I don't call genres I dislike trash.

I mean... it doesn't make it fun to you.

Many people do genuienly enjoy games that, to whatever extent, feature a whole lot of walking, with very scenic or stylized environments, or that use walking itself and not much more actual gameplay mechanics... to tell a compelling story.

Dear Esther.

The Stanley Parable.

Not much... 'gameplay' going on there.

But a lot of people like those games.

There are even like... basically just finely crafted GMod maps that are more or less just designed to be explored, to allow the map itself to tell you the story of ... why it is the way it is, how it got that way.

Death Stranding, by comparison to everything else I just mentioned, has far more developed gameplay components and systems, and a narrative structure, highly prodoced cinematics, etc.

Kenshi very often features a fuck ton of walking, and you just trying to figure out how to survive a very long hike.

You can view even a pure walking sim, with basicsally no actual other gameplay mechanics... as... a first person movie you walk through.

Its no problem if you don't find these kinds of games compelling... but as you can see by a whole lot of comments in this thread, a whole lot of people roughly accept the moniker of 'walking simulator' and say 'yes actually, i find this kind of experience quite compelling!'.

Like... what is more of a 'game', a walking simulator that just tells a story via environment and narration... or some kind of idler/autobattling game, where quite literally 99% of the game just plays itself?

I don't find those compelling at all, personally, but tons of people do, and that's great for them!

...

But beyond all that: All Hideo Kojima games are trash... is a pretty ludicrous statement to make, unqualified, with no specifics.

The dude basically pioneered his own concept of a stealth action game, and these games have been hugely successful and influential.

Sure, the plots can get pretty zany and convoluted, but that too is part of the appeal for many people.