Summary
- Walking from Riften to Solitude in Skyrim takes 14,000 steps and could take hours to complete.
- The player who figured this out, ShakeMistake, used peripheral controls to physically walk across the map, showcasing creativity in the Elder Scrolls community.
- AI detection was turned off during the journey, and some areas may add additional steps.
An Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim player has physically tested how many steps it takes to walk across the game's notoriously massive open world. The developer of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Bethesda Game Studios, is currently busy cooking up The Elder Scrolls 6. With Starfield having released a year ago, the sixth Elder Scrolls game has become Bethesda Game Studios' top priority, but the wait remains long.
One of the things that made The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim stand out when it was released in 2011 was the sheer size and variety of its open world. While Skyrim is slightly smaller than its predecessor, The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, it houses Tamriel's tallest mountain, the Throat of the World, and a number of different types of biomes, from snowy forests to dangerous swamplands. Skyrim's world also features many major cites, with some of the biggest being Riften, Markarth, and Solitude.
The number of steps it takes to walk across Skyrim' s huge open world has been discovered by one determined Elder Scrolls fan. ShakeMistake posted a one-minute fast-forwarded clip on Reddit showing themself using peripheral controls to physically walk from Skyrim's Riften in the southeast all the way up to Solitude in the northwest corner of the map. The epic journey took a grand total of 14,000 steps, and while ShakeMistake didn't mention how long it took, it can be assumed such a trip takes at least a couple of hours.
It Takes 14,000 Steps To Walk From Riften To Solitude In Skyrim
ShakeMistake noted that they had AI detection turned off for the duration of the trip, as such a task would've been nigh impossible otherwise. The challenge came to an end at the gates of Solitude, but there's still another small stretch of land northwest of the city toward the coast that may have added even more steps. Though, it's possible ShakeMistake may have just wanted to go the distance between two of Skyrim's farthest cities. Some commenters brought up the 7,000 steps to Skyrim's High Hrothgar monastery near the top of the Throat of the World, which ShakeMistake also tested and found that it only takes 2,500 to reach the monastery, 3,500 to get to the top of the mountain, but 7,000 steps total upon coming back down.
Gamers who are interested in similar video game open world challenges should keep an eye on ShakeMistake's page, as they've posted videos accomplishing similar feats in games like Grand Theft Auto 5, Super Monkey Ball, and even Ubisoft's recently released Star Wars Outlaws. It's cool to see all the creative ways the Elder Scrolls community is keeping busy in Skyrim during the long, ongoing wait for The Elder Scrolls 6.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
- Released
- November 11, 2011
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
WHERE TO PLAY
Winner of more than 200 Game of the Year Awards, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim celebrates 10 years of adventuring in stunning detail. The Anniversary Edition includes a decade worth of content: the critically acclaimed core game and add-ons of Skyrim Special Edition, plus Creation Club content released on or prior to November 11, 2021.
EPIC FANTASY REBORN
Skyrim reimagines and revolutionizes the open-world fantasy epic, bringing to life a complete virtual world open for you to explore any way you choose.
LIVE ANOTHER LIFE, IN ANOTHER WORLD
Play any type of character you can imagine, and do whatever you want; the legendary freedom of choice, storytelling, and adventure of The Elder Scrolls is realized like never before.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU PLAY
Choose from hundreds of weapons, spells, and abilities. The new character system allows you to play any way you want and define yourself through your actions.
BATTLE DRAGONS
Battle ancient dragons like you’ve never seen. As Dragonborn, learn their secrets and harness their power for yourself.
- Engine
- Creation Engine
- Cross-Platform Play
- no
- Cross Save
- no
- Expansions
- Skyrim: Dragonborn, Skyrim: Hearthfire, Skyrim: Dawnguard
- Franchise
- The Elder Scrolls
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 35 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium (Special Edition)
- File Size Xbox Series
- 29 GB (DECEMBER 2023)
