10 Best Hiking Games of All Time

Hiking isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes building endurance over time to conquer the most challenging feats like Mt. Everest. Yet you don’t have to physically beat the best hikers to enjoy the scenic views at the top. Thanks to modern gaming technology, you can enjoy simulated experiences of amazing hiking trails worldwide though hiking games. 

Gaming has evolved so much over the years that hiking trails have become quite realistic to that of the real world. Moreover, some games are dabbling in virtual reality while others are designing fantasy hiking trails with breathtaking views than you can ever imagine. We’ve explored some of the most fulfilling hiking games to bring you our list of the best hiking games of all time.

10. The Trail: Frontier Challenge

With your backpack fully loaded, The Trail: Frontier Challenge will take you on an unforgettable hiking journey. It’ll challenge you to reach the summit of several of the tallest mountains. 

Be sure to come prepared with hiking clothes. You may meet other players, too, ready to trade at campfires or accompany you. And, in return for enduring the hazardous journey to the top, you’ll receive in-game rewards.

9. theHunter: Call of the Wild

In gaming, a hiking game can spice things further by dabbling in other genres like hunting. Take theHunter: Call of the Wild, for instance, a community effort game that thrives on an atmospheric nature setting and a realistic open world. There’s a single-player campaign you can indulge in or team up with friends on your hunting expeditions. 

Wild animals like bears will be peacefully roaming in the forests. You have to be careful not to spook them as you take precise shots. For further immersion, the game adds dynamic weather as well as full day and night cycles.

While hunting is the main focus of the game, the scenery between points A and B are breathtaking. So, even though hiking to your destination takes a while, it pays off thanks to the ambient sounds of nature with the freedom to turn off trail indicators for a more immersive experience. 

8. Firewatch

Another hiking game that dabbles in mystery-solving is Firewatch. After your wife suffers from dementia, you search for hope working as a fire lookout in the Wyoming wilderness. Your supervisor Delilah keeps contact with you via a handheld radio. 

However, when a strange event draws you into the forest, you’re soon drawn into solving a hidden mystery. The only way out is to explore the wild, hiking through the unknown and fumbling around questions that demand making tough choices.

7. The Hike

Still interested in spicing things up? Why not try out The Hike? This first-person horror survival game will have you pissing your pants. A mysterious emergency message has led you down a horrific path. Only by hiking through the Red River National Park can you reach safety. 

Not many hiking games aim to terrorize you with fear. So, tread through The Hike with caution, only if you’re looking for a bone-chilling playthrough laced with hiker John Lake’s worst fears.

6. The Long Dark

Keeping up pace with survival games, The Long Dark is a worthy contender among the best hiking games of all time. It retains the goal of hiking from point A to B, even as you struggle to survive the frozen wilderness in the aftermath of a geomagnetic disaster. 

While zombies or infected monsters aren’t a threat, the environment itself conforms to torturing you. Whether it’s the cold or the threats of Mother Nature, every step further into the wilderness will be dire toward your survival.

5. Hiking Simulator 2018

If you’d rather tone it down to just hiking a scenic trail, consider Hiking Simulator 2018. It features a snowy mountainside that you’re tasked with navigating to the summit. The game has more than 60 square kilometers of breathtaking nature to enjoy on your way up.

Further, you’ll run into wildlife, from bears to deer and wolves that enrich your hiking journey. For an extra touch of surrealism, you might also spot the Northern lights. 

4. Wandering Trails: A Hiking Game

Do check out Wandering Trails: A Hiking Game. Rather than leave the comfort of your home, this hiking game simulates the beauty of the outside world for you. It curates a peaceful hike through lush forests and steep slopes. 

You don’t feel any pressure to complete objectives. Neither are their enemies in the environments you visit. Simply pack your trusty old camera and venture out into the great outdoors for a calming bonding experience with nature.

3. A Short Hike

Perhaps the coziest hiking adventure you might want to check out is A Short Hike. True, it lives up to its name, only taking roughly hours to reach the top of Hawk Peak Provincial Park. However, the beauty of the game lies in the peaceful landscapes you’ll pass by and the wonderful characters you’ll meet.

Get to know (and help) all the quirky characters off the beaten path of the marked trails and you’ll pad your playthrough to a well-spent, relaxing five hours or so. 

2. Cave Hikers

In the same vein, you can consider Cave Hikers among the best hiking games of all time. Beyond its relaxing playthrough is the constant belly laughs you’ll experience. 

Cave Hikers is a cartoon mockumentary about three characters looking for a mystical cave with an infinite ceiling. The gameplay might be simple but the adventure sure does make for a cute bed-time story.

1. Horizon Call of the Mountain

Horizon Call of the Mountain is the closest you’ll come to a deeply realistic virtual reality hiking game. The same way you’d hike up a mountain is the same way you do in-game. Thanks to intuitive mechanics and jaw-dropping colossal peaks, you truly feel like an experienced hiker conquering any fear of heights. 

Meanwhile, you’ll enjoy intense battles against terrifying machines while also uncovering a hidden danger as you answer the call of the mountain.