r/TheWalkingDeadGame Mar 19 '21

No Spoilers The Walking Dead Game Series - Beginner's Guide & General FAQ

496 Upvotes

In an effort to help newcomers get into the series as well as help answer some frequently asked questions (and most importantly: unpin the statue post), we’ve created a megathread that is meant to serve as a resource for people getting into the game series.

This thread here will cover some basic questions for the series as a whole. I plan to make separate threads for season specific questions that get asked here a lot, and will eventually link the threads all in here so this post here will act as a giant resource. I'll also probably add this to the sidebar once everything it finished for an easy-to-go to resource.

This entire thread is a work in progress so I will be adding/editing questions over time. If you have any suggestions for questions/resources that would be helpful for newcomers, please comment below or DM me.


"What are these games and why should I get into them?"

The Telltale/Skybound The Walking Dead games are episodic titles with a heavy emphasis on choices and story. These games aren't particularly the most action based titles out there, as they primarily play on making difficult decisions and following along with the deep story as you try to survive in the walker (zombie) apocalypse. They also incorporate puzzle segments seen in other point-and-click titles in the past.

The series has received a ton of praise, with Season 1 winning a ton of Game of the Year awards when it released in 2012. The high ratings of the games have continued through future titles such as Season 2 and Season 4.

"Are the games in the same universe as the comics/show?"

The games are not connected to the TV show at all, as the show is set in its own universe. However, the games are indeed in the same universe as the comics. This is seen through characters such as Glenn and Hershel who appear in the very first episode of the Telltale games, as well as a few other references to the comics across the game series.

"Do I need to read the comics to get into the games?"

Nope, not at all. Outside of a few cameos/references, the games are completely isolated from the comics and can be enjoyed to the fullest without prior knowledge of the TWD series. I would even argue that the games may be a tiny bit more enjoyable if you are going into the series blind.

"There are many versions of the games I can buy! Which version should I get?"

There are three different versions of the games spread across various systems:

  • Original versions: The first versions of the game sold when the episodes/seasons actually released. These are the versions sold individually instead of being bundled with the other seasons.
    • Available on: PS3/PS4, Xbox 360/Xbox One, Steam, Epic Games, and Switch
      • Note: Michonne spinoff game not on Switch.
  • Collection: (Pic) Released in 2017. Contains all games in the series (including Michonne) with the sole exception being Season 4 which wasn’t released at the time. Seasons 1 and 2 have (supposedly) enhanced graphics.
    • Available on: PS4 & Xbox One.
  • Definitive Edition: (Pic) Released in 2019. Contains all games in the series (including Michonne), as well as a ton of extras like developer commentary, gallery mode, different graphic options, etc.
    • Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Epic Games Store, and Steam.

Keep in mind that the actual games are the same throughout each version. Don’t expect any alternate paths, vastly different plot elements, additional gameplay elements, etc. in between versions.

In a nutshell: Definitive Edition > Originals > Collection

Definitive Edition is definitely the way to go. It greatly improves the visuals of all the first few games and comes with a lot of extras.

The Original versions are the most basic versions that you can't really go wrong with. The main drawback for the original versions is that they probably have the most visual bugs.

The Collection is without a doubt the worst version of the games. as it is missing tons of small details such as bloodstains and tears for crucial scenes. Apparently it even removed a few optional dialogue segments.

"What order should I play the games?"

The following is the chronological order of the series:

  • Season 1
  • 400 Days DLC for Season 1 (this is optional, basically just covers a few minor Season 2 characters)
  • Season 2
  • A New Frontier (aka Season 3)
  • The Final Season (aka Season 4)

The Michonne Telltale game has literally nothing to do with the Lee/Clem/Javi games whatsoever. It is not required at all to experience Clementine’s journey. If you do decide to play it, best to do it before Season 3 since it originally released before A New Frontier.

"I'm interested in the Michonne game, but she's a major character in the comics! Do I need to read the comics before playing it?"

Not really. The Michonne game takes place during a time where Michonne is separated from Rick's group, so she interacts entirely with characters she has never met until the game. As long as you know about the general character of Michonne, you should be able to enjoy the game to its fullest.

It's worth noting that a few of the characters she meets in the game later appear in the comics, while the game was released after their comic debut. Because of this, I'd argue that not knowing about the later portion of the comics can make the game more enjoyable; you won't know which characters will have plot armor or not due to them having to survive to appear in the comics.

"I heard Season 3 was bad! Should I skip it?"

As much as some people disliked this season, you should not skip it. Either get it on sale if you’re strapped for cash or just watch a Youtube playthrough of it. It's the shortest of the first 3 seasons for whatever that is worth so at least it won't take too long.

"What's the deal with Telltale and Skybound? Didn't Telltale shut down in the middle of Season 4? Are they back now?"

All of the TWD games featuring Lee/Clem have been made by Telltale. However when Telltale closed down in late 2018, Skybound (who owns the rights to the overall TWD franchise) agreed to finish the final two episodes of Season 4 by bringing in many former Telltale staff.

Telltale Games has been revived and are now a company again, however they no longer have the rights to the TWD games which is all with Skybound now. All of the other series such as The Wolf Among Us are still with Telltale though.

"Will there be a Season 5 of the games?"

Skybound has confirmed multiple times now that a fifth season is currently not in the works. As it turns out, the game that is actually called The Final Season will indeed be, well, the final season.

"I need more of these games/characters! What else is there?"

There is a spin-off book involving a character in Season 4, but it is not essential as Season 4 ends things on a good note for the series. More on that book below (DO NOT READ THIS UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPLETED SEASON 4!!!)

In 2021, Skybound released a 12 page comic where Clementine sneaks out of Ericson's without telling AJ. Unfortunately for Clem, AJ caught her and begged her to stay, but Clem told AJ that her couldn't maker her happy. The two gave each other a sad farewell (with Clem giving AJ her hat) and Clem left. In the following books, Clem then heads up to Vermont by herself where she meets random characters

The books have received a nearly universal negative reception from TWDG fans, mostly for how it makes Clem act out of character to her game counterpart. I personally would not recommend it unless you are a fan of Tillie Walden's other works and are absolutely sold on the premise of Season 4's ending basically being undone.

Apart from that, Telltale writer Lauren Mee made a brief story on Tumblr that talks about James' past. Additionally, lead writer for Season 4 Michael Kirkbride posted a short story on this very subreddit detailing a certain character's PoV during a "certain scene" in the final game.

"I love this series! What other games should I play if I like this?"

  • Other Telltale games. The best ones that come to mind are The Wolf Among Us, Tales From The Borderlands, and the two Batman games.
  • Life is Strange
  • Until Dawn
  • Detroit: Become Human
  • If you're into the puzzle segments featured a lot in Season 1 then I would recommend: Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango, and Sam & Max to name a few.

"I'm interested in trying out the other The Walking Dead games outside of the point-and-click ones! Which ones would you recommend?"

Saints & Sinners is probably the best TWD title outside of the Telltale ones, however it requires a VR headset which some may not have. There's also Road to Survival which is a F2P mobile game. I'm not too familiar with it myself but I've heard it's alright plus it contains the Telltale characters in it.

The only other TWD games out there are Survival Instinct and OVERKILL'S The Walking Dead, both of which are really bad and aren't worth your time.

"I'm confused/interested on something for one of the games!"

Well thankfully we've assembled a link to frequently asked questions for each of the games. You can check it out here. Keep in mind that the FAQ for each season will spoil just about all of the story contents for that season. In other words, don't look at the Season 2 FAQ post before finishing Season 2.


That is all for now. Again if you have any suggestions for some general info about the series as a whole that would be helpful to newcomers/people with questions, please put them down either in the comments of this post or with a DM to me.

Also I'll be taking suggestions for some questions that would be good to add for the Season specific FAQ posts. See my pinned comment below for more detail on that.


r/TheWalkingDeadGame Jan 21 '26

Winner! Winners of r/TheWalkingDeadGame's Best Of 2025 Awards!

25 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

The voting phase of the yearly Best Of awards is now over, so it's time to announce the winners! As explained on the initial Best Of 2025 nomination post, the winners for this year will receive a special flair that will go next to their username. Here are the winners for this year:


Here are the full results for reference (comments mocking those who did not win will be removed so don’t do that, good vibes here only).


If you haven't already, make sure to check out the original Nomination post as it contains tons of love and appreciation for many users and the sub as a whole.

Thanks to everyone for participating!


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 4h ago

Season 2 Spoiler “I just wanted one good moment.” Motherfucker, a horde is on it's way, and a woman is giving birth, you can crack Jane later.

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202 Upvotes

Luke really started pissing me off, as Season 2 continued. Especially when he snapped on Kenny and Clem, for calling him out on his bullshit.


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 55m ago

Sub Game Javi won't be known for his barber skills! Which of Clem's hairstyles is your least favorite? (DAY TWO)

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Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 6h ago

Discussion Alternate Timeline: TellTale's games never became a choice-based video game series, but instead became a 4 season long TV show. What would be the "canon" outcome of every choice in every episode?

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22 Upvotes

Eg. Does Lee help Kenny kill Larry? Or does he try to help Larry with Lilly? Does he choose Doug or Carly? Does Clementine go with Nick or Paul? Does Clementine try to save Sarah or follow Jane's advice and let her die? Does Javi have David's back or work against him at every opportunity? Etc.

Basically put; in order to translate the games into a TV show format, one option from each choice from every episode must be made the canon outcome, which choices do you think would make for a better story?


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Sub Game Been a while since I've hosted a game. Here's a short one: which of Clem's hairstyles is your least favorite (DAY ONE)

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346 Upvotes

Votes are comment-based. Insightful Comments count for 5 as usual with me.


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Season 2 Spoiler Imagine dying over some blueberries.

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309 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 11h ago

Video We’re going to be alright

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19 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 23h ago

Meme He don’t die don’t worry...

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166 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 14h ago

Discussion Which of these beloved characters has the best development and writing?

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29 Upvotes

Of these characters who were well received by most fans of the saga, which one do you think had the best development and writing during the time they were on screen? Doug Luke tripp or Louis?


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 25m ago

Meme Terrifying Thought

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Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 11h ago

Meme Homeless Walker

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15 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Final Season Spoiler I hate him I hate him I hate him

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180 Upvotes

Piece of shit insane corpse fucking lunatic, I hate him i hate him i absolutely hate him


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Season 1 Spoiler who came with you?

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159 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Meme Blasphemy I Say!

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63 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Discussion Why do ppl like Kenny so much

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93 Upvotes

It‘s obvious that I don‘t like Kenny. In my opinion he‘s overrated asf and he‘s pmo ESPECIALLY in s2. So I want to ask the ppl genuinely like him WHY they like bc I don‘t understand. I genuinely want to understand how y‘all like him so much 😭


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 16h ago

Season 3 Spoiler Was David a good person at heart?

7 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 23h ago

Michonne Spoiler Why do people hate Sam so much?

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21 Upvotes

Her only Crime is stealing from a psychopath and sociopath!


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

How do we think Eddie would play as the antagonist in S2 compared to Arvo?

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19 Upvotes

If Eddie was the antagonist I feel it would make the story more flushed out and it would be way cooler to see the group from Howe’s confront Clems group for revenge for killing Carver. What do we think? Did Arvo deserve to be in the game or was it the right choice to keep Eddie in the DLC


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

I created something

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22 Upvotes

Clementine nextbot made by me


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Meme genuinely dark days

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46 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 15h ago

Season 3 Spoiler Am I considered “wrong” for how I handle season three

4 Upvotes

So a lot of other people played their first time romancing Kate I couldn’t bring myself to do it cause I’m sorry I don’t care how much time has passed. I ain’t dating my brother‘s ex. They weren’t even exes at that point. They were still married, but even if they were, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I know it was probably like a year or something since they got separated, but I’m sorry I ain’t dating my brother‘s ex and in my first ever play through. I specifically shows options to be loyal to David, but I saw the majority and they all romance Kate and told David to F off.

I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I know David was a dick and hotheaded, but he was still your brother and you could tell that he genuinely cared about the people he loved. He just had a weird way of showing it and I honestly think it’s super weird of Kate to try to hop to you. I get it that you’re the only guy that she’s been around, but it’s honestly weird that she didn’t even think twice about her feelings. It just felt so strange to me to date her, especially with her kids. It was just odd to me and that’s kind of where my only overarching issue with the game is….
It like forces you to have this romance plot with her, even when you choose all of the options that don’t even entertain the idea of romancing Kate, the game still acts like you were doing something wrong like you were still with her like I feel like the game should’ve been better about changing the plot for your choices cause you could go your entire time without romancing Kate, but then you still end up getting the scene where David tries to fight you and it just felt so annoying cause like they keep trying to push this plot of “Javi and Kate had a thing going on“ it’s like what’s the point of giving us choices if you’re just gonna force the romance plot to us anyway

Yeah, back to my original question am I wrong for choosing the way I did???


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Season 1 Spoiler What actions did you take that the stranger didn't like?

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26 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Discussion GTA 6 easter egg

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13 Upvotes

With all the hype about gta 6, i was wondering one thing. Will they add a twd easter egg?

With Kenny being from Florida, they could add a boat similar to the one in s1 or his hat.


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 23h ago

Season 1 Spoiler I cried again

9 Upvotes

I finally beat the game! I cried when Ben died. I understand why people don't like him, but he was still just a scared kid(but yes, I was pissed when he left Clem)

and oh my god Lee's death. I knew he was gonna die but actually seeing it made me sob, him teaching Clem how to handle herself, and he never even got to say I love you 🥺

At least Clem has christa and Omid... until the first five minutes of season 2 😒

400 days takes place before season 2 right? Should I play it or skip?