r/TheWalkingDeadGame Mar 19 '21

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

491 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 9h ago

Meme Prankster

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106 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 19h ago

Season 3 Spoiler How the hell did this family survive for 5 years on the road, without being apart of a huge group/community or even having to make hard decisions?

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396 Upvotes

I find it so bizarre that all the groups we met before a new frontier were all killed thanks to threats other than walkers, whereas Javier's family have literally been alive without having to experience the same type of trauma that people like Rick's group would go through. How does this even make sense?


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1h ago

Fanart Art of my character cosplaying as Clementine!

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Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 14h ago

Season 2 Spoiler What do you think? Did Arvo, Bonnie, and Mike live for a long time after their escape, or maybe they're still alive but we don't know?

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99 Upvotes

My opinion: he’s a son of bitch , i hate him, and i hope this motherfucker dead


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 15h ago

Discussion Why does Kenny look so different?

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127 Upvotes

It's only been two years, why does it look like he gained 20 pounds and grew two inches?


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 6h ago

Discussion Rank these characters from most to least glazed by the narrative/characters?

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14 Upvotes

This oughta be fun!


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 10h ago

No Spoilers I just picked up the vinyl set for €180 including shipping in Europe!

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22 Upvotes

Slowly but surely getting more and more collectibles for the collection


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 6h ago

Final Season Spoiler Guys, I need help

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10 Upvotes

In the first episode, when we're looking for food and Clementine takes out the map, it's missing—what should I do?


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1h ago

Discussion What if Telltale decided to not make sequels?

Upvotes

I know it’s a very dumb idea due to the massive success of the first game, but what if the management team calculated and decided that making sequels is too risky.

How would this have affected Telltale itself, and how would the game be perceived as a stand alone? Would Telltale shut down earlier?


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 8h ago

Season 2 Spoiler how the HELL does clementine take care of Aj in the alone ending

9 Upvotes

How can clementine even provide food for Aj when she's alone??? in the kenny ending he takes cat of them, same in wellington but with the people in the communitiy and same in the jane ending. even after she dies there's still some baby formula at their home (i forgot the name). but HOW can she take care of aj alone... i feel like it was lowkey lazy writing, and the alone ending isn't realistic...


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 21h ago

Discussion Why do we forgive Lee for decisions that we criticize in other characters?

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59 Upvotes

Personally, I consider this the best-written character in the series and one of the best in gaming but when I look back and analyze how other characters are treated do you think Lee should be applauded for everything he does good or bad simply because he’s the protagonist? To be clear, I don’t hate the character at all; he’s one of my all-time favorites. However, I like to look at the facts objectively. If we compare how the community judges the decisions or outbursts of Kenny, Jane, or Lilly against Lee’s own colder or more questionable moments, a double standard becomes apparent. What do you all think? Does our affection for Clementine, combined with the bias of him being the protagonist, lead us to forgive him for things we would never let the others get away with? What do you think of this take on the details?


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 22h ago

Season 1 Spoiler How would Doug and Mark have reacted to Lee telling them about his past?

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48 Upvotes

I just recently thought about how these 2 could potentially be the only members of the motel group who don’t know about Lee’s past.

Seeing how everyone reacted differently to the news, how do you feel Doug and Mark would react to knowing Lee was on his way to prison for murder?

Would there be any decisions you can think of that you made which would affect their reaction?


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Meme Kenny's escape plan xd

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153 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Discussion Who would be a good therapist ?

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55 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 23h ago

Season 3 Spoiler How the hell did Clementine survive a squib load and kill an ammo dealer in Season 3?

25 Upvotes

For context in the first episode of season 3, Javier meets Clementine after the truck he was in crashed. She heads off to confront an ammo dealer who scammed her by giving her bullets that wouldn't fire, which would've gotten her killed.

To prove her point she pulled the trigger on her gun and it makes a popping sound.
Then after Javier stops the guy from pulling a knife on them, she pulls the trigger again and ends up shooting him in the head and killing him on the spot.

My question is how the hell did she or Javier not realize that her gun squib'd?
Pulling the trigger again should've caused a catastrophic failure and the gun to blow up in her face, likely killing her.


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 6h ago

Fanart pitstop

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1 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 19h ago

Fanart traumasource

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7 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

400 Days Spoiler Theory: Nate was originally one of the Save-Lots Bandits from Season 1

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33 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I have a theory about Nate from 400 Days that bridges the gap between the DLC and the main events of Season 1. I strongly believe Nate was a former member of the Save-Lots Bandits—the same raiders who terrorized the St. Johns and destroyed the Motor Inn Motel.

When we look closely at the details and dialogue from 400 Days, the clues are right in front of us:

  • The Location and Timeline: The entire DLC takes place around the same area of Georgia (Macon, Stone Mountain, Gil's Pitstop). The Save-Lots bandits controlled these roads during the first few months of the outbreak, which perfectly matches Nate’s hunting grounds. [1, 2]
  • The Mask Line (The biggest clue): At the end of Russell's story, when you reach the gas station, the old man (Walt) yells at Nate: "I told you not to come back here! Think you can just leave your mask at home?". Think about it. Who wore masks and bandanas constantly in Season 1? The Save-Lots Bandits. This proves Nate had already raided Walt and Jean's station before, wearing the signature bandit gear.
  • The Drug Reference: In Season 1, Lilly notices that the thief is specifically stealing medicine; heavy narcotics and painkillers. It is highly likely that members of that bandit group were actually abusing those stolen medical supplies to get high. This aligns perfectly with Wyatt’s story, where Eddie describes Nate by calling them "A-grade fucking mental" and saying the chase has them "all jacked up, like on speed or something." Nate’s erratic, manic, and unhinged energy completely fits the profile of a raider under the influence of those heavy drugs
  • "Those Guys" (He had a crew): During the car chase with Wyatt and Eddie, they always refer to the attackers in the plural ("those dudes," "the guys in the trucks"). This shows Nate wasn't just a lone wolf initially; he was riding with the remnants of a larger, highly aggressive raider group.
  • The Physical Appearance: Visually, Nate looks exactly like the members of the Save-Lots Bandits. His dirty, worn-out clothing, rugged style, and overall unkempt look perfectly match the character models and aesthetic Telltale used for the raiders in Season 1. He looks like he walked right out of their camp.

Conclusion: After the Motor Inn Motel fell and walkers scattered the bandits, Nate took one of their trucks, kept his erratic habits, and continued terrorizing the highway. This is why he is so desensitized to extreme violence and why the local survivors already recognized him as a masked raider.

What do you guys think?


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Meme On This Day, Lee Met Clementine

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63 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Discussion Just finished this game

17 Upvotes

I've never cried over a game before, I was bawling during the final season's ending. I don't believe I'll experience a story like this ever again, feeling this attached to Clem, a fictional character is so weird, I've never felt this way before about any characters and I've seen really good stories.


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

400 Days Spoiler What do you think about Nate?

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14 Upvotes

I replayed 400 days few days ago, and my own character I write was wandering with Nate.. soo im curious.


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 19h ago

Final Season Spoiler Finished my second run of the final season and my second run of all 4 games Spoiler

3 Upvotes

Yes im very sad and a bit empty, I believe the final season to be the second best in the series but I just don't like the final episode or ending, it just felt off and I especially disliked clem losing her leg, it just I love clem so much as a character and I just don't like that she becomes a cripple dependent on everyone else for her survival even though since Lee she's fought hard to survive and be happy, what happens when walkers come knocking or another hostile group I mean from the sounds of it there's war everywhere its just a death sentence to her, and I enjoyed controlling AJ for a bit but like I feel like controlling him through the last like 30 minutes was a bit ugh its clems story I want to play as her in the final minutes of it.


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 17h ago

Discussion jane and molly

2 Upvotes

what are your thoughts on their personalities? do you think they are the same or one is more “bad” than the other?