"We're not perfectly replicating the real world, that would be crazy": The invisible design behind Firewatch's pine cones and picture frames

It's easy to look at a walking simulator like Firewatch and only see what's been stripped out. After all, it's a genre that got its start when developers took the shooting out of first-person shooters. However, look a little closer and you will see how much design can go into the simplest interactions.

In the lookout cabin you call home in Firewatch there is a desk. On one side of that desk you will find a pine cone and on the opposite side you will find a picture frame. Hover your cursor...