Cover artwork I generate from the game data. I do not use publisher artwork.
Game profile
Journey
A silent desert wanderer travels toward a distant mountain, occasionally crossing paths with other travelers without a single word exchanged. The journey barely lasts three hours but leaves a lasting emotional impact.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is Adventure, set in an abstract, non-literal space. Visually it is deliberately stylised rather than photorealistic, and the overall tone stays light and upbeat. The world is open, so wandering off and ignoring the main path is part of the deal. It is built around short sessions, which makes it easy to pick up for half an hour.
Difficulty stays forgiving, so progress rarely depends on your reflexes. The story matters and gives the mechanics a frame, without taking over. Co-op is supported, so you can bring someone along. It runs on 3 platforms. It sits in the budget bracket.
What stands out
- Wordless communication
- Short, intense journey
- Iconic soundtrack
This fits you if
- you want to wind down rather than be tested
- you want to live through a story, not just play a system
- you usually have thirty to sixty minutes and want that to be enough
- you like getting lost and ignoring the main objective for hours
- you want zero frustration and no difficulty wall
- you have someone to play with
Look elsewhere if
- you need real difficulty to stay interested
- you want something that lasts, this is over after 3 hours
- you play alone, this needs other people
- you want something with real weight to it
What it costs you in time
About 3 hours in total. That is roughly 2 evening(s), so you can realistically finish it this week.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 94 out of 100, which puts it above 97 percent of the 1206 games here and at rank 26 overall. That is a strong score, comfortably above what most releases manage.
For comparison, Adventure averages 83 points across the database, so this one sits 11 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 1176 collected ratings.
Released in 2012, which makes it 14 years old. A genuine classic, and worth checking how the version you buy holds up today.
The facts
- Release year
- 2012
- Genres
- Adventure
- Playtime
- approx. 3 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Relaxed, forgiving
- Story weight
- Present and relevant
- Play with
- Co-op
- Setting
- Abstract
- Visual style
- Stylised
- Price bracket
- Budget
- Platforms
- PC, PlayStation, Mobile
- Critic rating
- 94 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journey | 2012 | approx. 3 hrs. | 94 | Budget |
| Monument Valley 2 | 2017 | approx. 3 hrs. | 88 | Budget |
| Gris | 2018 | approx. 4 hrs. | 81 | Budget |
| Monument Valley | 2014 | approx. 3 hrs. | 90 | Budget |
If you liked this, try these
- Monument Valley 2 Shared: Adventure, Abstract
- Gris Shared: Adventure, Abstract
- Monument Valley Shared: Adventure, Abstract
- Keeper Shared: Adventure, longer
- Once Upon a Katamari Shared: Adventure, Abstract, longer
- West of Loathing Shared: Adventure, longer