–last updated December 19, 2020

Thatgamecompany’s indie smash hit Journey was released all the way back in 2012. I still remember 2012 – I was a sophomore in high school with no money and thus no way to get new games. Still, I would have scraped whatever I could together or tried asking my parents had I knew what I was missing out on.

In Journey, the player controls a nameless, red-robed protagonist. They meander through deserts, soar above ruins, and behold breathtaking spectacles.

By this point, you’ve probably already heard praise for the game (it won several awards and is widely considered to be one of the best video games of all time). But let me tell you why it’s still one of the best, at least for me.

Let’s get the stuff people have already said out of the way – the simplicity of the visual art style is quite beautiful. The auditory art (music and sound design) is arguably superior even to that of the visuals. Everything about the game was designed to evoke emotion from the player, and it does that so well. The final major point harped on already is the chance to meet another player who you can possibly complete the game with.

My experience was just that – I met two players in my journey. The first departed abruptly. Moments after, I met another player who I played through nearly the entire game with. We completed all but the very first area together. There were times when I thought I had lost them, but we found one another, rapidly chiming at one another in excitement and relief (the game’s only mode of communication between players is a faint chime emitted by a single button press). They must have been a veteran at the game, because they made sure to lead me to every collectible along the way, as well as show me every gorgeous setpiece. When we finished Journey, I literally held a stunned expression, reciting the phrase, “this is amazing” repeatedly. Though the game was short, it was one of the best I’ve ever played.

Another major accomplishment that Journey nailed was what it said about indie games. Its quality expressed the now-popular idea that indie games can be just as good as, or superior to, those produced by much larger development teams and studios. Before Journey, it had been awhile since i played an indie game. Now, I aim to give them a lot more of my time and money.

Furthermore, Journey reminded me how important simplicity is. It’s easy to get caught up in the expectations of one’s own surroundings, just like it’s easy to think that complexity equates to quality or excellence. In reality, beauty exists in a product, regardless of its complexity, because of the execution. Journey has that in spades. It has inspired me to try keeping things simple more often, as well as appreciate when something simple does something well. Throughout my own journeys, I doubt it will be anytime soon that I forget the one Thatgamecompany made.