You Should Play Firewatch

Firewatch is ostensibly about navigating the vast, inhospitable Wyoming wilderness with a chunky compass and a map, as you spot and investigate smoke and potential fire hazards in the surrounding terrain. As a fire lookout named Henry, you’re mostly alone—save for your boss Delilah, who’s mostly conversing with you via the radio. If you’re handy with directions and map-reading, your job seems simple enough, if not a tad solitary and quiet. Even boring. In fact, you’ll probably never see another human presence for a while.

But the truth behind Firewatch is that it’s more than just that; it’s a game driven by this deeply human need for escapism and solace, and the game’s tranquil, mountainous setting—just look at its azure skies and dense forests-seems like the perfect band-aid. The first few minutes of Firewatch says it all: you answer a few questions about your history and why you’ve taken up this remote gig, one that would place you thousands of miles away from your closest family. Yes, there’s a reason for it—but it’s one I shan’t spoil just yet.

There are also hints, too, of other people who used to stay in the watchtower where you’re predominantly based throughout the game, like previous fire lookouts with their own motivations and concerns, or colleagues from other posts who seemed to have fallen out of the grid. You also find traces of missing hikers and disaffected youth who can’t seem to clean their own trash. All of these swirl around the key mystery at the center of Firewatch. It’s a deeply compelling portrait of the human psyche, and you should play it.