With its creative design and the history of the king's world, The Unfinished Swan is one of the most unique walking simulators ever created.

7 That Dragon, Cancer

Another game with an incredibly unique art style that focuses on a young boy is That Dragon, Cancer. However, this title, which is based on a true story, is much sadder than The Unfinished Swan.

After their son, Joel, is diagnosed with cancer, his parents, who are based on the creators of the game, go through experiences that nobody should ever have to face. This beautifully heartbreaking insight into Joel and his parents' lives is one of the most impactful and underrated titles ever made.

6 The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter

After a boy named Ethan Carter disappears, Paul Prospero, an investigator, searches for him. As players explore the town that Ethan lived in, they find that nobody else is around either. However, players can use Paul's detective skills to figure out things that the people who were there had done before the game began.

Throughout the title, Paul has supernatural encounters that are the last thing one would expect in a small, quiet town. These encounters, however, pave the way to learning what happened to Ethan and his family, with the answer coming as quite a surprise.

5 SOMA

Most walking simulators are very short. For those that want a longer game, SOMA is a great choice. Players control Simon, a man who woke up in the future after having a brain scan. He finds out that a lot has changed in the decades he can't remember and joins a scientist named Catherine to save what is left of humanity.

RELATED: The 10 Best Horror Games Of The Generation (According To Metacritic)

However, as the game progresses, Simon learns that humans aren't the same beings they were back in his time period, and players are left to wonder what humanity actually is. Though this game is considered a walking simulator, it can also be thought of as a horror game as there are enemies that may scare players.

4 Everybody's Gone To The Rapture

Like The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, this game, which was made by the same company that worked on Dear Esther, has the player explore an abandoned town. The point is to learn about the people that lived in the town and what was going on in their lives before they all disappeared.

Two scientists, Stephen and Kate, discovered a disease that can kill people without making contact with others. It can infect people through technology, and the victims disappear after they pass. Though the main story of the game is the struggle that the scientists faced against the disease, there are quite a few side stories.

3 The Stanley Parable

After going to work one day to find that he hadn't been given any instructions on his job, Stanley finds out that his coworkers and boss are nowhere to be seen. Exploring the building, he quickly discovers that the company he works for has been controlling his mind.

To get his life back, Stanley escapes, turns the power of the mind control machine off, and goes outside, only to find himself back in the building. Players control Stanley as they try to escape the company, but every time something goes wrong. Will Stanley ever get out?

2 Firewatch

When Henry tried to escape his life by becoming a fire watcher, he had no idea how scary the job would be. At the beginning of the game, players learn about the life he led leading up to his arrival at Shoshone National Forest, and they can make decisions on the experiences he had.

Once Henry starts speaking to another fire watcher and boss, Delilah, the two work together to uncover mysteries in the forest, though they never actually seeing each other. However, it may have been best if they never searched for the answers to their questions.

1 What Remains Of Edith Finch

Made by the same people that created The Unfinished Swan, What Remains of Edith Finch is often regarded as the greatest game in the genre. The story is about a girl named Edith Finch who returns to her childhood home after being away for a few years. She explores areas of the house that she had never seen before and learns more about her family's cursed history as only one child from each generation lives to be an adult.

As Edith learns about how her relatives passed, players get to switch between playing as Edith and her family members. Each death tells a short story, with many of them being deep despite their short length. For those that want an emotional game that will most likely make an impact on them, there are few video games better than What Remains of Edith Finch.

NEXT: 10 Walking Sims You Need To Play If You Loved What Remains Of Edith Finch