The Gametrekking Omnibus
Jordan Magnuson · 2022 · Short, Experimental, Minimalist, Historical, Politics
PC
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About The Gametrekking Omnibus
The Gametrekking Omnibus is a collection of tiny games (and "notgames") inspired by travel in Asia.
In 2010, after a successful Kickstarter, I set off to travel Asia on a shoestring budget with a vague plan to create small, experimental games about the things that impacted me along the way. This omnibus, originally released in 2012, and now available on Steam ten years later, is a collection of the games that came out of that journey.
Note: these games do not present an objective perspective on the countries they depict. Rather, they are subjective reflections on the experiences and histories that impacted a vagabond outsider traveling through these locations--a kind of travel writing made up of interactive sketches.
The games in this collection represent small, unusual videogames that require no particular gaming skills, and rarely take more than five minutes to play through. They have few clear rules or objectives, and seldom include elements that align with traditional notions of "fun." Rather, they are games about slowing down and paying attention, being open to unusual experience, encountering the other, and processing response. I often refer to them as "notgames" or "game poems."
The Game trekking project has been featured by Wired, PC Gamer, EGM, Le Monde, and others, and even included in The Cambridge History of Travel Writing. I hope you enjoy checking out this unusual collection.
The following games are included in the omnibus:
In 2010, after a successful Kickstarter, I set off to travel Asia on a shoestring budget with a vague plan to create small, experimental games about the things that impacted me along the way. This omnibus, originally released in 2012, and now available on Steam ten years later, is a collection of the games that came out of that journey.
Note: these games do not present an objective perspective on the countries they depict. Rather, they are subjective reflections on the experiences and histories that impacted a vagabond outsider traveling through these locations--a kind of travel writing made up of interactive sketches.
The games in this collection represent small, unusual videogames that require no particular gaming skills, and rarely take more than five minutes to play through. They have few clear rules or objectives, and seldom include elements that align with traditional notions of "fun." Rather, they are games about slowing down and paying attention, being open to unusual experience, encountering the other, and processing response. I often refer to them as "notgames" or "game poems."
The Game trekking project has been featured by Wired, PC Gamer, EGM, Le Monde, and others, and even included in The Cambridge History of Travel Writing. I hope you enjoy checking out this unusual collection.
The following games are included in the omnibus:
- Freedom Bridge
- Loneliness
- Status Quo (aka "Taiwan")
- The Kindness of Strangers
- The Heart Attack
- Grandmother
- The Killer
- A Brief History of Cambodia
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
"The Gametrekking Omnibus" is a collection of low quality/minimalist minigames with a veneer of travel inspired scenery. What do you do in the game? While the premise is charming, the gameplay experience you go through is lacklustre at best, extremely minimalist stuff like just moving your mouse around. The developer even describes these as "notgames". I agree. But we're here for games, so that's a problem! This game features very lacklustre minimalist "art" for graphics instead of anything remotely contemporary. I'm sure the "developer" thought this would come across as "artistic", but it doesn't, it comes across as "really lazy". Yes, contemporary 3D graphics take a lot of time and effort to create. That doesn't mean it's okay not to bother! Developers must try to understand that gaming is a visual medium, and gamers spend a lot of money on high end gaming rigs for a reason. And that reason is not so they can look at lazy, phoned-in half efforts like this. Not every "free" game really is. There's often MTX, or content locked behind DLC, or donations being requested, or any other number of things that could mislead gamers, but in this case I'm glad to say this really …2 found this helpful
These games are more than just games, they tell a story. Stories of the developer's time in these countries, yes, but also stories that attempt to portray small glimpses of life or what it means to be human. Each game is different. Each game is short. I would encourage you to start with loneliness and then go from there.1 found this helpful
I was very moved by The Heart Attack, as well as the entire Cambodia section. Thank you for creating and sharing so openly, especially in your writing.
Игра 'The Gametrekking Omnibus' – это сокровищница для любителей текстовых приключений и интерактивной литературы. Сборник включает в себя разнообразие жанров: от научной фантастики до фэнтези, и каждый найдет здесь что-то по вкусу. Впечатляет глубина проработки миров и персонажей, а решения, которые принимает игрок, действительно влияют на развитие сюжета и концовку. Некоторые истории оказались более захватывающими, чем другие, но общий уровень качества очень высок. Управление интуитивно понятное, а наличие опции сохранения прогресса позволяет возвращаться к любимым моментам. Отличный способ скоротать время, окунувшись в захватывающие и непредсказуемые истории. Рекомендую всем, кто любит читать и хочет испытать что-то новое в жанре интерактивного повествования.
put it simply, this is a wonderful set of little essay games that are made with a very nice touch of love
The Heart Attack is one of the greatest games I've ever played.
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