The Walk Game by Six to Start

The Walk Game – If you remember my post about the running game I play, Zombies, Run! from six to start (if you never saw the post you can read it here). Well, they just released a new game called The Walk. I will try and describe some details about the game without giving away any secrets of the storyline.

Here is the description as per thewalkgame.com website:

A bomb explodes in Inverness station, and you're given a package that could save the world. To stay alive, you'll need to walk the length of the UK.

The Walk is more than just a (great) pedometer — it's a way to turn walking into a journey, a challenge, and a rip-roaring adventure.

The game is similar to and completely different than the Zombies,Run! game. You still have episodes throughout the game like in Zombies, but instead of choosing an episode and going for a run or a walk the app functions as a pedometer. As you walk through your day you move through the game and as you move through the game you unlock various audio clips revealing more and more of the story.

At first I started listening to them as I unlocked them, but then I found out that it was better to listen to them in a bundle. Say there are 7 audio clips per episode and the episode has a length of 66 min of walking to complete. I stick the phone in my pocket and leave the app open throughout my day. As the day progresses and I walk throughout, I move through the game board or in this case map.

Once I complete the map in that particular episode I will listen to all of the clips that I unlock. This makes the story more enjoyable and I have found that I rather like knowing how much I walk throughout my day.

There have even been a few times throughout my day where I am very close to unlocking the next clip or finishing an episode where I will maybe take the long way to where I am going or take the stairs instead of the elevator. This was the reason that the app was created. It was created in conjunction with the UK Department of Health for the NHS as a way to get people to be more active throughout their day, not just once per day like going for a bike ride or a jog.

As a person who is currently using the app, it works! I believe that it is a fun way to encourage people to walk more and in general be more active.

There are a few things that I do not like about the app such as there is no online tracking feature like Zombies to track how much you

walked over the history of the game, the feature for tracking your achievements seems to me to be too general and I’m not a fan of the way to switch between episodes or track your progress across the UK. Aside from these minor complaints of the app, I do like the tracking feature as it knows when I’m driving and when I am walking or not doing anything. I also generally like the app. It has indeed made me walk more at work and I never realized that I was walking over 3 miles at my job on a normal day, but on a slow day I had to push to make it to two miles.

At any rate I really do like the app and I believe that it has potential. I am also one of those people that like to track my progress and get rewards for my workouts. This app does that trick. I recommend it and really like it despite the changed I think need to be made.

All images are courtesy of six to start and Naomi Alderman via their media package.