The Walk: Fitness Tracker Game App Reviews

Turns out, "What happens next?" is the most effective motivation Ive found yet to exercise. Also, the app doesnt ever make me feel inadequately fit to use it, a problem with other apps, and I dont feel judged when returning after skipping a few days. In short, this app has actually made me walk more.

This app has so much content development and is so close to being good that its hard to understand why the developers didnt go the tiny extra distance that would have transmuted this app from being frustrating and mediocre to being incredible. The voice narration -spot on. The pacing - quite good. The storyline - riveting enough to want to know whys comes next. But the integration of all of these ingredients into an app that just works? Abysmal. As you walk along, the story clips do not auto play - you are required to open the app, dismiss a screen, find a button on a map, and press it. Whilst walking, mind you. There is zero music integration, which isnt a deal killer - but the story is seen by the iPhone as a media track and not a notification sound, meaning that every time you press a button to listen to a story, your music cuts out and the story plays... And the music never cuts back in. You cant even start the music again with the play controls on your earbuds - you have to open the music app up again manually and press play. This is utter rubbish, and makes this nearly useless to use during a walk; there is no option for automation whatsoever. What is odd is that these developers clearly understand how this can be better done - they make the more popular (and MUCH better coded) Zombies - run! App, which incorporates music and requires no user input to advance the story. With just a few small tweaks, this would easily be an app that is highly popular and that would have entire busy reddit forums devoted to it - but as it is, its a really big, really elaborate damp squib.

It keeps me walking.

I know it would be a ton of more work but obviously this would be even greater If it worked with Apple watch. I cant wait to see whatever you guys work on next! Thanks!

Do you plan on incorporating other devices - i.e. Fitbit, to track steps? This could really help with battery life on the phone and would have more accurate step counting. I really enjoy this app- but its killing my battery and I use a Fitbit for counting my steps. I just find this app really awesome, just needs some changes to make it better.

A simple idea, but highly motivating. The story is engaging with great voice acting, more than enough to keep me walking for more.

This app is the best ever!!! I absolutely love this app. I do not mind the "handling" it breaks up my workout nicely. When I use this app I will gladly walk over an hour; without it I get bored and quit before 30 mins. I like the long-ish breaks, I listen to music on my iPod in between. Please, please, PLEASE make more of these. I will pay! Its much more cost-effective than a gym membership because I actually use it. Thanks again to the developers for such a quality app!

Step count isnt accurate. Not as interactive as I had hoped for. I wish it would just read the story points aloud when you get to them. Its rather bothersome to have to carry my phone in my hand and request that it play a segment. It would be nice if I could just put my phone in its case and on my arm, and not have to mess with it. Maybe Im using the app wrong. I dunno. Story line didnt "grab" me right away. Just not my thing I guess.

Really makes me want to walk more to find out the next snippet in the story.

This app is great for motivating you to walk and maybe even go a little farther than you normally would. The story is well acted and suspenseful, so you want to keep moving to find out what happens next. The badges for each level are a nice touch for the completionists, and the collectibles are a neat way to expand the games universe while encouraging the player to take a longer path in each episode.

Great idea, want other stories

Im just an episode away from the end of this app and have enjoyed it very much. I like the interactive aspects of the game and the fact that you can advance but listen to the clips when its convenient. It fits really well for keeping up walking throughout the work day.

I adore this app!! Once upon a time, I was a fairly regular runner and I used Zombies, Run (fantastic). However, since then Ive switched jobs and have become far more sedentary. This app makes me want to get up and move. I pop in headphones in the morning and listen to podcasts or music and let the stories and chapters add up. Then, in the evening, I catch up on my last walk or as Im doing the dishes and cooking. Its not a story that comes quickly enough to listen to as you walk, its a story that rewards you FOR walking. And it surely helps. I notice that even when Im cooking I pace around the kitchen just to get a couple minutes in. And when I am walking Ill go an extra five or ten minutes just to get that last little bit. There are aspects of the UI that arent entirely intuitive, and Id guess that if youd try to use it while walking that would be frustrating. However, thats not the point of this app, and I wouldnt want it to be. I love that my daily activities get me to the next level without me having to be fully engaged. THANK YOU for another fantastic app!!!

I like the app, and Id like to have it running all the time, but it constantly has to have location services on, which just kills my battery life. It doesnt even just want it when youre doing a mission - it wants it on 24/7, and Im charging my phone multiple times a day to keep up with it. It really needs to be revamped to use the phones pedometer and be less of a battery killer. I stopped using it for months because I just cant be that tethered to the wall outlet.

I originally agreed with some of the criticisms. But once I understood how the actually worked rather than how I thought it worked, it was all good. This app helped me transition to a new daily (and unwanted) commute and was much appreciated. The story was entertaining enough and Im hoping for a sequel soon.

I am so passionate about gamification and The Walk is so up my alley, I adore it! The only thing I wish it had was a way to sync to my Fitbit, that would just be magical! But as is, I still love this app.

Great story but PLEASE add an auto-play feature and music during the story gaps for those of us who like to take this on a long walk rather than use it as an all-day pedometer. I want to hear the clips as I walk and not have to constantly take out my phone and squint in the sunlight trying to find the button to play the clip. I love Zombies 5K and wish this was similar but in a casual walk format.

This app is a great idea with high production value, but it needs some tweaking. Unlocking the story is a great motivator to get out and walk and the voice acting and audio are well done. However, its as if the creators couldnt decide between audio that would accompany the walk and keep you going that way or just keep you going with the reward of a good story. The story is structured so that you are part of it - very cleverly done, too - and requires extensive walking with all kinds of encounters as you proceed along the fictional route. But the audio clips are not long enough to keep you engaged as you actually walk. What this means is that you walk while playing some other audio, or nothing at all, and later, at home, listen to the unlocked clips (or save them for the next walk). Then you find yourself at home listening to an endlessly unfolding walking adventure that is limited by the walking story structure. I would say to the creators, choose: either a walking story that keeps you company as you walk, or get rid of the structure and just let us unlock a really good original story that may have nothing to do with walking. Like others, I find that one has to fiddle to much with the screen to find objects on the map, alter the map route, and worst of all are the find the sentry games that require you to draw a path and gives no audio reward, just "badges." I am so tired of all the meaningless badges apps "award." I ignore many of these. Although occasionally one unlocks a piece of audio or little visual tidbit that adds dimension and fun to the experience Id go crazy if I cared to unlock all of them. Despite all of this, I would still recommend the app. Well see how the story turns out.

Great

I have everything on and it wont record my time walking. Grrrr. Not happy.