crystal-chan.com/ets

What if you could walk into a story?

Here’s the twist. You power this story—with your footsteps. Run an errand, stroll the park, take a coffee break around the block. You can even run or jog, hit the treadmill, step machine, or elliptical. Now listen. And be prepared: this will move you in every way. Body, mind, and heart. Welcome to a story like no other. Poignant and inspirational, a cinematic saga for the ears. An intimate personal memory, dipped in folklore and magic. Why do you have to walk? Because one step at a time, you discover the power of moving forward.

Eighty Thousand Steps is a unique, genre-bending narrative that asks you to walk with a refugee. Follow journalist Crystal Chan as she solves a mystery. Uncover a long-buried secret. When she unravels a fantastical tale, you learn the shocking truth behind her grandmother’s escape from China. Follow the clues beyond the headlines. Compare your daily life with a refugee’s journey. A trip around the block becomes something profound. This is a game that questions the game.

How do you keep going, no matter where life takes you? A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. What step will you take today?

“A standing O. This is truly a lovely series, an inventive exploration of storytelling technology and a beautiful tribute to your grandmother.”

“Didn’t remind me of anything I’ve heard… I’m all about hearing stories we don’t usually hear.”

“You found a truly beautiful and original way of telling a tough and true story. Respect.”

What did you inherit from your family?

Not the stuff. But the stories. Lessons. Those are heirlooms too. Eighty Thousand Steps spans over ninety years and crosses the globe to tell a story both universally resonant and deeply intimate, one that’s guided by the wisdom of elders. It is about women taking charge over their stories, across generations. Everyone has a story that keeps them going. Eighty Thousand Steps asks you to connect with your roots, and to listen to others.

When she was young, Crystal loved when her “Pawpaw”—grandma, in Chinese—shared life lessons through a fable when they walked together. Pawpaw transformed from an elderly lady into a magical storyteller, and Crystal from a bullied immigrant kid into a noble hero. Now, Crystal realizes Pawpaw was hiding hardship behind adventure. Two storylines intertwine: Crystal’s journalistic investigation and Pawpaw’s fable world. Explore the contrast between political violence and a child’s interpretation. Pawpaw teaches us that sometimes it’s not a war or a border separates us. Eighty Thousand Steps leads you to walk right across the borders in your life.

Our Fresh Take on Format

Our uncompromising commitment to innovation was driven by the authentic message of Crystal’s grandmother. We must physically walk to keep the story moving, a form of meaningful gamification. This draws us closer to the story in a way that transcends words. It helps us empathize with the characters. Our market research revealed that 68% of users already listen to podcasts while walking. When we wanted to make an embodied interactive, we thought: There must be an app for that, right? But when we spoke with consultants such as Adrian Hon (creator of the world’s best-selling smartphone fitness games), we were told this had never been done before. We studied games, interactive fitness apps, storytelling podcasts, meditation apps, interactive documentaries, and augmented reality experiences. There were audio stories to listen to on walks, there were step counters that paired with narratives, and so on: but nothing quite like this.

Our small team—proudly diverse, young, and female-led—became pioneers. We created a dynamic player specially designed to listen to while walking. You can play, pause or rewind but not jump forward past the point you’ve walked. Illustrations and watercolors gently scroll as you listen, bringing real photos and fantasy worlds to life. We attracted audiences who don’t typically try new media or listen to immigrant stories, and from all over the world. Eighty Thousand Steps proves that storytelling formats can change, grow, and flourish.

Next-level Immersion

We faced an unusual challenge: plunging the listener into a sonic world so compelling that it’s an incentive to continue walking, and so believable that sounds impossible to capture on tape—including memories of historical events from decades earlier, or mythical worlds and creatures that don’t even exist—seem like they are happening right beside you in the present day. Highly unusual, especially for an indie audio drama, everything you hear was handcrafted from scratch, including dramatizations and recreations, and creative dubbing over Crystal’s conversations with her grandmother in Chinese.

Bringing new media tools into the sphere, offering 360° 3D audio was not only a technical achievement but allows the audience to feel like they are part of the journey. Listeners report ducking as an enchanted firebird “flies“ above them, or walking between the characters as if they could reach out and touch them. All of this was put together by our sound design team of two people: one sound designer/foley artist and one assistant sound editor. During the pandemic, with no access to studios, a spirit of play and experimentation was key. Recording was done everywhere from a tiny closet to a noisy hospital, and across the country. Every decision was tied to enhancing the narrative vision. Even musical themes were composed to evoke an organic human walking pace.

Listen to our trailer

Put on headphones and enjoy this sample episode