Procedural (E)motion: Journey as emerging pilgrimage

This article explores the procedural means through which videogames can simulate travel experiences. It focuses on Journey, a highly acclaimed game in which the player embarks on an archetypical trek to a mountain in the distance, thus offering a virtual take on the complex play of sensorial and locomotive aspects of pilgrimage. Through a close reading of the game’s ludic and narrative components, as well as discursive player responses, the article contends that Journey succeeds in offering players an emerging pilgrimage through the very act of play. This aids in understanding the interrelations between travel and play within networked culture.