Year Walk in IOS

Adventure

Walkthrough, Guilds, Tips on this special game

Our Site Score

95/100

Year Walk is a hauntingly beautiful experience that defies easy categorization. It’s loosely a puzzle game, but it’s more of an atmospheric journey into Swedish folklore. The art style is striking—flat, paper-doll-like figures in a 2D-scrolling 3D world—and the sound design is genuinely unsettling. It captures the feeling of being lost in a cold, mystical forest perfectly.

The puzzles are some of the most innovative I've encountered on a mobile device, often requiring you to interact with the hardware in ways you wouldn't expect. It’s dark, cryptic, and deeply moving. It doesn't hold your hand; instead, it expects you to pay attention to the environment and the lore. This isn't just a game; it's a piece of interactive art that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

Reviewed on: Fri Feb 27 2026
Dinsun Avatar

Dinsun Review

Every once in a long while, a game comes along that reminds me why I still bother with this medium. Year Walk is one of them. It is profoundly unsettling, not through cheap jump scares, but through an oppressive, thick atmosphere that stays with you. The use of Swedish folklore is inspired—it’s refreshing to see something other than the tired Lovecraftian or zombie tropes. The puzzles are genuinely difficult; they don't treat you like a child. You actually have to take notes, listen to sounds, and observe the environment.

From a conservative standpoint, I appreciate the craftsmanship here. It’s a singular, artistic vision that doesn't compromise for mass appeal. The sound design is spectacular—the crunch of snow underfoot is more terrifying here than a monster in most other games. My only real issue is the 'Year Walk Companion' app requirement; while it adds flavor, it can be a bit clunky to switch back and forth. But that’s a small price to pay for such a deep, rewarding experience. It’s short, but it’s dense. It’s high art in a medium usually filled with trash.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

  • Incredible, haunting atmosphere
  • Deeply integrated folklore and myth
  • Challenging and rewarding puzzles
  • A bit too short
  • Switching to the Companion app can break immersion
  • Controls can be slightly obtuse

Technical Report

Performance: Artistic use of depth and perspective runs smoothly on all iOS hardware.

Accessibility:
  • Subtitles
  • Audio cues (essential for some puzzles)

Audience Fit

Buy if: You want a mature, eerie, and intellectually stimulating adventure.

Skip if: You want an action game or get frustrated by difficult puzzles.

Similar Games:
  • The Room
  • Device 6
  • Rusty Lake

Reviewer Context

  • Reviewer: Dinsun, a very critical gamer, very hard on the score
  • Hardware: iPhone 13 Pro
  • Playtime: 5 hours
  • Status: Finished with the true ending

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

Version 1.4Fri Nov 09 2018

- Added support for new devices


In the old days man tried to catch a glimpse of the future in the strangest of ways.

Experience the ancient Swedish phenomena of year walking through a different kind of first person adventure that blurs the line between two and three dimensions as well as reality and the supernatural.

Venture out into the dark woods where strange creatures roam, on a vision quest set in 19th century Sweden. Solve cryptic puzzles, touch and listen in your search to foresee the future and finally discover if your loved one will love you back.

Mysteries and clues await everywhere in Year Walk, but to fully understand the events that took place on that cold New Year's Eve, you will have to delve deeper than the adventure and lose yourself between fact and fiction.

For the complete Year Walk experience, or if you're curious about the folk lore on which Year Walk is based, we recommend downloading Year Walk Companion, available for free on the App Store.

"An iOS game like nothing else you’ve seen on the format to date.

This is a brave and truly original work"

Edge - 9/10

"Elegant and artful, Year Walk is an unmissable piece of work.

You can close the app and put down the phone, but the forest may spread beyond its glassy confines, its spindly, silver-skinned trees taking root in your own home, your own dreams."

Eurogamer - 9/10

"A game this distinctive, this different, this thrillingly new is the best possible demonstration of the format’s versatility; indeed, of the narrative power of the interactive medium. Simogo has made something very special here."

The Telegraph - 5/5

"It's a gripping, somber, atmospheric, and elegantly-designed game, and everyone should play it.

I've never played anything quite like it."

Touch Arcade 5/5

"An incredible showcase for the potential of tablet games and will undoubtedly become influential over the next few years."

CVG - 9/10

"Simogo has packed Year Walk with a hefty share of spine-tingling jump scares, but it’s these external trappings that cause the game’s lore to get under your skin and stick with you long after your phone or tablet has been turned off."

Gamezebo - 4,5/5

"Year Walk is smart, thrilling, and absolutely stunningly crafted. It'll throw you for a loop, leaving you transfixed to the screen until you shake out all of its dark secrets."

Mac|Life - 5/5

"As with any good page-turner, you won't want to put this game down until you get to the end. It's quite a journey, too. Year Walk is a beguiling adventure, and a truly memorable experience."

Pocketgamer - 8/10


Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

In the old days man tried to catch a glimpse of the future in the strangest of ways.

Experience the ancient Swedish phenomena of year walking through a different kind of first person adventure that blurs the line between two and three dimensions as well as reality and the supernatural.

Venture out into the dark woods where strange creatures roam, on a vision quest set in 19th century Sweden. Solve cryptic puzzles, touch and listen in your search to foresee the future and finally discover if your loved one will love you back.

Mysteries and clues await everywhere in Year Walk, but to fully understand the events that took place on that cold New Year's Eve, you will have to delve deeper than the adventure and lose yourself between fact and fiction.

For the complete Year Walk experience, or if you're curious about the folk lore on which Year Walk is based, we recommend downloading Year Walk Companion, available for free on the App Store.

"An iOS game like nothing else you’ve seen on the format to date.

This is a brave and truly original work"

Edge - 9/10

"Elegant and artful, Year Walk is an unmissable piece of work.

You can close the app and put down the phone, but the forest may spread beyond its glassy confines, its spindly, silver-skinned trees taking root in your own home, your own dreams."

Eurogamer - 9/10

"A game this distinctive, this different, this thrillingly new is the best possible demonstration of the format’s versatility; indeed, of the narrative power of the interactive medium. Simogo has made something very special here."

The Telegraph - 5/5

"It's a gripping, somber, atmospheric, and elegantly-designed game, and everyone should play it.

I've never played anything quite like it."

Touch Arcade 5/5

"An incredible showcase for the potential of tablet games and will undoubtedly become influential over the next few years."

CVG - 9/10

"Simogo has packed Year Walk with a hefty share of spine-tingling jump scares, but it’s these external trappings that cause the game’s lore to get under your skin and stick with you long after your phone or tablet has been turned off."

Gamezebo - 4,5/5

"Year Walk is smart, thrilling, and absolutely stunningly crafted. It'll throw you for a loop, leaving you transfixed to the screen until you shake out all of its dark secrets."

Mac|Life - 5/5

"As with any good page-turner, you won't want to put this game down until you get to the end. It's quite a journey, too. Year Walk is a beguiling adventure, and a truly memorable experience."

Pocketgamer - 8/10


Ratings & Reviews

4.2 out of 5 with 364 Counts
Age Rating 13+

Screenshots

Year Walk screenshot 1Year Walk screenshot 2Year Walk screenshot 3Year Walk screenshot 4Year Walk screenshot 5Year Walk screenshot 6Year Walk screenshot 7Year Walk screenshot 8Year Walk screenshot 9Year Walk screenshot 10

In the old days, man sought to see the future through the strange phenomenon of 'year walking.' Year Walk is a first-person adventure that blurs the line between two and three dimensions, as well as reality and the supernatural. Venture into the dark woods of 19th-century Sweden to encounter creatures like the Huldra and the Brook Horse. To solve the puzzles, you must listen, observe, and use your device in ways you never thought possible.

Features

1

Stunning 2D/3D hybrid art style

2

Deeply immersive sound design

3

Cryptic, challenging puzzles

4

Richly detailed Swedish folklore setting

Tips

Promotion Videos

Year Walk - Trailer - YouTube

Related Videos

Recommended Links

Simogo Official Site

The developer's page featuring their other acclaimed titles.

Developer

News on this game

Unity Awards 2013 finalists announced

Unity Technologies has announced the finalists for its 2013 Unity Awards, taking place during the company's Unite 2013 …

VG247 - Mon Mar 02 2015

Gameplays

Q&A

It is atmospheric and eerie with some startling moments, but it focuses more on mystery and folklore than traditional horror.

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