The Walking Dead (video game)

The Walking Dead is a point-and-click graphic adventure{{cite web|website=GameSpot|title=The Walking Dead: Episode 1 Review|last=Todd|first=Brett|date=April 30, 2012|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-walking-dead-episode-1-review/1900-6374233/|archivedate=December 10, 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210030228/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-walking-dead-episode-1-review/1900-6374233/|accessdate=September 24, 2024}} video game played from a third-person perspective.{{cite web|website=Gry-Online|title=Recenzja gry The Walking Dead - apokalipsa zombie inna niż wszystkie|trans-title=The Walking Dead Game Review - A Zombie Apocalypse Unlike Any Other|date=November 22, 2012|last=Smoszna|first=Krystian|url=https://www.gry-online.pl/recenzje/recenzja-gry-the-walking-dead-apokalipsa-zombie-inna-niz-wszystki/zb21ce|archivedate=September 24, 2024|accessdate=September 24, 2024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924054018/https://www.gry-online.pl/recenzje/recenzja-gry-the-walking-dead-apokalipsa-zombie-inna-niz-wszystki/zb21ce}} In the game, the player character, Lee Everett, tries to survive and protect a young girl named Clementine during the midst of a zombie apocalypse, working with a small group of survivors.{{cite journal |last1=Taylor |first1=Nicholas |last2=Kampe |first2=Chris |last3=Bell |first3=Kristina |date=July 2015 |title=Me and Lee: Identification and the Play of Attraction in The Walking Dead |url=https://gamestudies.org/1501/articles/taylor |journal=Game Studies |volume=15 |issue=1 |issn=1604-7982 |access-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-date=September 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924074632/https://gamestudies.org/1501/articles/taylor |url-status=live }} Using an on-screen reticle, the player can examine and interact with characters and items,{{Cite web|website=IGN|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/04/23/the-walking-dead-the-game-episode-1-review-3|date=April 23, 2012|last=Miller|first=Greg|title=The Walking Dead: The Game - Episode 1 Review|archivedate=January 18, 2024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118053842/https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/04/23/the-walking-dead-the-game-episode-1-review-3|accessdate=September 24, 2024}} and must make use of collected items and the environment. Throughout the game, the player is presented with the ability to interact with their surroundings and options to determine the nature of that interaction.{{cite web|website=PC Magazine|title=The Walking Dead: A New Day Review|last=Lynn|first=Samara|date=May 7, 2012|archivedate=March 2, 2024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240302233418/https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/the-walking-dead-a-new-day|url=https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/the-walking-dead-a-new-day|accessdate=September 24, 2024}} The player must solve environmental puzzles or talk to different characters to progress the story.{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/the-walking-dead-review|first=Oli|last=Welsh|website=Eurogamer|date=February 9, 2015|title=The Walking Dead: Season One review|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521182929/https://www.eurogamer.net/the-walking-dead-review|archivedate=May 21, 2024|accessdate=September 27, 2024}} According to Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead is focused more on developing characters and story, and less on the action tropes that tend to feature in other zombie-based games, such as Left 4 Dead.{{cite magazine|last=Blauvelt |first=Christian |url=https://ew.com/article/2011/03/02/walking-dead-season-two-details/ |title=Robert Kirkman on 'Walking Dead' season two: 'You haven't seen anything yet' |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=March 2, 2011 |access-date=May 30, 2012}}

File:Walking dead telltale game dialog screenshot.jpg) option.]]

Some parts of the game require timed responses from the player, often leading to significant decisions that will impact the game's story, in the manner of role-playing games (RPGs).{{cite web | url = http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/19/how-rpgs-colonized-some-of-2012s-best-games/ | title = How RPGs colonized some of 2012's best games | first = Rowen | last = Kaiser | date = October 19, 2012 | access-date = January 14, 2013 | work = Joystiq | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121220222507/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/19/how-rpgs-colonized-some-of-2012s-best-games/ | archive-date = December 20, 2012 | url-status = dead }} Some conversation trees require the player to make a selection within a limited time, otherwise Lee will remain quiet, which can affect how other characters respond to him.{{cite web|title=The Walking Dead game review|first=Hollander|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-walking-dead-review/|last=Cooper|date=November 26, 2012|website=GamesRadar+|archivedate=August 7, 2024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807192510/https://www.gamesradar.com/the-walking-dead-review/}} Unlike in other RPGs such as the Mass Effect or Fallout series, where choices fall on either side of a "good or evil" scale, the choices within The Walking Dead have ambiguous results, having an effect on the attitude of the non-player characters towards Lee.{{cite web|website=Gamasutra|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/the-walking-dead-is-a-difficult-game-but-not-in-the-way-you-probably-think-i-mean-|title=The Walking Dead is a difficult game, but not in the way you probably think I mean.|last=Battey|first=Tom|date=April 12, 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119183307/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/the-walking-dead-is-a-difficult-game-but-not-in-the-way-you-probably-think-i-mean-|archivedate=January 19, 2024}}

The player can choose to play in "Minimal" mode, disabling hints and the "choice notification" feature that signals changes in the game or characters' attitudes toward Lee.{{cite web | url = https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/the-walking-deads-faces-of-death-part-3/1100-4400/ | title = The Walking Dead's Faces of Death, Part 3 | first = Patrick | last = Klepek | date = October 4, 2012 | access-date = November 28, 2012 | work = Giant Bomb | archive-date = February 16, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130216011408/http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/the-walking-deads-faces-of-death-part-3/1100-4400/ | url-status = live }}{{cite web|website=PC Gamer|last=Lahti|first=Evan|title=The Walking Dead review|date=May 1, 2012|archivedate=April 19, 2024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240419210708/https://www.pcgamer.com/the-walking-dead-game-review/|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-walking-dead-game-review/}} In more action-based sequences, the player must follow on-screen prompts for quick time events (QTEs) so as to keep themselves or other characters alive; if they die, the game restarts from just prior to the QTE.{{cite web|url=https://www.pocketgamer.com/telltales-the-walking-dead/telltales-the-walking-dead-a-few-tips-for-playing-the-game-on-mobile/|title=Telltale's The Walking Dead: A few tips for playing the game on mobile|first=Colin|last=Mieczkowski|date=October 12, 2021|archivedate=April 7, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407104451/https://www.pocketgamer.com/telltales-the-walking-dead/telltales-the-walking-dead-a-few-tips-for-playing-the-game-on-mobile/}} Each episode of the game includes several points where the player must choose between two options. The player can create multiple saves and use a "rewind" feature to revisit and change previous decisions, allowing them to explore different outcomes.{{cite web | url = https://www.slantmagazine.com/games/the-walking-dead/ | title = The Walking Dead | first = Aaron | last = Ricco | date = November 24, 2012 | access-date = December 10, 2012 | work = Slant Magazine | archive-date = February 25, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210225030841/https://www.slantmagazine.com/games/the-walking-dead/ | url-status = live }}

This is a broad overview of the plot. Certain decisions made by the player will alter details of specific events.

File:Walking dead telltale game characters.jpg

The Walking Dead occurs simultaneously with the events from the original comic series, where a zombie apocalypse overwhelms much of society. On day one of the outbreak, convicted criminal Lee Everett (voiced by Dave Fennoy) is being transported to prison when the police car crashes after hitting a walker. After killing the reanimated cop, Lee flees from a group of walkers and takes shelter in a suburban home, where he meets Clementine (Melissa Hutchison), a young girl whose parents had traveled to Savannah. They are rescued by Shawn Greene (Peter Edward Mussad), who takes them to his father Hershel’s (Chuck Kourouklis) farm, where they meet Kenny (Gavin Hammon), his wife Katjaa (Cissy Jones), and their son Duck (Max Kaufman). After Shawn is killed by walkers, Hershel forces the group to leave. They travel to Macon, Lee's hometown, and join another group led by Lilly (Nicki Rapp), barricaded in Lee's family pharmacy. The group includes Glenn (Nick Herman), who eventually leaves to find friends in Atlanta.

Three months later, the group has holed up in a nearby motel and is low on supplies. They encounter a group of survivors, including Ben Paul (Trevor Hoffman), whose teacher's death teaches the group that everyone is already infected, turning into walkers upon death, regardless of being bitten. They make a deal with the St. Johns, a family running a nearby dairy farm, to exchange gasoline for food. However, they discover the St. Johns partake in cannibalism. The group loses two of their own, including Lilly's father Larry (Terry McGovern), but eventually escapes the farm, leaving it overrun by walkers. On their way back to the motel, they find an abandoned car full of supplies and take what they need. Later, bandits attack the motel, drawing a horde of walkers. The group escapes, but Duck is bitten. Lilly, mentally unstable after losing her father, kills one of the group members and leaves the group. The remaining survivors head to Savannah by train, planning to find a boat to escape the mainland. Along the way, they meet Chuck (Roger Jackson), a homeless survivor who advises Lee to teach Clementine how to defend herself. En route to Savannah, Duck succumbs to his bite, and in turn, Katjaa commits suicide. Near Savannah, the group meets Omid (Owen Thomas) and Christa (Mara Junot), a couple who joins them. A walkie-talkie that Clementine carries suddenly activates, with a man claiming he has her parents in Savannah.

In Savannah, the group sets up shelter in an abandoned mansion but loses Chuck to walkers. Lee and Kenny discover that all the boats in the area are either gone or destroyed, and that the walled community of Crawford has scavenged most of the supplies. Separated from the group, Lee encounters another group led by Vernon (Butch Engle), who helps him return to the mansion, where they discover a motorboat in a shed. The group raids Crawford for supplies, only to find the community overrun by walkers. They manage to escape, but not without losses. Vernon leaves, doubting Lee's ability to protect Clementine. Clementine, desperate to find her parents, goes missing. In his haste to find her, Lee is bitten by a walker. Realizing he doesn't have much time left, Lee tries to find Vernon's group but discovers they have stolen the boat. Clementine contacts Lee via walkie-talkie, telling him that she is being held at a downtown hotel, the same one where her parents had stayed. Lee's group heads to the hotel, navigating rooftops to avoid walkers in the streets. Kenny is seemingly lost after sacrificing himself to save another member. Separated from Omid and Christa, Lee reaches the hotel alone and confronts Clementine's captor, The Stranger (Anthony Lam), who reveals he is the owner of the car they had previously ransacked. After killing him, Lee and Clementine cover themselves in walker guts to avoid detection and head through the streets.

They encounter Clementine's zombified parents, and a weakening Lee helps her reach an abandoned store. Inside, Lee urges Clementine to escape the city and find Omid and Christa. He instructs her to either shoot him or leave him to become a walker. In a post-credits scene, Clementine, having escaped the city, spots two figures in the distance who notice her.

The downloadable content 400 Days relates stories of other survivors in the zombie apocalypse, starting at its onset and occurring concurrently with the first season.

There are five stories:

• Vince (Anthony Lam) is a convicted murderer who was imprisoned for killing a man to protect his brother. On Day 2 of the outbreak, he is on a prison transport bus with fellow inmates Danny (Erik Braa) and Justin (Trevor Hoffmann) when a violent standoff leads to the bus being overrun by walkers. Vince must free one of the other prisoners to escape while leaving the other to die.
• Wyatt (Jace Smykel) and his friend Eddie (Brandon Bales) are on the run after accidentally killing a friend of Nate (Jefferson Arca). On Day 41, while fleeing in a car, they hit one of the prison guards from Vince’s bus in heavy fog. When one of them steps out to check on the injured man, the other is forced to drive away when Nate suddenly attacks.
• Russell (Vegas Trip) is a teenager traveling on foot to find his grandmother. On Day 184, he hitches a ride with Nate, who takes him to a gas station and truck stop. There, they are fired upon by an elderly man named Walt. Nate sees an opportunity to kill and rob Walt and his wife, Jean. Russell must decide whether to go along with Nate’s plan or leave him behind.
• Bonnie (Erin Yvette), a recovering drug addict, is traveling with Leland (Adam Harrington) and his wife Dee (Cissy Jones). Dee is suspicious of Bonnie, believing Leland has feelings for her. On Day 220, after Dee steals supplies from another group, they are chased into a cornfield, where Bonnie accidentally kills Dee with a rebar. She must then decide to either tell Leland the truth or lie about what happened.
• Shel (Cissy Jones) and her younger sister Becca (Brett Pels) are part of a group living at the same truck stop from Russell’s story. Some members were once with Vernon, whom Lee encountered in Savannah. Their leader, Roman (Kid Beyond), enforces strict control over the group. On Day 236, Shel is the deciding vote in the fate of a captured scavenger named Roberto, who attempted to steal from them. Later, on Day 259, fellow group member Stephanie (Dana Bauer) is caught stealing, and Roman demands that Shel execute her. Shel must choose whether to comply or escape with Becca in their caravan.

On Day 400, Tavia (Rashida Clendening) finds a billboard near the now-overrun truck stop, displaying photos of the survivors and a map leading to a supposed safe haven. She tracks them down and offers them sanctuary. Bonnie accepts, while the others' decisions depend on their past choices and whether Tavia can successfully convince them to join her.

The game was separated into five episodes, released between April and November 2012.{{cite web|website=IGN|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/12/12/the-walking-dead-the-game-review|last=Miller|first=Greg|title=The Walking Dead: The Game Review|date=December 12, 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240629172230/https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/12/12/the-walking-dead-the-game-review|archivedate=June 29, 2024}} Each episode lasts about two and a half hours.{{cite book|first1=Federica|last1=Pallavicini|first2=Alessandro|last2=Pepe|first3=Chiara|last3=Carmela Caragnano|first4=Fabrizia|last4=Mantovani|chapter=Video Games to Foster Empathy: A Critical Analysis of the Potential of Detroit: Become Human and the Walking Dead |series=Lecture Notes in Computer Science |date=July 10, 2020|title=Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Applications and Practice|chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-49108-6_16|volume=12189|pages=212–228|doi=10.1007/978-3-030-49108-6_16|isbn=9783030491079|publisher=Springer|access-date=September 24, 2024|archive-date=September 27, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927103750/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-49108-6_16|url-status=live}}

{{Episode table|background=#784E2B|season=|overall=|title=|director=|writer=|airdate=|airdateT=Original release date

|episodes=

{{Episode table/part|subtitle=Main series|c=#784E2B}}

{{Episode list/sublist|The Walking Dead (video game)

| EpisodeNumber = 1

| EpisodeNumber2 = 1

| Title = A New Day

| DirectedBy = Sean Vanaman
Jake Rodkin

| WrittenBy = Sean Vanaman{{Cite web |date=2012-08-28 |title=The Walking Dead's Faces of Death: Part 1 |url=https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/the-walking-deads-faces-of-death-part-1/1100-4335/ |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=Giant Bomb |language=en |archive-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131131543/https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/the-walking-deads-faces-of-death-part-1/1100-4335/ |url-status=live }}

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|4|24}}

| ShortSummary =At the onset of the zombie apocalypse, Lee Everett rescues young Clementine, and they join other survivors in Macon, Georgia to survive the undead onslaught.

| LineColor = 784E2B

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|The Walking Dead (video game)

| EpisodeNumber = 2

| EpisodeNumber2 = 2

| Title = Starved for Help

| DirectedBy = Dennis Lenart

| WrittenBy = Mark Darin{{cite web | url = https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/the-walking-deads-faces-of-death-part-2/1100-4336/ | title = The Walking Dead's Faces of Death: Part 2 | first = Patrick | last = Klepek | date = August 29, 2012 | access-date = November 28, 2012 | work = Giant Bomb | archive-date = February 16, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130216011202/http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/the-walking-deads-faces-of-death-part-2/1100-4336/ | url-status = live }}
{{small|Story by:}} Chuck Jordan

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|6|27}}

| ShortSummary =After having secured a motel, Lee and the other survivors are running low on food, and decide to take an offer made by the St. Johns, a family that owns a nearby dairy farm. They come to learn the St. Johns may not be what they seem.

| LineColor = 784E2B

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|The Walking Dead (video game)

| EpisodeNumber = 3

| EpisodeNumber2 = 3

| Title = Long Road Ahead

| DirectedBy = Eric Parsons

| WrittenBy = Sean Vanaman
{{small|Story by:}}
Sean Vanaman
Jake Rodkin
Harrison G. Pink

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|8|28}}

| ShortSummary =When bandits and walkers attack the motel, the group is forced to flee without their supplies, leading to tensions on the road. They find a working train, headed for Savannah, where Clementine hopes to find her parents.

| LineColor = 784E2B

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|The Walking Dead (video game)

| EpisodeNumber = 4

| EpisodeNumber2 = 4

| Title = Around Every Corner

| DirectedBy = Nick Herman

| WrittenBy = Gary Whitta

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|10|9}}

| ShortSummary =The survivors arrive in Savannah to search for a boat, only to get caught in a conflict involving a corrupt community and an elusive enemy who is following them.

| LineColor = 784E2B

}}

{{Episode list/sublist|The Walking Dead (video game)

| EpisodeNumber = 5

| EpisodeNumber2 = 5

| Title = No Time Left

| DirectedBy = Sean Vanaman
Jake Rodkin
Sean Ainsworth

| WrittenBy = Sean Vanaman{{cite web |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/26/the-walking-dead-episode-5-review/ |title=The Walking Dead Episode 5 review: All the time in the world |last=Conditt |first=Jessica |work=Joystiq |access-date=November 29, 2012 |date=November 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121129030524/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/26/the-walking-dead-episode-5-review |archive-date=November 29, 2012 |url-status=dead }}

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2012|11|20}}

| ShortSummary =A bitten Lee and the remaining survivors travel across the now zombie-infested Savannah in an effort to find and rescue Clementine.

| LineColor = 784E2B

}}

{{Episode table/part|subtitle=Downloadable content|c=#801A03}}

{{Episode list/sublist|The Walking Dead (video game)

| EpisodeNumber = 6

| EpisodeNumber2 = 6

| Title = 400 Days

| DirectedBy = Sean Ainsworth

| WrittenBy = Sean Ainsworth
Nick Breckon
Mark Darin
Sean Vanaman
Gary Whitta

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2013|7|2}}

| ShortSummary =The story focuses on five new characters during the first 400 days of the zombie outbreak: Vince, a convicted criminal; Wyatt, who is fleeing from an unknown pursuer; Russell, who is trying to find his grandmother; Bonnie, a recovering drug addict; and Shel, who is trying to survive with her sister Becca. The epilogue follows Tavia, a recruiter of other survivors for her community.{{cite magazine | url = https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/06/21/first-details-on-the-walking-dead-400-days.aspx | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130625235402/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/06/21/first-details-on-the-walking-dead-400-days.aspx | url-status = live | archive-date = June 25, 2013 | title = First Details On The Walking Dead: 400 Days | first = Kimberely | last = Wallace | date = June 11, 2013 | access-date = June 11, 2013 | magazine = Game Informer }}

| LineColor = 801A03

}}

}}

An additional episode, titled 400 Days, was released in July 2013 as downloadable content, bridging the gap between the first and second season. It is presented in a nonlinear narrative style; players can approach the five stories in any order they choose.{{cite web | url = http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/11/the-walking-dead-400-days-dissecting-one-of-its-stories-at-e3 | title = The Walking Dead 400 Days: Dissecting one of its stories at E3 | work = Joystiq | first = Jessica | last = Conditt | date = June 11, 2013 | access-date = June 12, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130813092312/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/11/the-walking-dead-400-days-dissecting-one-of-its-stories-at-e3/ | archive-date = August 13, 2013 | url-status = dead }}

Before The Walking Dead, Telltale Games had success with episodic adventures based on established properties, such as Sam & Max and Tales of Monkey Island.{{cite web|title=The Walking Dead: The Game, Episode 1|website=MeriStation|date=April 25, 2012|url=https://as.com/meristation/2012/04/25/analisis/1335360600_102521.html|archivedate=March 15, 2024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240315190423/https://as.com/meristation/2012/04/25/analisis/1335360600_102521.html}} Sean Vanaman noted that before securing The Walking Dead, Telltale's Carl Muckenhoupt was working on a text-based prototype with an "active world," where objects and characters acted independently of player input. Although Telltale considered using this concept for a Left 4 Dead spinoff, discussions with Valve did not materialize.{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamesn.com/the-walking-dead/the-walking-dead-telltale-left-4-dead | title = Telltale's The Walking Dead was almost a Left 4 Dead game | first = Dustin | last = Bailey | date = September 24, 2018 | access-date = September 24, 2018 | work = PCGamesN | archive-date = September 25, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180925025917/https://www.pcgamesn.com/the-walking-dead/the-walking-dead-telltale-left-4-dead | url-status = live }}{{cite web|website=Eurogamer|title=Telltale's The Walking Dead started life as a Left 4 Dead spin-off|last=Wales|first=Matt|date=April 25, 2022|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/telltales-the-walking-dead-started-life-as-a-left-4-dead-spin-off|archivedate=May 21, 2024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240521215322/https://www.eurogamer.net/telltales-the-walking-dead-started-life-as-a-left-4-dead-spin-off}} Telltale announced deals with Robert Kirkman and Warner Bros. in February 2011 for episodic series based on The Walking Dead and Fables,{{cite web |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2011/02/telltale-games-developing-walking-dead-video-game/1 |title=Telltale Games developing 'Walking Dead' video game |newspaper=USA Today |date=February 18, 2011 |access-date=March 8, 2011 |first=Brett |last=Molina |archive-date=April 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430021739/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2011/02/telltale-games-developing-walking-dead-video-game/1 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/02/18/walking-dead-video-game-lives |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220081933/http://pc.ign.com/articles/115/1150855p1.html |url-status=live |archive-date=February 20, 2011 |title=Walking Dead Video Game Lives |publisher=IGN |date=February 17, 2011 |access-date=March 8, 2011 |first=Greg |last=Miller}} with The Walking Dead series set to start in the fourth quarter of 2011.

File:Robert Kirkman by Gage Skidmore 5.jpg helped Telltale develop The Walking Dead.|alt=A man with a beard, smiling and wearing a blue checkered shirt, speaks into a microphone at a panel.]]

During the game's development, Robert Kirkman and comic publisher Skybound Entertainment collaborated with Telltale.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/walking-dead-video-games-oral-history-1202982858/|website=Variety|last=Crecente|first=Brian|date=October 17, 2018|title='The Walking Dead' Video Games: An Oral History|archivedate=November 3, 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181103184520/https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/walking-dead-video-games-oral-history-1202982858/}}{{cite web | url = http://www.redbull.co.uk/cs/Satellite/en_UK/Article/The-Walking-Dead--Bringing-the-world-021243300828382 | title = The Walking Dead: Bringing the World's Smartest Zombie Series to Life | publisher = Red Bull | date = January 4, 2013 | access-date = January 5, 2013 }} Kirkman, who had enjoyed Telltale's Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, appreciated their storytelling focus and player engagement. Telltale's proposal, centered on decision-making and survival rather than action, appealed to him. Kirkman provided oversight on story elements for The Walking Dead universe while remaining hands-off in development.{{cite magazine | url = https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/11/26/lord-of-the-dead-an-interview-with-robert-kirkman.aspx | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121129111409/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/11/26/lord-of-the-dead-an-interview-with-robert-kirkman.aspx | url-status = live | archive-date = November 29, 2012 | title = Lord Of The Dead: An Interview With Robert Kirkman | first = Ben | last = Reeves | date = November 26, 2012 | access-date = November 28, 2012 | magazine = Game Informer }} The CEO of Telltale, Dan Connors, noted that Kirkman's involvement helped shape the story and introduce new characters while incorporating established ones from the comics. However, Kirkman requested not to include Rick Grimes due to his long-term plans for the character.{{cite web | url = https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/telltale-on-walking-dead-season-2-and-beyond | title = Telltale On Walking Dead Season 2 And Beyond | first = Nathan | last = Greyson | date = February 28, 2013 | access-date = February 28, 2013 | work = Rock Paper Shotgun }} Although initially unimpressed with an early build, Kirkman praised the near-final version of the game, saying, "Holy shit guys, you did it".

Telltale drew inspiration from various media when developing The Walking Dead. Gameplay-wise, they referenced titles like Heavy Rain and the Uncharted series for in-game cinematics, while the player-choice mechanic was influenced by the Mass Effect series. They also sought inspiration from television shows like Game of Thrones and Mad Men for developing well-rounded characters within a short timeframe. Connors also believed that traditional conversation systems often lacked a "believable rhythm", leading to the introduction of a timed input system for more realistic dialogue.{{cite web | url = https://www.pcworld.com/article/456676/how-adventure-games-came-back-from-the-dead.html | title = How adventure games came back from the dead | work = PC World | first = Rob | last = Manuel | date = February 5, 2013 | access-date = February 23, 2016 | archive-date = December 7, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211207112102/https://www.pcworld.com/article/456676/how-adventure-games-came-back-from-the-dead.html | url-status = live }}

The game's story was designed with the final scene of the fifth episode—where Clementine either shoots Lee or leaves him to become a walker—as the established ending that the game would build toward.{{cite magazine | url = https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/12/26/creating-clementine.aspx | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121230192317/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/12/26/creating-clementine.aspx | url-status = live | archive-date = December 30, 2012 | title = Creating Clementine | magazine = Game Informer | first = Kimberley | last = Wallace | pages = 26–31 | date = January 2013 }} Clementine's role was considered critical to the game's writing, with the team focusing on making her a "moral compass" while ensuring that as a child character, she wasn't perceived as whiny or annoying. Similarly, Lee, the game's Black protagonist, was designed to incorporate his race without making it integral to the story; instead, societal reactions shaped the character without dictating the narrative's direction.{{cite web|website=PCGamesN|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/the-walking-dead/lee-everett-race-inclusion|last=Sampson|first=Jessi|title=The genius of The Walking Dead's Lee Everett|date=August 13, 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813144622/https://www.pcgamesn.com/the-walking-dead/lee-everett-race-inclusion|archivedate=August 13, 2021|accessdate=September 30, 2024}} The Stranger scene in the hotel was also planned early on to evaluate the player's moral choices. According to Sean Vanaman, each episode was developed by pairing a writer with a game designer to ensure cohesive plot and gameplay. Some gameplay ideas were discarded, such as a scene with the survivor group firing at zombies, as they did not fit the desired sense of panic.{{cite magazine | url = http://www.edge-online.com/features/the-making-of-the-walking-dead/ | title = The Making of… The Walking Dead | date = May 16, 2013 | access-date = May 16, 2013 | magazine = Edge | archive-date = June 7, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130607155518/http://www.edge-online.com/features/the-making-of-the-walking-dead/ | url-status = dead }}

File:Sean Vanaman cropped.jpg directed and wrote most of The Walking Dead.|alt=A man with short dark hair, wearing a olive-colored jacket over a blue shirt, speaks into a microphone while raising his arm.]]

A major aspect of writing The Walking Dead was the concept of choice and consequence, particularly regarding life and death for both the player and non-player characters. Telltale, founded by former LucasArts employees who had worked on games where the player could not die, incorporated player death if decisions weren't made quickly enough. Additionally, the player's choices could lead to the permanent deaths of non-player characters. This time-sensitive decision-making came from the prototype zombie game Muckenhoupt made and was designed to maintain the game's pace. This led to the idea of tracking player decisions globally, and Telltale expanded their tracking tools to accommodate for such an idea.

Telltale aimed to immerse players in the story through non-game-ending choices, reducing the desire to use the rewind feature. Although choices were designed to seem significant, they often had little effect on the larger narrative. According to writer Gary Whitta, all choices were meant to be equally difficult, and the writers worked to keep the dialogue neutral to create an even split among player decisions. For example, in Episode 1, most players chose to save Carley over Doug when each is attacked by walkers,{{cite web | url = https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/the-walking-deads-faces-of-death-part-1/1100-4335/ | title = The Walking Dead's Faces of Death: Part 1 | first = Patrick | last = Klepik | date = August 28, 2012 | access-date = November 28, 2012 | work = Giant Bomb | archive-date = February 15, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130215092708/http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/the-walking-deads-faces-of-death-part-1/1100-4335/ | url-status = live }} and in Episode 2, most opted to cut off the teacher's leg rather than leave him behind to the walkers. In response, Telltale adjusted dialogue in later episodes to eliminate any perceived "right" choice, leaving the notion up to the player themself.

The writers of the game had to balance the established characters and timeline from the comic series while allowing for player choice. For instance, in the first episode, players are introduced to Shawn Greene, who is depicted as a walker in the comics. To remain consistent, the story ensures that Shawn is always bitten, though players are given the option to attempt to save him.{{cite web|website=Digitally Downloaded|url=https://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2016/05/theres-more-to-meaningful-choices-than.html|title=There's more to meaningful choices than outcomes|last=C.|first=Matt|date=May 2016|archivedate=June 2, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602195328/https://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2016/05/theres-more-to-meaningful-choices-than.html}} This choice doesn't affect Shawn’s fate but influences Kenny’s perception of Lee. Telltale also designed characters and choices with player biases in mind. Larry, a harsh character introduced early on, was expected to be disliked by most players. In response, Telltale created a scene in the second episode where Larry’s daughter, Lilly, attempts to redeem him in the player’s eyes, hoping to sway the player's perception of Larry. This worked as intended, with 75% of players choosing to attempt to save Larry when he suffers a heart attack.

Player decisions also shaped the narrative in future episodes. In the fourth episode, for instance, Whitta referenced player choices about Duck’s death—specifically who was to kill him—from episode 3 to design a similar moral dilemma where Kenny confronts the death of another boy and players must choose whether he or Kenny should kill him, or whether they should walk away, negatively impacting other characters' view of Lee.{{cite web | url = https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/faces-of-death-part-4-around-every-corner/1100-4448/ | title = Faces of Death, Part 4: Around Every Corner | first = Patrick | last = Klepek | date = November 13, 2012 | access-date = November 28, 2012 | work = Giant Bomb | archive-date = February 17, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130217123038/http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/faces-of-death-part-4-around-every-corner/1100-4448/ | url-status = live }} The fifth episode's first act contained 32 possible variations, based on past player decisions, which helped make the experience feel personalized and organic to each player rather than following a predetermined path through the game.{{cite web | url = https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/faces-of-death-part-5-no-time-left/1100-4512/ | title = Faces of Death, Part 5: No Time Left | first = Patrick | last = Klepek | date = January 9, 2013 | access-date = January 9, 2013 | work = Giant Bomb | archive-date = April 4, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200404100727/https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/faces-of-death-part-5-no-time-left/1100-4512/ | url-status = live }}

The Walking Dead{{'}}s game engine was optimized for multi-platform release, including PCs, gaming consoles and mobile devices, to simplify porting. Despite this, the development team tailored control schemes for each platform, particularly using their experience from the Back to the Future game to refine touchscreen controls on mobile devices. One major challenge across all five episodes was the save game format, which required frequent updates and fixes across platforms, sometimes invalidating existing saves. Unique fixes on one platform would often resurface as issues on others. Connors noted that for future series, they would address save game issues more carefully, using insights gained from the first season.

Telltale previously struggled to synchronize multi-platform releases, particularly due to scheduling issues on Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360. As a small publisher, they had to work with larger publishers to secure release slots months in advance, complicating coordination with other platforms. After the success of Back to the Future: The Game and Jurassic Park: The Game, Telltale achieved publisher status on Xbox Live, giving them more control over release timing. Additionally, they designed The Walking Dead so that episodes 2–5 would be treated as downloadable content, bypassing slot scheduling and enabling same-day release on PCs and consoles.{{cite web | url = https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/why-telltales-knocking-on-deaths-door/1100-4211/ | title = Why Telltale's Knocking on Death's Door | work = Giant Bomb | date = June 13, 2012 | access-date = November 28, 2012 | first = Patrick | last = Klepek | archive-date = September 24, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924040623/http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/why-telltales-knocking-on-deaths-door/1100-4211/ | url-status = live }}

The Walking Dead was initially announced as a five-episode series, with releases planned approximately on a monthly basis as digital downloads for Windows, OS X, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. Originally slated for late 2011, the release was delayed until April 2012,{{cite web |url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/207610/The_Walking_Dead/ |title=The Walking Dead on Steam |publisher=Valve |access-date=May 30, 2012 |archive-date=August 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240815171356/https://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/207610/ |url-status=live }} coinciding with the conclusion of the second season of The Walking Dead television show, allowing the game to benefit from the show's growing popularity.

Following the digital releases, Telltale Games announced a physical disc release for the complete series on December 11, 2012, for the same platforms.{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/videos/the-walking-dead-episode-3-characters-questions-answered |title=Playing Dead |date=August 23, 2012 |publisher=IGN |access-date=September 9, 2012 |type=video |archive-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131044123/https://www.ign.com/videos/the-walking-dead-episode-3-characters-questions-answered |url-status=live }} A special Collector's Edition was made available exclusively at GameStop in North America, featuring artwork by Charlie Adlard and The Walking Dead: Compendium One, a collection of the first 48 issues of the comic series by Robert Kirkman.{{cite web |url=http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/729019/the-walking-dead-collectors-edition-is-a-gamestop-exclusive/ |title=The Walking Dead: Collector's Edition Is A GameStop Exclusive |publisher=G4 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |archive-date=January 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114043536/http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/729019/the-walking-dead-collectors-edition-is-a-gamestop-exclusive/ |url-status=dead }} After this retail release, some Xbox 360 users reported performance issues due to storage limitations, leading Telltale to offer free digital download codes as compensation.{{cite web | url = https://www.vg247.com/the-walking-dead-digital-free-to-those-troubled-by-stuttering-issues | title = The Walking Dead digital free to those troubled by stuttering issues | first = Brenna | last = Hillier | date = January 9, 2013 | access-date = January 10, 2013 | work = VG247}} The game was also adapted for handheld consoles. An iOS version was launched in August 2012,{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/08/23/the-walking-dead-episode-two-ios-dated |title=The Walking Dead Episode Two iOS Dated |last=Davis |first=Justin |publisher=IGN |date=August 23, 2012 |access-date=September 16, 2012 |archive-date=August 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826015840/http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/08/23/the-walking-dead-episode-two-ios-dated? |url-status=live }} followed by a PlayStation Vita port in March 2013.{{cite web | url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/22/telltales-the-walking-dead-coming-to-playstation-vita | title = Telltale's The Walking Dead Coming to PlayStation Vita | first = Colin | last = Moriarty | date = March 22, 2013 | access-date = March 22, 2013 | publisher =IGN }} After releasing all five episodes on the App Store, Telltale offered the first episode for free, something they had done in the past, as doing so, according to Dan Connors, "opens the funnel and gets it out to more people who can then convert into the [full] game".

In November 2013, Telltale announced a Game of the Year Edition, available for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, which included the five episodes, the 400 Days DLC, the original score, and a behind-the-scenes feature. A year later, in October 2014, versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released,{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2014/5/30/5764514/the-walking-dead-wolf-among-us-ps4-xbox-one-telltale-games | title = Telltale's The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us coming to PS4 and Xbox One | first = Alexa Rae | last = Corriea | date = May 30, 2014 | access-date = May 30, 2014 | work = Polygon | archive-date = August 15, 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240815171409/https://www.polygon.com/2014/5/30/5764514/the-walking-dead-wolf-among-us-ps4-xbox-one-telltale-games | url-status = live }} with a Nintendo Switch version following in August 2018, which also included the 400 Days content.{{cite web | url = https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-08-21-the-walking-dead-the-complete-first-season-launches-next-week-on-switch | title = The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season launches next week on Switch | first = Matt | last = Wales | date = August 21, 2018 | access-date = August 21, 2018 | work = Eurogamer | archive-date = August 15, 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240815171355/https://www.eurogamer.net/the-walking-dead-the-complete-first-season-launches-next-week-on-switch | url-status = live }} Additionally, a virtual pinball table based on The Walking Dead, developed in collaboration with Zen Studios, was released on August 27, 2014,{{cite web | url = https://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/The-Walking-Dead/9ce2fca7-454e-48f1-bd31-ce304c088fdb | title = The Walking Dead | publisher = Xbox Live Marketplace | access-date = October 19, 2014 | archive-date = October 21, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141021214725/http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/The-Walking-Dead/9ce2fca7-454e-48f1-bd31-ce304c088fdb | url-status = live }} as downloadable content for Zen Pinball 2 and Pinball FX 2.{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2014/6/4/5777242/zen-pinball-the-walking-dead-table | title = The Walking Dead table shambling to Zen Pinball | first = Samit | last = Sarkar | date = June 4, 2014 | access-date = June 4, 2014 | work = Polygon | archive-date = June 6, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140606232553/http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/4/5777242/zen-pinball-the-walking-dead-table | url-status = live }} This pinball adaptation featured designs representing set pieces from all five episodes and included animated models of characters Lee and Clementine.{{cite web |url = https://www.destructoid.com/the-walking-dead-pinball-is-just-as-good-as-i-had-hoped/ |title = The Walking Dead Pinball is just as good as I had hoped |first = Brett |last = Zeidler |work = Destructoid |date = August 26, 2014 |access-date = April 8, 2016 |archive-date = July 28, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210728202244/https://www.destructoid.com/the-walking-dead-pinball-is-just-as-good-as-i-had-hoped/ |url-status = live }}

{{VG Series Reviews

|gr = no

|game1 = Episode 1 – A New Day

|mc1 = (PS3) 84{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-1-a-new-day/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 1 – A New Day Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=February 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226110705/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-1-a-new-day/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |url-status=live }}
(PC) 82{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-1-a-new-day/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 1 – A New Day Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=February 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226113844/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-1-a-new-day/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |url-status=live }}
(X360) 79{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-1-a-new-day/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 1 – A New Day Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=December 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211181237/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-1-a-new-day/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |url-status=live }}

|game2 = Episode 2 – Starved for Help

|mc2 = (PC) 84{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-2-starved-for-help/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 2 – Starved for Help Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=August 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240815171353/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-2-starved-for-help/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |url-status=live }}
(X360) 84{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-2-starved-for-help/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 2 – Starved for Help Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320035708/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-2-starved-for-help/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |url-status=live }}
(PS3) 84{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-2-starved-for-help/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 2 – Starved for Help Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320035710/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-2-starved-for-help/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |url-status=live }}

|game3 = Episode 3 – Long Road Ahead

|mc3 = (X360) 88{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 3 – Long Road Ahead Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=September 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927104406/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |url-status=live }}
(PS3) 87{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 3 – Long Road Ahead Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221172953/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |url-status=live }}
(PC) 85{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 3 – Long Road Ahead Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=February 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225150339/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |url-status=live }}

|game4 = Episode 4 – Around Every Corner

|mc4 = (X360) 82{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-4-around-every-corner/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 4 – Around Every Corner Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320035712/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-4-around-every-corner/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |url-status=live }}
(PS3) 81{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-4-around-every-corner/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 4 – Around Every Corner Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320035707/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-4-around-every-corner/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |url-status=live }}
(PC) 80{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-4-around-every-corner/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 4 – Around Every Corner Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=September 27, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927104256/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-4-around-every-corner/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |url-status=live }}

|game5 = Episode 5 – No Time Left

|mc5 = (PC) 89{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-5-no-time-left/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 5 – No Time Left Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=February 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204013214/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-5-no-time-left/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |url-status=live }}
(X360) 89{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-5-no-time-left/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 5 – No Time Left Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320035716/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-5-no-time-left/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |url-status=live }}
(PS3) 91{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-5-no-time-left/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 5 – No Time Left Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320035702/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-episode-5-no-time-left/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |url-status=live }}

|game6 = Special Episode – 400 Days

|mc6 = (X360) 80{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-400-days/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |title=The Walking Dead: 400 Days Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320035715/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-400-days/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |url-status=live }}
(PS3) 78{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-400-days/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |title=The Walking Dead: 400 Days Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320035713/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-400-days/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |url-status=live }}
(PC) 78{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-400-days/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=The Walking Dead: 400 Days Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320035707/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-400-days/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |url-status=live }}

}}

The Walking Dead{{'}}s critical reception was "generally favorable", according to review aggregator website Metacritic, receiving a score of 89/100 based on 14 critic reviews.{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-a-telltale-games-series/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|title=The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series|website=Metacritic|access-date=November 1, 2023|archive-date=March 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320035709/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-walking-dead-a-telltale-games-series/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|url-status=live}} as it was praised for the harsh emotional tone, the characters, particularly the connection established between Lee and Clementine, story and the resemblance to the original comic book, though there was some criticism towards technical glitches. Oli Welsh of Eurogamer called the game "a serious, solid, but clay-footed work", while IGN's Greg Miller called the game "something special" and named its story "a tale no one should miss".

"Episode 1 – A New Day" received positive reviews. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PlayStation 3 version 85.14% and 84/100,{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/664494-the-walking-dead-episode-1-a-new-day/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 1 – A New Day Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=April 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120427044553/http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/664494-the-walking-dead-episode-1-a-new-day/index.html |url-status=live }} the Xbox 360 version 83.87% and 79/100{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/663614-the-walking-dead-episode-1-a-new-day/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 1 – A New Day Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=January 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130125075155/http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/663614-the-walking-dead-episode-1-a-new-day/index.html |url-status=live }} and the PC version 83.38% and 82/100.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/622432-the-walking-dead-episode-1-a-new-day/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 1 – A New Day Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=February 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130211230630/http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/622432-the-walking-dead-episode-1-a-new-day/index.html |url-status=live }} The game received various accolades including the IGN "Editors' Choice", PC Gamer "Editors' Choice", Xbox Editors' Choice Award, and the PlayStation Gold Award.

"Episode 2 – Starved for Help" received positive reviews. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PC version 86.53% and 84/100,{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/668962-the-walking-dead-episode-2-starved-for-help/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 2 – Starved for Help Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=January 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130123232237/http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/668962-the-walking-dead-episode-2-starved-for-help/index.html |url-status=live }} the Xbox 360 version 86.26% and 84/100{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/668729-the-walking-dead-episode-2-starved-for-help/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 2 – Starved for Help Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=April 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130408092422/http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/668729-the-walking-dead-episode-2-starved-for-help/index.html |url-status=live }} and the PlayStation 3 version 85.90% and 84/100.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/668925-the-walking-dead-episode-2-starved-for-help/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 2 – Starved for Help Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=April 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411233851/http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/668925-the-walking-dead-episode-2-starved-for-help/index.html |url-status=live }} The game won the GameSpy E3 2012 award for "Best Adventure Game".{{cite web |title=GameSpy's Best of E3 2012 Awards |url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/dishonored/1225010p1.html |publisher=GameSpy |access-date=July 14, 2011 |archive-date=April 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407133147/http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/dishonored/1225010p1.html |url-status=live }}

"Episode 3 – Long Road Ahead" received positive reviews. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the Xbox 360 version 88.47% and 88/100,{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/668730-the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 3 – Long Road Ahead Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=April 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411231355/http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/668730-the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead/index.html |url-status=live }} the PlayStation 3 version 86.11% and 87/100{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/668926-the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 3 – Long Road Ahead Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=April 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411233938/http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/668926-the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead/index.html |url-status=live }} and the PC version 85.41% and 85/100.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/668963-the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 3 – Long Road Ahead Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=January 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124013910/http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/668963-the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead/index.html |url-status=live }} IGN's Greg Miller gave it a 9 out of 10, saying "It's a disturbing, depressing and entertaining entry in a journey that's been nothing short of excellent so far."{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/08/28/the-walking-dead-the-game-episode-3-long-road-ahead-review |title=The Walking Dead: The Game – Episode 3: Long Road Ahead Review |last=Miller |first=Greg |date=August 28, 2012 |publisher=IGN |access-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-date=August 31, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120831070023/http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/08/28/the-walking-dead-the-game-episode-3-long-road-ahead-review |url-status=live }} GameSpot gave the game an 8.5, saying "The Walking Dead has passed the midway point of its series of five episodes with every indication that the game will keep getting better right through to its inevitably depressing and unsettling conclusion."{{cite web |first=Brett |last=Todd |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead-review/1900-6394022/ |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 3 – Long Road Ahead Review |work=GameSpot |date=August 30, 2012 |access-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-date=February 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228063856/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-walking-dead-episode-3-long-road-ahead-review/1900-6394022/ |url-status=live }} MTV also gave it a positive review, saying "Telltale has created a series of wrenching, emotional decisions in the middle of a collection of not-too-hard puzzles in a visually-impressive adaptation of the Robert Kirkman comic series (with some nods to the TV show)."{{cite web |url=http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2012/08/30/review-telltale-breaks-your-heart-with-the-walking-dead-ep-3-long-road-ahead/ |title=Review: Telltale Breaks Your Heart With 'The Walking Dead: Ep. 3 – Long Road Ahead' |publisher=Multiplayerblog.mtv.com |date=August 30, 2012 |access-date=November 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911002629/http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2012/08/30/review-telltale-breaks-your-heart-with-the-walking-dead-ep-3-long-road-ahead/ |archive-date=September 11, 2012 }}

"Episode 4 – Around Every Corner" received positive reviews. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PC version 84.00% and 80/100,{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/668964-the-walking-dead-episode-4-around-every-corner/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 4 – Around Every Corner Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=January 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130123202145/http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/668964-the-walking-dead-episode-4-around-every-corner/index.html |url-status=live }} the Xbox 360 version 82.50% and 82/100{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/668731-the-walking-dead-episode-4-around-every-corner/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 4 – Around Every Corner Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=April 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130411230145/http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/668731-the-walking-dead-episode-4-around-every-corner/index.html |url-status=live }} and the PlayStation 3 version 78.94% and 81/100.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/668927-the-walking-dead-episode-4-around-every-corner/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 4 – Around Every Corner Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=March 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130324161457/http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/668927-the-walking-dead-episode-4-around-every-corner/index.html |url-status=live }}

"Episode 5 – No Time Left" received critical acclaim. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PC version 94.75% and 89/100,{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/668965-the-walking-dead-episode-5-no-time-left/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 5 – No Time Left Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=February 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218214429/http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/668965-the-walking-dead-episode-5-no-time-left/index.html |url-status=live }} the Xbox 360 version 88.15% and 89/100{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/668732-the-walking-dead-episode-5-no-time-left/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 5 – No Time Left Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=February 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130211230952/http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/668732-the-walking-dead-episode-5-no-time-left/index.html |url-status=live }} and the PlayStation 3 version 87.75% and 88/100.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/668928-the-walking-dead-episode-5-no-time-left/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: Episode 5 – No Time Left Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=February 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130211230943/http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/668928-the-walking-dead-episode-5-no-time-left/index.html |url-status=live }}

400 Days received positive reviews. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PlayStation 3 version 78.20% and 78/100,{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/718945-the-walking-dead-400-days/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: 400 Days Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=July 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130704225955/http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/718945-the-walking-dead-400-days/index.html |url-status=live }} the PC version 78.00% and 78/100{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/718947-the-walking-dead-400-days/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: 400 Days Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=July 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130717083355/http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/718947-the-walking-dead-400-days/index.html |url-status=live }} and the Xbox 360 version 76.88% and 80/100.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/718946-the-walking-dead-400-days/index.html |title=The Walking Dead: 400 Days Reviews |publisher=GameRankings |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=July 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130706100608/http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/718946-the-walking-dead-400-days/index.html |url-status=live }}

The Walking Dead achieved significant commercial success, supported by digital distribution. The first episode topped the Xbox Live Arcade charts for two weeks starting April 30,{{cite web |title=The Walking Dead Tops Xbox Live Arcade Chart |date=May 11, 2012 |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/the-walking-dead-tops-xbox-live-arcade-chart |last=Dutton |first=Fred |work=Eurogamer |access-date=May 15, 2012 |archive-date=May 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515112802/https://www.eurogamer.net/the-walking-dead-tops-xbox-live-arcade-chart |url-status=live }} and it topped sales on PlayStation Network and Steam for a week.{{cite web |title=Telltale Games' The Walking Dead Sells a Million |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/17/telltale-games-the-walking-dead-sells-a-million |last=Moriarty |first=Colin |date=May 17, 2012 |publisher=IGN |access-date=July 14, 2011 |archive-date=May 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520110321/http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/05/17/telltale-games-the-walking-dead-sells-a-million |url-status=live }} Within 20 days, it sold one million copies (excluding iOS), becoming Telltale's fastest-selling title. By the release of the third episode, 3.8 million episodes had been sold to 1.2 million players.{{cite web | url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/21/how-the-walking-dead-confounds-gamings-gloom | title = How The Walking Dead Confounds Gaming's Gloom | first = Colin | last = Campbell | date = September 21, 2012 | access-date = November 28, 2012 | publisher = IGN | archive-date = October 23, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121023033947/http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/21/how-the-walking-dead-confounds-gamings-gloom | url-status = live }} By January 2013, sales exceeded 8.5 million episodes, generating about $40 million in revenue.{{cite web | url = https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/01/04/behind-the-hit-iphone-game-the-walking-dead/ | title = Behind the Hit iPhone Game "The Walking Dead" | first = Matthey | last = Lynley | date = January 4, 2013 | access-date = January 5, 2013 | work = The Wall Street Journal | archive-date = January 6, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130106122603/https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/01/04/behind-the-hit-iphone-game-the-walking-dead/ | url-status = live }} Dan Connors noted that iOS accounted for 25% of sales, with significant growth in late 2012 driven by App Store discounts. By the release of 400 Days, over 17 million episodes had been sold worldwide,{{Cite press release | url = https://www.cnbc.com/id/100806285 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130616005438/http://www.cnbc.com/id/100806285 | url-status = dead | archive-date = June 16, 2013 | title = Telltale Games and Skybound Announce The Walking Dead: 400 Days as new DLC for Award-Winning Game Series | date = June 11, 2013 | access-date = June 11, 2013 | publisher = Telltale Games }} rising to 21 million by October 2013{{cite web | url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/29/clementine-confirmed-as-playable-in-the-walking-dead-season-2 | title = Clementine Confirmed as Playable in The Walking Dead: Season 2 | publisher = IGN | first = Andrew | last = Goldfarb | date = October 29, 2013 | access-date = October 29, 2013 | archive-date = October 31, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131031171919/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/29/clementine-confirmed-as-playable-in-the-walking-dead-season-2 | url-status = live }} and 28 million by July 2014.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-i-the-walking-dead-i-sells-28m-episodes-third-season-on-the-way|website=Gamasutra|title=The Walking Dead sells 28M episodes, third season on the way|last=Rose|first=Mike|date=July 27, 2014|archivedate=September 28, 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928181336/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-i-the-walking-dead-i-sells-28m-episodes-third-season-on-the-way}}

File:The Walking Dead developers accept Best Narrative award (cropped).jpg|alt=Four men stand behind a podium, one speaking into a microphone with his arms outstretched, holding an award.]]

The Walking Dead has received numerous accolades from a variety of publications and organizations since 2012. It was recognized as "Game of the Year" by USA Today,{{cite web | url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2013/01/01/best-video-games-of-2012/1798779/ | title = 'Walking Dead' heads USA TODAY's best 2012 video games | work = USA Today | first = Brett | last = Molina | date = January 1, 2013 | access-date = January 1, 2013 | archive-date = January 5, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130105021148/http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2013/01/01/best-video-games-of-2012/1798779/ | url-status = live }} Wired,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/12/the-10-best-games-of-2012|date=December 14, 2012|access-date=December 14, 2012|last=Kohler|first=Chris|magazine=Wired|title=Indie Passion Fuels the 10 Best Games of 2012|archive-date=December 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121216014403/http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/12/the-10-best-games-of-2012/|url-status=live}} GamesRadar+,{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/best-games-2012/|date=December 17, 2012|access-date=December 17, 2012|work=GamesRadar|title=Game of the Year 2012|archive-date=April 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425014715/http://www.gamesradar.com/best-games-2012/|url-status=live}} Official Xbox Magazine,{{cite web|url=http://www.oxmonline.com/oxm-game-year-2012-awards-game-year?page=0,1|title=OXM 2012 GAME OF THE YEAR: The Walking Dead|date=December 21, 2012|magazine=Official Xbox Magazine|access-date=December 22, 2012|archive-date=September 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130916114756/http://www.oxmonline.com/oxm-game-year-2012-awards-game-year?page=0,1|url-status=dead}} Destructoid,{{cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/the-winner-of-destructoids-game-of-the-year-2012/|date=December 14, 2012|access-date=December 17, 2012|last=North|first=Dale|work=Destructoid|title=The winner of Destructoid's Game of the Year 2012|archive-date=July 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729165707/https://www.destructoid.com/the-winner-of-destructoids-game-of-the-year-2012/|url-status=live}} Digital Trends,{{cite web|url=http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/digital-trends-best-games-of-2012-winners/|date=December 14, 2012|access-date=December 17, 2012|author=Digital Trends Staff|publisher=Digital Trends|title=Digital Trends' Best Games of 2012 Winners|archive-date=May 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530100004/http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/digital-trends-best-games-of-2012-winners/|url-status=dead}} and Yahoo! Games.{{cite web|url=http://games.yahoo.com/photos/yahoo-games-best-of-2012-awards-1355516946-slideshow/yahoo-games-best-of-2012-awards-photo--1692817195.html|date=December 14, 2012|access-date=December 17, 2012|publisher=Yahoo! Games|title=Yahoo! Games Best of 2012 Awards|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121218200632/http://games.yahoo.com/photos/yahoo-games-best-of-2012-awards-1355516946-slideshow/yahoo-games-best-of-2012-awards-photo--1692817195.html|archive-date=December 18, 2012}}

{{main|The Walking Dead: Season Two|l1=The Walking Dead: Season Two|The Walking Dead: Michonne|l2=The Walking Dead: Michonne|The Walking Dead: A New Frontier|l3=The Walking Dead: A New Frontier|The Walking Dead: The Final Season|l4=The Walking Dead: The Final Season}}

Following the success of the first series, Telltale began developing a second season,{{cite web | url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/07/06/telltale-plans-more-episodes-of-walking-dead-game | title = Telltale Plans More Episodes of Walking Dead Game | first = Andrew | last = Goldfarb | date = July 6, 2012 | access-date = January 5, 2013 | publisher = IGN | archive-date = November 7, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121107001645/http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/07/06/telltale-plans-more-episodes-of-walking-dead-game | url-status = live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/more-i-the-walking-dead-i-games-on-the-way-from-telltale-activision |title=More The Walking Dead Games in the Way From Telltale, Activision |last=Rose |first=Mike |work=Gamasutra |access-date=March 8, 2011 |archive-date=August 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827164431/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/more-i-the-walking-dead-i-games-on-the-way-from-telltale-activision |url-status=live }} with the first episode released in late 2013.{{cite web | url = https://www.eurogamer.net/season-two-of-telltales-the-walking-dead-will-be-out-in-autumn-2014 | title = Season Two of Telltale's The Walking Dead "aiming for" autumn 2014 | work = Eurogamer | date = March 6, 2013 | access-date = March 6, 2013 | first = Robert | last = Purchase | archive-date = September 27, 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240927103753/https://www.eurogamer.net/season-two-of-telltales-the-walking-dead-will-be-out-in-autumn-2014 | url-status = live }} Connors stated they aimed to build on players' favorite elements from the first season, while considering story continuation and potential character ties to the TV show.{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2013/2/7/3963786/weighing-the-choices-for-the-walking-dead-season-two | title = Telltale CEO talks possibilities for The Walking Dead season two: 'Anything is possible' | first = Brian | last = Crecente | date = February 7, 2013 | access-date = February 7, 2013 | work = Polygon | archive-date = February 11, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130211121713/http://www.polygon.com/2013/2/7/3963786/weighing-the-choices-for-the-walking-dead-season-two | url-status = live }} In February 2013, Whitta hinted at additional content before Season Two,{{cite web | url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/25/more-telltales-walking-dead-coming-before-season-2 | title = More Telltale's Walking Dead Coming Before Season 2 | first = Mitch | last = Dyer | date = February 25, 2013 | access-date = February 25, 2013 | publisher = IGN | archive-date = February 26, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130226052158/https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/25/more-telltales-walking-dead-coming-before-season-2 | url-status = live }} later revealed as 400 Days.{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2013/6/7/4404922/the-walking-dead-400-days-dlc-appears-in-steam-database | title = The Walking Dead '400 Days DLC' listed in Steam database | first = Jenna | last = Pitcher | date = June 7, 2013 | access-date = June 11, 2013 | work = Polygon | archive-date = June 10, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130610205717/http://www.polygon.com/2013/6/7/4404922/the-walking-dead-400-days-dlc-appears-in-steam-database | url-status = live }} Revealed at the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo and released in July 2013, this content introduced five new characters and carried decisions from The Walking Dead into Season Two.{{cite web | url = https://kotaku.com/heres-your-first-look-at-the-walking-dead-400-days-512594868 | title = Here's Your First Look at The Walking Dead: 400 Days | first = Evan | last = Narcisse | date = June 11, 2013 | access-date = June 11, 2013 | work = Kotaku | archive-date = June 13, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130613034028/http://kotaku.com/heres-your-first-look-at-the-walking-dead-400-days-512594868 | url-status = live }} Telltale released a three-episode mini-series, The Walking Dead: Michonne, in 2016.{{Cite web | url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/06/15/e3-2015-the-walking-dead-michonne-miniseries-announced | title = E3 2015: The Walking Dead: Michonne Miniseries Announced | first = Mitch | last = Dyer | date = June 15, 2015 | access-date = June 15, 2015 | publisher = IGN | archive-date = September 27, 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240927104405/https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/06/15/e3-2015-the-walking-dead-michonne-miniseries-announced | url-status = live }} The first episode of Season Three, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier, launched in December 2016, followed by a physical season pass in February 2017.{{Cite web | url = https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-i-the-walking-dead-i-sells-28m-episodes-third-season-on-the-way | title = The Walking Dead sells 28M episodes, third season on the way | work = Gamasutra | date = July 27, 2014 | access-date = July 27, 2014 | first = Mike | last = Rose | archive-date = August 27, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210827152502/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-i-the-walking-dead-i-sells-28m-episodes-third-season-on-the-way | url-status = live }} The fourth and final season, The Walking Dead: The Final Season, concluded in 2019.{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/07/19/comic-con-2017-telltales-the-walking-dead-season-4-is-final-season-coming-in-2018 |title=Comic-Con 2017: Telltale's The Walking Dead Season 4 Is Final Season, Coming in 2018 |last=Goldfarb |first=Andrew |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=July 19, 2017 |access-date=July 20, 2017 |archive-date=July 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720000000/http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/07/19/comic-con-2017-telltales-the-walking-dead-season-4-is-final-season-coming-in-2018 |url-status=live }}

The Walking Dead has been credited with revitalizing the adventure game genre, which had experienced a decline in popularity since the 1990s.{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/01/history-of-graphic-adventures/|date=January 26, 2011|access-date=December 13, 2012|last=Moss|first=Richard|work=Ars Technica|title=A truly graphic adventure: the 25-year rise and fall of a beloved genre|archive-date=November 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102012924/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/01/history-of-graphic-adventures/|url-status=live}} The game's emphasis on narrative-driven, choice-based gameplay is regarded as having "paved the way" for subsequent titles that adopted a similar approach, such as Life Is Strange and The Quarry, both of which focus on player choices and their impact on the story.{{cite web|website=Den of Geek|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/best-games-like-the-quarry/|title=Best Games Like The Quarry|last=Greenbaum|first=Aaron|date=July 7, 2022|archivedate=April 18, 2024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418004531/https://www.denofgeek.com/games/best-games-like-the-quarry/}}

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• {{official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20150124205622/http://www.telltalegames.com/walkingdead/season1/}}
• {{mobygames|/55762/the-walking-dead/}}
• {{IMDb title|id=2006890}}

{{The Walking Dead}}

{{Telltale Games}}

{{Image Comics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walking Dead 1}}

Category:2012 video games

Category:Adventure games

Category:Android (operating system) games

Category:BAFTA winners (video games)

Category:Episodic video games

Category:Interactive movie video games

Category:IOS games

Category:MacOS games

Category:Nintendo Switch games

Category:Ouya games

Category:PlayStation 3 games

Category:PlayStation 4 games

Category:PlayStation Network games

Category:PlayStation Vita games

Category:Point-and-click adventure games

Category:Savannah, Georgia in fiction

Category:Single-player video games

Category:Spike Video Game Awards Game of the Year winners

Category:Square Enix games

Category:Telltale Games games

Category:Video games about cannibalism

Category:Video games developed in the United States

Category:Video games featuring black protagonists

Category:Video games featuring female protagonists

Category:Video games featuring non-playable protagonists

Category:Video games scored by Jared Emerson-Johnson

Category:Video games set in 2003

Category:Video games set in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Video games set on trains

Category:Video games with commentaries

* Video game

Category:Windows games

Category:Xbox 360 games

Category:Xbox 360 Live Arcade games

Category:Xbox Cloud Gaming games

Category:Xbox One games