By Karoline Castillo-Troncoso

What’s their job like? Sometimes, I look at the employees of different occupations and can’t help but wonder: Do they like their job; how do you obtain a position for a job like this? Jobs that would lead me to raise these questions were usually unconventional or unlike your typical nine-to-five gig. These include working at a paintball field or driving a truck across the country. In Ranger’s Path: National Park Simulator, my curiosity is satisfied! In restoring trails, assisting visitors, observing animals, and more, the game simulates the duties of a park ranger, allowing players to not only learn what there is to the occupation like finding lost hikers. It also explores the themes of nature preservation and doing one’s part in caring for the environment. 

Developed by To-Go Games and published by Astragon Entertainment, Ranger’s Path: National Park Simulator encompasses a world that often goes overlooked: the world of wildlife. In the third person simulation game, players can explore diverse biomes and habitats while observing the animals that inhabit them. This ultimately demands a deeper appreciation for the fauna of various species and encourages players to intently examine the manner in which they behave as they adapt to their respective environments.

Specifically, I remember seeing rabbits roaming around the park as I was restoring my first trail – I noticed how they reared up on their hind legs. Curious, I went to get a closer look. As I was within a couple feet of them, they ran away, as animals usually would when in close proximity to a human, especially those denoted prey. As the game progresses, different animals are encountered. Players are able to take pictures of the animals they find and will have access to viewing a lexicon, or information, concerning the animal’s height, weight, conservation status, and other stats. 

Something I appreciated was the implementation of other workers. When you first walk into the Ranger office, you may hear is a voice calling out to you from a radio – that’s Effy Morales, your radio contact who guides you through you to your tasks. However, you may also hear a clerk’s complaints about printer jamming and sarcastic remarks about people not putting their names on submitted forms (“Oh, good – another form with no name!”). These frank, witty comments are important. They enhance the experience and allow it to feel natural. 

Oftentimes, games make it a thing for the protagonist to interact with almost every other supporting character in the game. But the lack of it can provide authenticity. This is because you may well be ignored when you first walk into a job, considering the fact that every employee is most likely tending to their own business. Overhearing their comments while working was funny at times! For example, a clerk said, “!’m not ignoring the radio – I’m prioritizing my sanity!” Her frustration is completely understood and her personality is immediately relatable.

During the opening scene, Effy introduces herself and describes what work in the park will look like, expressing, “This park’s big, beautiful, and mostly held together with duct tape and good will. We’re short on help – that’s where you come in…it’s not glamorous work, but it matters.” Duct tape is commonly used for repairs. Its use in this context subtly parallels the fact that various parts of planet earth are being affected by the result of decisions concerning sustainability. This opening line invites the player to be conscious of their carbon footprint, and consider the fact that we are currently facing a climate crisis. Collectively deciding to incorporate change can improve or at least begin to repair the damage that humans have foisted upon the environment.

An early task is to restore different elements of the “Feller’s Gate Loop” Trail. This includes spray-painting directions, picking up litter and reinforcing trail markers. While reinforcing the trail markers, a minigame pops up with three open circles on the center axis of an infinity loop. An orange marker travels around this loop. When you click at the right time, the marker falls within one of these open circles, allowing you to reinforce the trail marker with more precision. Essentially, you’re hammering a nail here. This task is very realistic, considering the fact that precision is crucial when attempting to use a hammer against a small object to ensure that no fingers are hurt in the process! Completing the assigned tasks restores trails which allows them to be accessible to visitors, creating safe routes for them to navigate.

While appreciating themes of nature preservation and sustainability, I think the developers did an excellent job at depicting the need to slow down. We live in a fast-paced society where individuals are conditioned to crave instant gratification. We want everything right here, right now. But Ranger’s Path illustrates the beauty of building intentionally and soaking in the goodness that every season has to offer.

As one of the park’s volunteers expressed, “The slower you walk, the more you see – people just don’t get it!” I think this sentence in and of itself is incredibly powerful. Many are caught up in the monotony of routine – whether it be a job, school or other responsibilities. So seizing the day with gratitude and intention ensures that we walk with purpose, that we might be content and able to enjoy even the most mundane of activities.

I recommend Ranger’s Path: National Park Simulator to players who enjoy games that are simple but reflective in essence. The environment’s general warmth, portrayed through sunshine, is enough to make you want to continue exploring this virtual world, allowing its themes to permeate your mind as you make productive and sustainable decisions. 

Senior intern Karoline Castillo-Troncoso, currently a first year student at Hunter College, won a Circle scholarship for writing a one-act play featuring a video game.

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