Hello everyone-- My name is Aaron Vanderbeek. I'm new to the bay area and am currently working at Electronic Arts / Visceral Games as a game designer. I had an incredible time Journeying to the end of the Night and thought I'd share my experience with you all!

I had heard of the Journey to the End of the Night after chasing cryptids in downtown San Francisco. A flyer made its way into my hands that described an event that when described sounded like preparation for a zombie infestation. Having enjoyed that rather vigorous experience of running with intent through city blocks I found myself drawn to the Journey.

I met my good friend Paul at the start of the Journey and anxiously waited with the 200+ other runners for the call to finally start running. We tied on each others' green ribbons, analyzed the map, and talked some strategy. Paul had been reading about players' past experiences on the Journey where he basically learned that slow and steady is generally the way to go. Then and there we planned to take long sweeping routes, off the beaten path, and to conserve our energy for when we needed quick bursts of speed to get away from chasers. We also realized that our lack of knowledge about the public transit and the uselessness of the BART would make this entirely a foot-race for us.

THE START

We started immediately by running in somewhat of the wrong direction, as we had been holding our map at the wrong angle. Thank goodness the pack was there to guide us and show us the correct way :) We attempted to stay true to our plan of staying off the direct routes but found ourselves on Monte Vista, where we encountered our first chaser, on a bicycle. She did not make a strong attempt to pursue us as we inferred that the chasers would not try to get people out that diligently until later in the game. Still, on Monte Vista we encountered two more chasers, both times sending Paul and I, and the other half-dozen or so people into the bushes on the uphill climb. We took our time, waiting for chasers to move away from our location and proceeded at a leisurely walk up the hill. Once at the top we thought to take the direct road to the checkpoint, Vernon, but a chaser pushed us back up the hill. Once there, a chaser coming from behind pushed us down Oakland Ave. While we were getting sufficiently out-positioned, the chasers were definitely taking it easy on us. Still, we were being chased. I saw some people running down a side slope off of Oakland and made the gut decision to follow them down the steep dirt path along the side of a building. I call out to Paul, who was running ahead of me and hoped he could double back before the chaser arrived there. He did, and we proceeded to the first checkpoint at the Ampiteatre of Roses.

HE'S ACTUALLY CHASING ME

We settle down and check the time. We got to the checkpoint around 7:45, thirty minutes before closing time. Intending on widening that gap, we were hoping to make it to the next checkpoint rather quickly. Heading to the very top of the Ampitheatre we found ourselves on a side street between Jean and Vernon. At the corner of Santa Rosa, we encounter a chaser. This was not like the other chasers. He fully intended to capture each and every one of us if he could. I remember actually being shocked at how badly it seemed he wanted to tag us. I had to sprint to get away from him. My strategy when being chased is to go back to known safe places, usually right from where I came from. So naturally I run right back to the safe zone I just left. From the corner of my eye I see Paul perform exactly the opposite strategy; he does a quick juke and then runs forward, a more efficient use of running energy. I sit in the safe zone for about five minutes, but the chaser remains camped outside the checkpoint, forcing me to find another path. Paul and I agree to reunite at the 3rd checkpoint, so neither of us would have to wait in the danger zones.

So I go all the way down the hill and end up on Grand Avenue, a large wide open restaurant/business district that was a direct route to the checkpoint. While dangerous, I was able to tag along with a couple guys that I would effectively use as bait/chaser detection to aid me on such a dangerous route. I walked with them, but tended to stay closer to the street and a little back from them. We walked together and keenly eyed the many pedestrians on the street. There were many people, but none of them seemed to be chasers. We saw one chaser run by on the other side of the street, but it seemed he was not chasing anyone but rather just running somewhere. It was a rather uneventful stretch (thankfully). I see Paul at the corner of Santa Clara and run to catch up with him. It seems he's made some friends as well, and we observantly make our way to the checkpoint with no real issues.

DETOUR

The 2nd checkpoint was...interesting. The main in the dress was definitely not wearing underwear, and he wanted to take my photo. If you aren't going to tuck at least put some briefs on :)

Anyway, Paul and I and our new friends Jessie and Jesper seek out an exit from the 2nd checkpoint, but find chasers to be camped at all of the possible eastern outlets. Not anxious to head into shark infested waters we take a look at the map and decide that it would be worth it to go around the lake in the other direction. It would be about double/triple the distance but there would be no chasers so it would be totally worth it. About one third of the way on our journey around the lake and we figure out that we have to cross checkpoint 4 to get to 3, where we will undoubtedly be encountering many chasers going from 3 to 4. Woops. Despite acknowledging our egregious error we continue onward with the plan basking in the current void of chasers at our current location.

Our concerns were indeed true. As we crossed checkpoint four, we found there were not many channels of movement around the southern point of the lake. We encounter a chaser on the bridge who comes at us in full sprint. I again use the run to safety plan, and our group scatters. The chaser pursues me over three blocks during which I run through traffic twice to try to use moving vehicles to my advantage. He makes a very admirable chase but eventually cries out "YOU WIN". I hurry back to where I left my group and don't see them immediately. I begin to cross the bridge again, but I see another chaser. He spots me and starts up in a jog and I assume my friends are on the lakeside sidewalk which runs below the bridge. I run in that direction until I spot them, all three of them are tying on their orange ribbons. Realizing I am totally alone now, I bolt backwards again jumping across a highway median to reach safety at Oak and 10th. I sit on the corner for about 5 minutes and try to figure out a new plan.

ALL ALONE :(

While I was very sad that I had to play alone for a long while, I at least had the benefit of being more mobile. Hopefully this would make me go through the race a bit faster. I definitely had a lot of ground to cover and I was actually worried about getting to the third checkpoint before it closed. At this point it was getting dark.

I decide to go directly up 10th, walking. It is my intention to take 10th St to 4th Ave to the safezone at 18th. As I suspected, I encounter a couple chasers walking from checkpoint 3 to 4. Curse this freakin' detour. I see them from afar so I casually cross the street and head into Channel Park. I try to hide behind a small structure, but their curiously leads them into the park after me and I am forced to run. The only exit is across a small one-lane bridge about 50 yards ahead of me as I was flanked by very tall chain-link fences and a building. I move towards the bridge when another chaser comes off the bridge! I am totally surrounded. I look behind me at the two chasers, spreading themselves out so as to block the large entrance to the park, and then back to the chaser in front of me who came off of the bridge and ran towards me. I run to the side and then do a quick juke to the other side and find myself behind the chaser from the bridge, free to run across it to safety. They do not pursue. Thinking back, they could have easily caught me had he just stayed on the bridge. I find my way out of the park and back onto 10th where I encounter another runner. We exchange chaser information and head on our differing paths. I stick to my plan, and take 4th all the way to 18th where I am safe until the 3rd checkpoint.

I manage to spin a free pass and am not required to eat anything. I scoped out what they had though as I was actually really hungry, but settle on just the lemonade. Ahhhh, refreshing. It was at this checkpoint where I realized that there were more chasers hanging out than runners, which was not a pleasant sight for me. I check my watch, and it's already 9:20.

CABIN FEVER & DARKNESS

I feel like I'm pretty far behind in the race but still feel like I should stay off the beaten path so I can recuperate some energy on this leg. My plan is to take 18th to 5th Ave to 7th St, go through the park and come around the backside of checkpoint 4. I think about Paul and wonder if he is actually chasing people and what would happen if we saw each other.

So I set out on my journey, feeling extraordinarily paranoid. It's dark, I'm alone, I'm walking through a not-so-decent neighborhood, and I'm scoping everyone out for orange ribbons. This leg was rather uneventful though. I think I was pretty far behind, but I didn't see a single chaser the whole way from 3 to 4. When I passed the river in the park I made out some people on the river bank looking at a cellphone but did not ascertain whether or not they were even playing the game. My hyper-paranoia had me hiding in the blackness of shade for about 3 minutes before I decide to bolt across the bridge in the park. Nothing came of it, so I relaxed and continued my walk to checkpoint 4.

GROUP COVER & UMBRELLA SIGHTINGS

I do the minotaur maze thing and tell them my favorite word is 'chipmunk'. That is so not my favorite word, but for some reason that's what came out. I look at my map and realize that the next safe zone is only 6 blocks away and decide the best course of action is to beeline for it. After getting chased back to checkpoint 4 by chasers camping outside on nearby blocks I am forced to reconsider my plan.

There is a very large group waiting at the bus stop, intending to take the bus west, dropping them directly in the intersection of checkpoints 4, 5, and 6. I considered joining them, but decided it was too dangerous compared to just going south to the safe zone. I tag along with a group of 6 that is jogging down Oak towards 2nd St. The group simultaneously spots three chasers two blocks ahead and a red umbrella one block ahead and one to the right, and they all decide to book it for the umbrella. The chasers take note and chaser after them. Both the group and the chasers careen down 5th St, leaving me standing there alone. I continue straight on Oak and make it to the safe zone on 2nd.

I walk down 2nd, reading the map trying to figure out my best entry to the 5th checkpoint, not really understanding if everything south of 2nd was really a safe zone or not, and what roads actually went to this waterfront commercial district. A couple chasers ran up to me and tagged me, when I informed them we were in a safe zone. They looked rather dejected and told me they were following me for 4 blocks. Oh well.

I eventually find the 5th checkpoint, where another group of runners is already consuming all of the goodies associated with the puzzle. I also do my fair share of chomping on a handful of cookies and M&Ms while figuring out the solution to the puzzle, not fully realizing how hungry I was until that moment. This group that was at the checkpoint with me, about 5 or 6 strong, caught a ride with the red umbrella to the next checkpoint while I was still solving the puzzle. Again I felt very behind.

TIME TO CATCH UP & BELLHOPS

When I finally finished the puzzle, the kind woman at the checkpoint informed me about the phone booth and sent me on my way. I make the fated decision to bolt on the most direct path to checkpoint 6, about 10 blocks down Broadway. I'm actually running this entire portion, hoping that most of the chasers will be tired and not be that much of a challenge. I know that I can make this checkpoint in less than 10 minutes so I'll feel pretty good about my chances if I make it to the checkpoint.

I almost run into two chasers, walking away from me on my block, but I am able to stop short and hide behind some parked vehicles. I wait for them to continue to the next block and cross the street. I move one block to Franklin where I continue to run, but again see more chasers. I go back to Broadway to avoid being noticed and continue forward. Two chasers across the street see me, but traffic is keeping me safe for now. I make the blunder of running forward on Broadway, allowing them to keep pace with me down the street when I should have just moved one block away our of their sight range. Traffic clears and they make the pursuit in full sprint. I run away from Broadway, away from checkpoint 6. I run through stopped traffic and on the sidewalks and one of them is inching closer and closer to me. No one in the game has continued the pursuit with me for so long I'm beginning to think this is the end. I decide my only was out of this situation is to be reckless and cut sideways into the street, doubling back toward Broadway. I think the move surprised the chaser as he didn't keep up with me once I turned around. One of the pursuers that had given up earlier was now in front of me however and I was forced to run towards him slightly to get around a street corner. He was not as fast as me and eventually gave up. Once I had lost them I slowed to a walk to catch my breath. The people on the sidewalk were definitely wondering why I was breathing so heavily, and I think an officer really wanted to ask me if I was ok, but I just kept moving forward. I look at my phone to check the time and see a message from my friend Paul, who was at the final checkpoint: "Winner?". This gave me a ray of hope that I could actually win this thing, as if I kept up my current pace could definitely be there in less than 20 minutes.

I'm only about 3 blocks from the checkpoint, and bring it up to a jog to get there faster and be ready to outrun and potential chasers. When I am 1 block away, I decide to run through the awning of a Marriott to avoid the street corner and run into a group of 6 chasers. They all come after me and I quickly double back. I run behind a column and they all try to catch me on the other side by going around it the opposite way and I am able to juke back towards the checkpoint, successfully out-maneuvering 4 of the 6 chasers. With 2 more chasers in front I instinctively create a plan to juke back towards the street and jump through some bushes and beeline for the checkpoint. I get around the 5th chaser with a quick turn, when I hear "STOP HIM". Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I see multiple bellhops from the marriott springing into action. One of them, the one handling taxis under the awning, is already very close, and is able to put himself in my path and grab me with his arms. I try to avoid him, but I was moving very quickly and was unable to alter my trajectory sufficiently and I stumble to the ground.

TAG. :(

The chasers swarm me and ask me for my green ribbon. At the time I was angry at the turn of events, getting caught in that manner, being so close to the checkpoint, physically and emotionally drained, and wanted to have nothing to do with the people that caught me, but they were adamant in getting me to see the silver lining of the situation. So adamant that I forgot about the whole phone booth mechanic that would have brought me right back into the game, located 1 block from where I was caught.


POST MORTEM

I walk with my captors to checkpoint 7, on the lookout for runners. Had I seen one I would have assuredly run after them, but am glad that I didn't as my body was beginning to feel the effects of what I had just done over the course of the last 3.5 hours. I meet up with Paul at the final check point, and the first winner arrives shortly after. Again, Paul and I discuss strategy; more specifically we analyze our experience and figure out where we went wrong. Strategically we felt like it would have been better to go faster on the first two checkpoints, to stay ahead of the pack that would become a pack of chasers, so we would be less likely to run into chasers further down the road. Also, the direct routes almost never seem like the best idea. It doesn't take that much more time to find a parallel road but it probably has fewer chasers on it, if any. And when encountering chasers it seems like running to safety is a better strategy than trying to run forward into unknown territory. It is very good to use the other runners around you as bait or for information gathering. I definitely felt most safe when I was running in a group of people I didn't know. It is very difficult to maintain a large group of people as well, and attaching yourself to groups of 3+ will definitely make you move more slowly in the game.

The Journey is amazingly fun. It is simple and elegant, and people on the street get excited to see what you are doing. It has a brilliant narrowing focus built in that creates a seemingly overwhelming obstacle, that has the potential for great fulfillment in achieving it. I applaud and thank the organizers of the event for working so hard to put on an absolutely wonderful game for 200+ people and having it run smoothly.

I'm looking forward to next year :) No Bellhops this time please...