Firewatch

Firewatch
Artwork by Olly Moss, depicting a fire lookout in the Shoshone National Forest
DeveloperCampo Santo
Publishers
Directors
Producers
Designers
Programmers
  • Ben Burbank
  • Nels Anderson
  • Patrick Ewing
  • Paolo Surricchio
  • William Armstrong
Artists
  • Jane Ng
  • Olly Moss
Writers
  • Chris Remo
  • Jake Rodkin
  • Olly Moss
  • Sean Vanaman
ComposerChris Remo
EngineUnity
Platforms
ReleaseLinux, Mac OS, PlayStation 4, Windows
  • WW: February 9, 2016
Xbox One
  • NA: September 21, 2016
  • EU: September 30, 2016
  • AU: October 14, 2016
Nintendo Switch
  • WW: December 17, 2018
Genres
ModeSingle-player

Firewatch is an adventure game developed by Campo Santo and published by the developer in partnership with Panic. The game was released in February 2016 for Linux, OS X, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in September 2016, and for Nintendo Switch in December 2018. The story follows a fire lookout named Henry who works in Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming. Henry interacts with his supervisor Delilah using a walkie-talkie, with the player choosing from dialog options to communicate. His exchanges with Delilah inform the process by which their relationship is developed. Over the course of the summer, Henry and Delilah are menaced by unseen forces and have to unravel a years-old mystery.

The game was directed by Olly Moss and Sean Vanaman, written by Chris Remo, Jake Rodkin, Moss and Vanaman, and produced by Gabe McGill and artist Jane Ng. The game's environment was modelled by Ng, based on a single painting by Moss. The design draws inspiration from New Deal advertisements by the National Park Service and field research conducted in Yosemite National Park.

The game received generally positive reviews, earning praise for its story, characters, dialogue, and visual style, yet the presence of technical issues and the game's ending were both subjects of criticism. Firewatch won the award for Best 3D Visual Experience at the Unity Awards 2016, Best Indie Game at the 2016 Golden Joystick Awards, Best Narrative at the 2017 Game Developers Choice Awards and Debut Game at the 2017 British Academy Games Awards. By late 2016, the game had sold over a million copies.