Stuttgart 21 pedestrian tunnel turned into satirical walking simulator video game

Turning commuter frustration into gameplay

The provisional pedestrian corridor linking downtown Stuttgart to the tracks at Stuttgart Central Station has long drawn public mockery from local commuters, who frequently dub the 350-metre underground walkway a long-distance hiking trail. Within the multi-billion-euro Stuttgart 21 railway construction project, the passage has acquired a reputation as the development's longest individual tunnel. Willi Schorrig, the 32-year-old founder of development studio Hanging Gardens Interactive, commutes through the passageway several times each week and drew inspiration directly from that routine. His walking simulator, titled S21 - The Game, attempts to recreate the atmosphere of mounting despair, frustration, and time pressure that defines the daily walk. Schorrig conceived the game around the idea of a commuter pursuing a goal that perpetually remains out of reach.

That gave me the idea that you could translate this perfectly into a game: you basically always have this carrot in front of your nose and you walk further and further.

Mechanics of the provisional corridor

Under real conditions, walking between the station tracks and the city centre through the corridor takes an average of up to 10 minutes. In the simulation, players receive a seemingly generous 20-minute window to navigate the passageway and reach Platform 9 before their train departs. Progress through the dimly lit and deserted concrete corridor is repeatedly slowed by obstacles scattered along the route. Players monitor their dwindling travel window on an in-game smartphone screen that displays the scheduled departure time. Realistic loudspeaker announcements echo through the passage at regular intervals, at one point informing the traveler that the walk is not truly endless. The gameplay deliberately shifts the player's psychology from catching a train to escaping the confined underground space.

In the beginning you still want to catch your train, in the end you just want to get out of the tunnel.

A dead end reflecting project delays

The demo version of the walking simulator offers no happy ending for travelers hoping to board their transit on time. Upon completing the arduous walk toward Platform 9, players find their path blocked by a solid concrete wall and must turn around in defeat. A raspy loudspeaker voice delivers standard railway phrasing, announcing that the ordeal will never end before formally apologizing for the inconvenience. On the official website for the title, Hanging Gardens Interactive maintains a satirical disclaimer asserting that any resemblance to real, ongoing, or delayed construction projects is purely coincidental. Schorrig noted that the unyielding obstacles and false hopes of the game serve as an allegory for the broader history of Stuttgart 21 delays.

First they say it will be finished next year, then in four years, then in ten years. You are constantly put off.

Development and public presentation

Schorrig initially developed the game as an independent concept and shared early builds with a small circle of acquaintances before media outlets began reporting on it. The developer subsequently brought the walking simulator to the Gamescom video game convention, introducing the regional infrastructure satire to an international gaming audience. The project treats commuter irritation not as a design flaw, but as the central interactive mechanic of the experience. Schorrig designed the simulation to simultaneously entertain players and provoke genuine irritation through its faithful recreation of station announcements and claustrophobic corridors.

You should have fun with it and you should also get annoyed.