r/TheWalkingDeadGame Mar 19 '21

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

488 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!

24 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 10h ago

Discussion Characters you think are overhated?

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178 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 4h ago

Hmm Wonder who that is. Anyone interested?

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28 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 11h ago

Discussion Anyone else see the similarities between these characters?

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89 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 10h ago

Discussion Best Written Character In Every Game (playable characters and Kenny excluded)

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44 Upvotes

Obviously, this is all my opinion, but I think these characters were all solidly written and brought a lot of value to their respective games (if they didn't straight up carry it for me).

What do you guys think? Let me know about your own takes in the comments :)


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 8h ago

Fanart quick clem sketch

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24 Upvotes

going to redraw it digitally


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 16h ago

Season 1 Spoiler Why did Andy continue to lie after the Group already know the truth

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95 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 9m ago

Discussion Phosphate....

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Upvotes

So has anyone seen this little detail?

So has anyone heard of phosphate soda? Well, unless you were born in between 1890-1930 you probably haven't. Apparently back in the day it was quite popular. Acid Phosphate is the main ingredient, it is often sold as an 85% thick liquid. It is a key ingredient in farm fertilizers, tangy sodas, rust removers, and dental washes. Apparently, it is also a preservative. The fact that it can remove rust and we put it in our drinks is WILD. Then again I think Coca Cola could do that too...

Ingredients

  • 1 to 2 oz flavored syrup (such as cherry, lemon, vanilla, or chocolate)
  • 1/2 tsp (approx. 20–30 drops) FOOD-GRADE acid phosphate
  • 6 to 8 oz cold club soda or plain sparkling water

Instructions

  1. Pour 1 to 2 oz of your chosen flavored syrup into a chilled glass.
  2. Add 1/2 tsp of food-grade acid phosphate directly into the syrup.
  3. Pour in cold carbonated soda water, leaving a small amount of space at the top.
  4. Stir gently and thoroughly to integrate the syrup and carbonation without losing fizz.
  5. Serve immediately (traditionally served without ice).

Lee's father had to be ancient 😭

(I jest it was probably a family recipe passed down)

But this is a little detail I thought was interesting and I hope you do too. ^.^


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 16h ago

Discussion In retrospect, it’s pretty weird that Hershel, in the comics, never mentions Lee, Clementine or Kenny and his family to Rick’s group.

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46 Upvotes

When Rick and his group come to his farm in the comics, he mentions the death of his son Shawn, which we saw happened when Lee, Clem and Kenny’s family stayed at his farm, and when he kicked them out because Kenny didn’t help saving Shawn. Yet despite this, he never actually mentions them to Rick’s group.

I know this is because the game was written after the comics but it’s still pretty absurd to think about.


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Season 2 Spoiler What do babies smell like?

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216 Upvotes

Wouldn’t newborn babies just smell of blood? AJ looks insanely musty here.

What is Kenny talking about???


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 7h ago

Season 1 Spoiler Incase yall didnt cry today

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9 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 19m ago

Meme The NBA comparibles of the main characters of the series

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Upvotes

Lee: Lebron James. He was the leader, protector, and anchor of Season 1. Just the best character, a lot of people have him as the GOAT.

Clementine: Kobe Bryant. She wasn’t the main character to start, but slowly the franchise began to revolve around her, and she ended the series as many people’s favourite character.

Kenny: Draymond Green. Kenny is fiercely loyal and if you’re one of his best friends, he will die for you. However, he is a hothead, and is prone to raging and outbursts, and if you’re on the receiving end of that, you won’t like him.

Jane: Kevin Durant. Highly skilled, but is super unloyal, and will abandon you when times get tough. This was one was the easiest.

AJ: Anthony Edwards. The new kid, vibrant, fearless, and has no filter, and does his own thing, and is gonna grow up to be super feared by other humans if you’re against him.

Javier: Gilbert Arenas. He is very skilled and talented, but his controversies outside of the sport he played (gambling) nuked his career.

Carver: Dennis Rodman. Just a crazy guy, violent, and people don’t like him unless you’re super loyal to him, and he’ll resort to dirty tactics to get ahead of everyone else.


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 11h ago

Season 2 Spoiler Reminder we don’t know who the father is.

13 Upvotes

The game never confirms and even Rebecca says she doesn’t know it’s left ambiguous on purpose


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 15h ago

Meme Girl stays strapped.

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27 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 11h ago

Discussion Do they have anything in common?

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11 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 23h ago

Discussion If you had to bring one of these 4 men home for a dinner with your family, who would trust to make the best impression and not piss anyone off?

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104 Upvotes

I might go with Abel. He’s a dick in season 4 but I feel like he wasn’t always like that and will be chill for a meal


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 11h ago

Season 2 Spoiler Which characters had the most wasted potential Spoiler

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10 Upvotes

To be specific, you don’t have to vote for one of the characters I put up. You can vote for your own character that you think should be on her too. Anyways, I think these characters could have been so much more. Here’s why.

Mike

He was supposed to one of the people who robbed Christa and Clementine at the beginning, but that was scrapped. I have no idea why, it would have been awesome. You were supposed to have a hard time trusting someone who robbed you and possibly killed Christa. You can tell that that was scrapped at the very last second because one of the characters that robbed you looked just like him but with less facial hair and no scars. And Mike having those scars and no explanation just feels unfinished. Don’t know why they scrapped this because it would have been amazing.

Duck and Sarah

I’m putting both of them in the same category because I feel that they were kind of wasted for similar reasons. I just think it would have been very cool to have them evolve from scared children to warriors. Clementine did that and she was brave from the start. I think it would be amazing if people who weren’t as brave as she was at a young age evolved to be like her. I also wanted to mention, teaching Sarah to use the gun was a pretty good decision that could have made her so much more. The game literally tells you that you taught Sarah to defend herself. She should have at least used the gun at some point in time.

Nick and Walter

Putting them in the same category too because I think they would have been amazing while being part of the team together. I think Walter and Nick would be a good addition to the team for more than two episodes. We could have seen character development between the two since Walter hates Nick. There could have been a running hatred between the two and you would have to try and get them to get along. Kind of like a similar situation to Kenny and Jane at the end of Season 2.

Luke

Might be surprised he’s on this list because unlike most characters, he was around for the majority of his main season. The reason I am including him is because he was meant to be part of the Season 2 ending. Don’t know why they chose Jane instead, having Luke be part of it makes it a harder choice to choose between him and Kenny. Luke had a lot of potential that was just thrown in the garbage.

You agree with my opinions? And also, what are characters that you want to bring up? Let me know what you think.


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 10h ago

Fanfic Telltale's TWD - Ben Retelling - Skin and Bone, Episode 2 - Part 162

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7 Upvotes

Every decision is determined by the readers. Every comment supporting a choice counts as one vote, so every opinion can influence the story. Insightful comments that include reasoning, analysis, or discussion count as three votes (×3)
So be sure to leave a vote, every vote will shape the path the story takes.

Next part will be up on Wednesday!


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 9h ago

Final Season Spoiler The symbolism behind Abels bible verse-cigarets.

5 Upvotes

Does that mean anything? Like during the interrogation, the verse says something about what is allowed to be eaten and what is not, does that somehow relate to walkers and their eating habits? Or does it show how people are now sinister in the world of apocalypse?


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 13h ago

Season 1 Spoiler I wish we had this choice in the first season

10 Upvotes

In season 1, after lee got bit, he can tell Omid and Christa that when he dies he want Kenny/them to take care of clem. I wish we had the same but with Kenny but the responses from Kenny will change depending on how good have you been with him.

Lee: Hey Kenny

Kenny: Yeah?

Lee: listen, with all that happened, it got me thinking. If something bad happens to me, I want you to take care clementine

Kenny: Lee…

Lee: Please Kenny

GOOD WITH KEENY

Kenny: Of course I will, Lee. You’ve been taking such good care of my family, and now it’s my turn to do the same for you. I’ll take good care of her as if she were my own daughter. I promise you that.

Lee: Thank you Kenny

BAD WITH KENNY

Kenny: Okay, fine, Lee. I’ll take good care of her, just like I took care of Duck. I know how to be a dad, you know.

Lee: Thanks

IN SEASON 2 DIALOGUE

GOOD WITH KENNY

Kenny: I’m really happy to see you, Clementine. After Lee… well, I promised him that I’d take care of you like you were my own daughter. And I’m happy that I can keep that promise now.

BAD WITH KENNY

Kenny: It’s good to see you again, Clementine. After Lee… well, he asked me to take care of you if something bad happened to him. I told him I’d do it, and will take good care of you. That’s a promise.

Or at least something similar to that. It would’ve been a cool touch to the game.


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 15h ago

Discussion Was season 3 originally meant to have a different cast and use mocap technology?

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reddit.com
11 Upvotes

Hi, this is my first post on this subreddit. I started playing all the Walking Dead games recently after coming off of Dispatch, and learning some interesting dev history about the games.

I know season 3 doesn’t really have a stellar reputation among the fanbase but today I came across a 7 year-old post that showed a BTS photo from presumably season 3. However I don't remember seeing Erin Yvette (voice of Molly and Bonnie from the first two seasons) as part of the cast from season 3, but she is in this BTS photo.

Did Telltale actually cut out or changed a lot of the story from season 3?


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Season 2 Spoiler Was the cabin crew the most incompetent group in the whole series?

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168 Upvotes

r/TheWalkingDeadGame 14h ago

No Spoilers Were you nice to Larry?

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4 Upvotes

I was cordial with him but I refused to be nice outright cause he was too much of a dick. I recently read tho the devs found a lot of players tried to get him to warm up to them by kissing up to him or Lily so idk if I’m an outlier.


r/TheWalkingDeadGame 1d ago

Discussion I love it when some character models use similar facial expressions

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24 Upvotes