Transforming literature into a video game: enter the world of a famous Henry David Thoreau book

American writer Henry David Thoreau was born 200 years ago this month, and if you know anything about the author of Walden, it's that he was a real advocate for that simple life, always staying close to nature.

But fast forward to 2017 and people are following in his footsteps — wandering in the woods, fishing at Walden pond in Massachusetts, farming beans and building a cabin. Except the difference is: these people are all doing it via a video game.

This isn't your average game. Instead of life force or high scores, the priority is to power up on inspiration. Walden the game has been a labour of love for 10 years for Tracy Fullerton, who grew up loving both Thoreau and video games. She's the director of the Game Innovation Lab at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.

Today, she joins guest host Ali Hassan to discuss Walden, her passion project. Learn more about Walden here.

— Produced by Jean Kim