"Essential" walking sims might be "you explore and find things out but don't really do anything."
...however, almost all noncombat games get accused of being walking sims. (IMHO, they are not.) It's considered an insult by the gamerbro factions, so marketing teams don't use it unless they're openly advertising "this is an artsy experience more than a game."
(And you can't rely on tags at itch.io. OMG. I would not call this a walking sim. This also does not look like a walking sim to me, although I have not tried it.)
History of Walking Simulators - including several lists of games that are considered central to the genre. (I have played "Gone Home" and "The Witness" and seen a few of the others.)
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...however, almost all noncombat games get accused of being walking sims. (IMHO, they are not.) It's considered an insult by the gamerbro factions, so marketing teams don't use it unless they're openly advertising "this is an artsy experience more than a game."
(And you can't rely on tags at itch.io. OMG. I would not call this a walking sim. This also does not look like a walking sim to me, although I have not tried it.)
History of Walking Simulators - including several lists of games that are considered central to the genre. (I have played "Gone Home" and "The Witness" and seen a few of the others.)
And thanks for the spoiler tag info!