In 2006, lead WalkScape developer Schamppu discovered RuneScape. The iconic fantasy MMO, now reborn as Old School RuneScape, gave him a lifelong love of leveling skills and tinkering with game economies. This has carried right into his own game: a fitness-powered RPG where fitness is the grind and everything is not only free, but also advertisement and microtransaction-free.
WalkScape views game-ified exercise through an old-school MMO lens. Walking in real life progresses skills in-game, strengthening your character and propelling you toward new unlocks.
It started as a college hobby for Schamppu in 2022 but has developed into a two-man job with two added freelancers rounding out a team of four for Finnish studio Not A Cult. Schamppu wanted something exercise-related that felt motivational or aspirational and would click with his ADHD, but he wasn't thrilled with the selection of apps and games he saw.
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"All the games I tried had some key flaws, like requiring a constant GPS connection, draining the phone battery or requiring constant attention while actually trying to exercise," he says. "Being an old RuneScape fan, I thought, how hard could it be to make a game that's just RuneScape hooked up to a pedometer?"
Simplicity is part of the pitch. "What gets a person up and moving is always dependent on the person themselves," Schamppu reckons. "Some don't need external motivators, many others do. WalkScape is just one way to motivate someone to walk more and it works for some, and doesn't for others. Players who find WalkScape helpful usually appreciate the fact that it doesn't get in the way of their 'normal' lives."
The obvious challenge here is that MMO gaming is a pretty sedentary hobby. To be fair, there are actually quite a few fitness buffs among the Old School RuneScape community, as well as other MMO communities. (Schamppu says the support and feedback from OSRS players has been great so far). But the question remains: how do you get gamers to get up and move? Or really, is this a game for MMO fans to begin with, or more for fans of GPS games like Pokemon Go?
"Currently we have players from both demographics," Schamppu says. "Our target audience is mostly working age people who care about their physical well-being and screentime. For Pokémon Go players we offer a more hands-off experience, which doesn't require as much of your personal time, while rewarding you for just walking around anywhere. In fact, WalkScape works perfectly well in combination with Pokémon Go!
"For MMO players we offer that fix of traveling in a fantasy world, hunting for legendary gear and leveling up your character in a package that actually increases your health and wellness. It's the perfect game for those who no longer have the time to spend grinding away in traditional MMOs, since in WalkScape you can play more by spending less time on the phone."
Beyond moving away from GPS data – which can be battery-intensive, highly sensitive, and prone to huge swings in content based on your location, as Schamppu puts it – WalkScape streamlines the experience further by actively avoiding any intrusive monetization – or, really, any monetization at all.
"Staying MTX and advertisement free is absolutely key for WalkScape," Schamppu says. "MTX and advertisement revenue correlates heavily with how much time the player spends actively engaged with the game. That's why so many other fitness games want to hog as much of the player's attention as possible. We consider this type of design to be contradictory to the goal of actually enhancing the players' physical well-being."
Instead, WalkScape is "100% community funded" via Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee: "Players can skip the waiting list and ensure access during the next invite wave, although many players decide to keep contributing even after gaining access."
WalkScape is still in development, but it's already in a "fully playable state" with "tens of thousands of players" providing feedback that informs updates. Features like combat, trading, quests, and device support will be added and expanded in future patches.
"Once those are done, we will transition into open beta and keep adding content to fill out the game world until the game is ready for full launch," Schamppu says. "We are aiming to transition into the open beta early 2026 and full launch during 2027."
"The main goal is to encourage people to use their legs more," he adds. "Whether this means buying a standing desk and treadmill for your work from home office or just walking two blocks instead of going by car or bus – it all counts. If you're already active, we don't require you to change anything about your daily life. Instead, we just reward you for the good work you do!"
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