Companions

Companion is the term for a Wayfarer that travels with you. They are possibly the most important part of Journey.

The player may encounter other players like them, known as Companions, while exploring the world in Journey. These Companions may help the player and cannot hinder them along their path.

Important

 * Companions are human players! Please treat them as such!
 * Companions look like your figure, cloaked in either in red or white.


 * When you see a white glow at the edge of your screen, it means there is a Companion nearby. Try to turn your camera and find them.
 * Chirping will create a signal that the Companion can see from a distance, making it easier for them to find you.
 * Chirping will also let you charge each other's scarves, as will being close enough that your cloaks glow.
 * Too much distance might cause a disconnect and you lose your Companion. Also, be careful with activating/triggering (for example, the glyphs in the Tower). It pays off to wait for a Companion before you go into the light circle. If they are too far behind and can't reach it in time, a disconnect will happen. Read the guide for connection for specific information.
 * Note: If you are on your first Journey, you cannot meet white robes (iOS being the one exception), as they are more experienced and might interfere with your first experiences in Journey. However, if you go in your red robe, you have the chance to travel with first runs.

There are no mean Companions "dogma"
Journey can teach you how to deal with all kinds of players, to be patient, to be humble... Even an "ignoring" Companion can turn into a real friend later, when you get to know each other and do not give up on them. It takes experience to see if it's a speedrunning Companion or someone who just does not know how to travel together.

Remember, your Companion could be a child or a person not familiar with the controls. The magic of Journey is created through Companions, when you try to find out what each wants. Some are explorers, some just want to get to the mountain (or maybe to the next level to show you something).

Veterans often just want to help you to enjoy the game, they might not even show everything. It often depends on how well you can follow them. As a new player it's easy to get eager and assume things like "we are going there". Observing, keeping en eye on each other and chirping at empty scarfs is the key.

At first sight Companions often make "eye and body contact" to greet each other and get to know their abilities. They might show some tricks or Fancy Flying, asking you to repeat; if you can't, they will know which routes they can take you on.

Or they may start showing you how to do tricks or Fancy Flying; be patient and observe how their figure moves to find out which buttons they are using.


 * The Common Behaviors article might help to understand your Companion's actions :)
 * Companions Met Along the Way (CMATW) is the list of names with their corresponding symbols at the end of the game (after the credits). This article gives information about when names get saved and what to do to not lose those names until they show in the list. There is also info on how you can contact your Companions.

Types of Companions
Every Companion is an individual!

This list cannot be complete, but you can expand it, by editing this section. Add types of Companions that you met (means you met that kind several times so it can be assumed that there are more than one player with that style).

Recognise how experienced your Companion is
Robe Embroidery already tells you a bit about the experience level of your Companion, see Wayfarers.

But remember, that there are people that are playing on another device or deleted their save files, thus being a "fake first run". See Quote from Winterfuchs below.

It seems like the Epic Games version does not give the chance to backup savefiles, thus "fake" travelers will not appear on that version of Journey. However, many players get the game on many devices, and so a very experienced first run etc. is possible.

Every combination is possible:


 * Robe shows their true state --> a first run that plays for the first time. A 3rd tier White Robe/Cloak (WR/WC) that just got their White Robe.
 * A WR who is on their first Journey --> Someone lets their friend play on their account and does not reset the save files. Recommendation: if you think you have a first run WR, treat them like one. Let them explore, help them when they want to fly up somewhere. Try to figure out if they like to find the things on their own and explore the levels or if they like help (being lead to symbols and glyph, help with "puzzles"). Hint: if you want to give your friends a good first run, let them travel in red. Maybe even delete the save files (you can also backup files, epic games not possible anymore) so other companions will see a first run robe and can play accordingly with them.
 * A very experienced RR --> Some players go in red either because they like the robe or to be able to meet with first runs (iOS version: WR can meet a first run). Sometimes they meet another experienced player and then they reveal their true nature, by showing a FP, dances or other tricks.
 * A fake first run: either started on a new device, used a save file for it or simply deleted the save. They might just want to give the impression of a first run, so they can have a standard Journey.
 * 2-3 tier WR/RR --> those robes are commonly used by regular players. It can help to distinguish which of the figures is you and which is your Companion. Other reason is for the looks.

A Faceplant (FP) can help to figure out how experienced your Companion is. Although first runs shouldn't be confused with this advanced technique, so use it wisely. On the other side, if you travel in red and meet an experienced player, you can use FP to show that you are at least a bit advanced.

It needs a lot of experience to figure out where you and your Companion stand skill-wise. You might want to hint to OOB entrances or certain places, then look how they react (knowing, confused, annoyed).

First run
To be added: description on typical first run behavior, sketching different types of first runs:


 * "No clue"-players. Remember it's recommended to not look up details before playing Journey, so most people do not know what to expect. This is actually a good thing, as it makes the impact of the first Journey more powerful.
 * Gamer, gets "how to solve the level" easily, but might be rushing. Picks up tandem flying rather quickly.
 * Takes time and explores every corner, wants to fly up at walls, etc., stands around sometimes (possibly to do a 360° camera turn to inspect the level or just have a look around a nice area).

Helping a first run:


 * "The AI in this game is impressive". Countless people find out about the Companions being players only after their first Journey, so they might treat you like an AI. Examples might be:
 * "When I chirp, they chirp and help me. Oh, that does not always work --> They chirp more and louder
 * "They are here for me, no need for real interaction"
 * Just random appearance, they come or leave randomly (sometimes when they activate a trigger too quickly and the Companion could not follow a disconnect happens)

You can find ways to show them that you are not a bot or you roll with being an AI to them.


 * The most important method might be staying with them, charging their scarf, and trying to make them understand the basics of Flyers, Chirp, Scarf and relation to the Companion (you).
 * Flying far ahead to show something is worth a try, but give them the chance to follow their curiosity (let them lead the way).
 * Remember how your first Journey was - some people pick up the game mechanics real fast, others just take time or have actual trouble understanding how things work.
 * Be patient, they might need time to look around, test buttons, etc. Often guardian angels are more welcomed then a strict leader (yes, it's hard to not push them to find everything).

The actor
Examples:


 * Activating a Glyph and chirping and inspecting the image, even if they saw it often already: "Aha, do you see this? Interesting..."
 * Heavy chirping when the flyers in Underground get eaten or hesitating along time before going to the slide with the two WMs: "Oh, my god, how can we pass here?", although they played often enough to know how it works. It's playing a game within the game.

Speedrunners
Homepage for people that like to speedrun Journey: https://www.speedrun.com/journey

If you would like to try speedrunning, please consider playing offline to not meet other players.

How to identify a speedrunner:

There is no way to be 100 percent certain that you ran into a speedrunner. It might be a person that just spent two hours in the first two levels and is now rushing to the end to get the name of a Companion.

A very good speedrunner will probably use boosts and Out of Bounds (if not glitchless run). Some speedrunners might abort their run when they see a Companion, some might not and just "flee" from you.

Companions, from the point of view of a speedrunner: "The best thing another wayfarer can do is nothing. No inputs at all while the runner is nearby.

If the runner gets connected close to the other one, yes it will mess his camera and potentially leads to a loss of boost but honestly, I don't think the little window time that another wayfarer has at his disposal would be enough to do anything beneficial for the runner.

Firstly, because it would at least take several seconds to understand that you were connected with a runner.

Secondly because even if you noticed it really quickly if by misfortune you two were connected close enough, both cameras will be messed up.

And if by chance you were connected far away then "doing nothing" is still the preferred option. The runner will try to avoid the other as much as he can so just let him do the work."

- Over_Speedrunning

Especially on PS4, some players want to stream their attempts and therefore have to be online.

If you are sure that one is speedrunning, here are some "don'ts". All of these are either time-saving for the runner (and thus not allowed) or could just kill his run:


 * Don't activate the history lesson.
 * Don't build parts of the bridge (on BB) while the runner is connected with you (it will mess with their camera)
 * Don't stand in the way where the runner seems to want to go to (pretty hard to respect if you don't know the run routes)
 * Don't chirp... like... really, don't
 * Don't take the other guy carpet at end of PD (not really impacting tbh)
 * Don't wake up the War Machine in UG.
 * Don't try to capture War Machine(s)
 * Don't activate the goo in Tower
 * Don't get close to a runner in Snow (they would then defrost a little and get back energy)

There is a coop speedrun category, but then it will be with an arranged partner.

Slow Traveller
They really take their time on a Journey and like to show "everything" or stay at one place and try to show mini-games; standing on the Statue at end of level, trying to get a nice pose with you by their side etc.

Those Journeys can easily take up to 7 and more hours, breaks are common. It takes time: they show you a trick and you are trying to copy, doing vast tours in several OOB areas, just doing tricks and Challenges.

And many more
Every player is an individual and they are all travel differently, even from Journey to Journey, since everyone's mood changes on a daily basis.

Gallery
This gallery is also related to the Wayfarers robe and embroidery, that indicates up to tier 4 how many journeys they had.

Trivia
. ..

From Winterfuchs on "first run to fourth run":
"a guide?
 * 1st run - a newbie (or a newbie impostor)


 * 2nd run - probably a newbie (unless they're 2nd run white, then they could be one of those people who restore the same old save every time)


 * 3rd run - still a newbie (or an old player who poses as an imposter once in a while)


 * 4th run and on - probably still a newbie; though when they run circles around you and faceplant as a welcome, they're most likely an experienced player; if the game seems to break constantly when they're around, they're a pro ^^,"

- Winterfuchs

0278 on "meeting Companions"
"I think it's super cool because doing a journey with different people its always so different they all have their own trick :D"

- 0278

Matheusdm5 on Journey and Companions
"Journey is basically a game, you wander aimlessly, you still don't know the certainty of your role, and you build your story, together with a companion that makes a great friendship, until the end of your journey, with various emotions throughout your path."

- Matheusdm5

-Inf- on "re-playability"
"Journey's more so about the experiences you have with people you meet rather than the usual sense of story or plot progression found in most games.

Because of this, it has a lot of re-playability because you'll pretty much never run across the same type of companion twice. (Barring arranged journeys, but that's another matter.)"

- -Inf-

Over_speedrunning on "travelling alone or with Companions"
"yeah it's not better like you said, it's different.

When you are alone to do this journey it's a lot more about you, an internal journey full of fights against yourself, your wants, your struggles, your goals.

When beeing with others it's more about sharing the moment, the feelings. Discovering things together."

- Over_Speedrunning

Ravingmadness on "like meditating"
"... walking for long time together in little circles and slowly moving foward

or FP all the way for some time

or walking in serpentines, touching each other in the middle and chirping in same rythm

--> those things, if you get into it, it makes you concentrate so much, you forget everything around you, its like a meditation."

- Ravingmadness

Zerathine on how travelling with Companions makes you play differently
"Ultimately, I think I play more for the company of a companion, which means adapting play styles.

I wouldn't say is entirely altruistic either. There's a sense of selfishness in it, too, I think"

- Zerathine