Virginia on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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Virginia is a single-player first-person thriller set in a small town with a secret. Experience a missing person investigation through the eyes of graduate FBI agent Anne Tarver.
Virginia is a adventure, female protagonist and walking simulator game
developed by Variable State
and published by 505 Games.
Released on September 22nd 2016 is available on Windows and MacOS
in 13 languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Danish, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese - Brazil, Russian, Simplified Chinese and Swedish.
It has received 3,288 reviews of which 2,117 were positive and 1,171 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.3 out of 10. 😐
The game is currently priced at 9.99€ on Steam, but you can find it for less on Instant Gaming.
The Steam community has classified Virginia into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at Virginia through various videos and screenshots.
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows 7 and higher, 32-bit or 64 bit
- Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 940 or Intel Pentium G4400
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: Radeon R7 250 or GeForce GTX 650, 1GB VRAM
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 5 GB available space
MacOS
- OS: OS X Mountain Lion
- Processor: Intel 2.0 Ghz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Storage: 5 GB available space
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
GRIPPING. I played this game straight through without stopping, which is extremely rare for me, no matter how short the game.
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Virginia is an evocative and unconventional narrative experience that pushes the boundaries of what interactive storytelling can be. Developed by Variable State and published by 505 Games, it stands apart from most first-person adventures through its refusal to rely on dialogue, instead communicating entirely through visuals, animation, and music. The game casts players as Anne Tarver, a newly appointed FBI agent in 1992 who is paired with her senior partner, Maria Halperin, to investigate the disappearance of a young boy in the quiet town of Kingdom, Virginia. On the surface, it presents itself as a procedural mystery, but as the story unfolds, it becomes something far more abstract—a surreal exploration of trust, perception, and the blurred line between truth and illusion. What defines Virginia from the first moment is its cinematic structure. The game’s scenes unfold through sharp, film-like edits rather than continuous player movement, cutting suddenly from one moment to the next without transition. This editing technique gives it a rhythm unlike most games, echoing the pacing of classic films or television dramas, particularly those in the mold of Twin Peaks and The X-Files. The lack of dialogue only enhances this sensation, forcing players to interpret emotions and motivations through body language, facial expressions, and the framing of each scene. It’s a storytelling approach that demands attention and rewards observation—each small gesture, object, and camera angle becomes a clue to understanding the characters’ inner lives. The game invites the player not to solve a mystery in the traditional sense, but to feel one unravel around them. Visually, Virginia is striking in its minimalism. Its stylized, polygonal art style evokes a sense of familiarity and detachment at the same time. Characters lack visible eyes and mouths, yet their emotions come through with startling clarity thanks to subtle animation and expressive composition. The use of color and lighting carries much of the narrative weight; warm hues often signal nostalgia or tenderness, while cold blues and greys accompany suspicion and alienation. The environments, from the dim glow of an FBI office to the soft fields of a small town, are beautifully rendered with a painterly simplicity that emphasizes mood over realism. The game’s visual design works hand in hand with Lyndon Holland’s orchestral score—a sweeping, emotional soundtrack performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra—that serves as both dialogue and heartbeat. The music dictates the pace of every scene, swelling and receding with the emotional undertones of the story, guiding players through the unspoken drama with precision. Beneath its aesthetic elegance, Virginia’s narrative delves into themes of secrecy, loyalty, and moral conflict within institutional systems. Anne’s investigation into the missing boy quickly becomes secondary to her internal conflict and her complex relationship with Maria. As the two agents work together, subtle glances and shared silences hint at mutual trust and tension, while flashes of dreamlike imagery blur the line between memory, guilt, and paranoia. The deeper Anne’s investigation goes, the more the story fractures into surreal symbolism—visions of cardinals, collapsing staircases, and mirrored reflections suggest that the case may be as much about Anne’s conscience as it is about the missing child. The ambiguity is deliberate; the game offers no easy answers, instead leaving interpretation to the player’s intuition and emotional response. Every surreal cut and metaphor invites speculation but resists definitive meaning, making the narrative as haunting as it is perplexing. As an interactive experience, Virginia takes a minimalist approach. Player input is limited to walking, observing, and occasionally interacting with highlighted objects to trigger the next scene. There are no puzzles, branching dialogues, or fail states—progression is entirely linear. This design choice reinforces the game’s cinematic feel, but it can also alienate players expecting greater agency or complexity. You are more a witness than a participant, moving through a carefully constructed series of vignettes where control is secondary to interpretation. Yet this restraint is part of what makes the game memorable. By stripping away traditional gameplay mechanics, Variable State ensures that every movement, every cut, and every moment of silence carries significance. The focus remains squarely on emotion and atmosphere, and the lack of control reflects the protagonist’s own sense of powerlessness within the rigid hierarchy of the FBI and the unraveling mystery before her. For all its artistry, Virginia is not without its challenges. Its abstract storytelling and abrupt pacing can leave players feeling disoriented or detached, particularly toward the end when surrealism overtakes narrative clarity. Those expecting a straightforward mystery with concrete resolutions may find themselves frustrated by its cryptic symbolism and open-ended conclusion. Yet, these qualities are also what make the game linger long after completion. It is less a story to be solved and more an emotional journey to be experienced—an interactive mood piece that values feeling over explanation. Its brevity, running at around two hours, reinforces that vision; it leaves before it risks overstaying its welcome, preserving its tension and mystique. Ultimately, Virginia stands as one of the most daring experiments in interactive storytelling of its era. It defies expectations of what a game should be, using the language of cinema to craft a deeply personal and atmospheric experience. Its strength lies in its confidence—in the way it trusts the player to read between the cuts, to interpret silence, and to find meaning in ambiguity. Supported by its evocative visuals and a masterful score, it delivers a story that is intimate, unsettling, and unforgettable. For those willing to surrender control and simply immerse themselves in its haunting world, Virginia offers a rare and profound exploration of emotion and perception—one that proves silence can sometimes speak louder than words. Rating: 6/10
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dont go after reviews, this is a story driven game not hack and slash.
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Virginia is a narrative masterpiece that, with its cinematic style, wordless storytelling, and editing inspired by David Lynch’s films, creates a mysterious and emotional experience. Using sharp cuts and a powerful soundtrack, the game unfolds a story of control, surveillance, and suppressed truths without a single spoken word. Playing as Anne Tarver, a rookie FBI agent, the player gradually sinks deeper into layers of corruption and conspiracy, where reality and illusion intertwine. Its minimalist visual design enhances the sense of suspense and unease, and the ending, rather than offering clear answers, invites the audience to interpret and reflect.
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Since there is no "meh" option, I give this a gentle thumbs up. It's a unique take on the walking sim/interactive story genre considering that there is absolutely no dialogue and the graphics are much more boxy than modern, which I like. However, the story itself is a little convoluted and the last act really falls off leaving you with a lot of head scratching. I do think it's worth getting for fans of the genre just for all of it's unique elements or for achievement hunters as it's an easy 100%, hence the gentle thumbs up. Just note that it's a REALLY short game and only takes a couple of hours max.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Virginia is currently priced at 9.99€ on Steam.
Virginia is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 9.99€ on Steam.
Virginia received 2,117 positive votes out of a total of 3,288 achieving a rating of 6.31.
😐
Virginia was developed by Variable State and published by 505 Games.
Virginia is playable and fully supported on Windows.
Virginia is playable and fully supported on MacOS.
Virginia is not playable on Linux.
Virginia is a single-player game.
There is a DLC available for Virginia. Explore additional content available for Virginia on Steam.
Virginia does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
Virginia supports Remote Play on TV. Discover more about Steam Remote Play.
Virginia is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Virginia.
Data sources
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Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 18 January 2026 08:25 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 27 January 2026 17:38 |
| Steam price | 29 January 2026 12:48 |
| Steam reviews | 28 January 2026 01:52 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Virginia, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Virginia
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Virginia concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Virginia compatibility
Game modes
Features
Online players
2
Developer
Variable State
Publisher
505 Games
Release
22 Sep 2016
Platforms
Remote Play
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