Big Walk Review

Lately, I have been itching to play a good cooperative game with my friends, and luckily I stumbled upon Big Walk. At first, I thought it would be a short adventure across the island with my friends, but it surprised me with its scale and design. Big Walk is an indie title, developed by House House and published by Panic Inc. Reading the description of the game got my hopes up, as it checks all the boxes for a great cooperative game. This is our review of Big Walk, a cooperative puzzle-solving indie title.

Setting and Environment

Big Walk takes place in a handcrafted Australian-inspired wilderness. The world is specifically designed for exploration, teamwork, and communication through various means. You get to see granite peaks, forests, coastal zones, rolling hills, and various unusual structures that shape the puzzles and player interactions. At first, the world design might seem familiar, pushing players to rush through, but that is not the case. The game is designed in such a way that it requires patience, time, and communication, which can be exhausting for some players. There is no combat, no enemies, and no weapons of any kind in Big Walk. As the game is all about solving puzzles via communication, it makes sense for such a setting and environment.

Gameplay

Big Walk is a cooperative puzzle-solving game that up to 12 players can play as a single group. The gameplay is designed for cooperative play. Although you can host the game as a single player, you cannot even make it past the tutorial, as two players are the minimum requirement to go through the whole adventure. Mostly, all puzzles require two players, so having a friend with you is a necessity for progression. Not only that, all the major fun comes from playing with friends. All the silly interactions, a cozy group sit-down near the ocean, and fails make the adventure fun.

The core gameplay loops around completing various towers across the island after leaving the tutorial area. For every tower, you have to complete five puzzles. Each puzzle is unique and requires some sort of communication among the party members. As you complete each puzzle, it rewards you with a collectible that you must take to the corresponding tower. After contributing all the collectibles, you get a key that you must shape by placing it into multiple shredders to unlock a new area.

In addition to the main progression and puzzle solving, there are numerous tools to help players. These tools are for navigation, communication, and puzzle-solving. Players can find these tools throughout the island, but not all players can have them. There are only a limited number of tools, and players also have to make a decision about which tool to leave behind.

Big Walk also has various secrets that are tied to achievements and a true ending. Although you can get a normal ending in under 10 hours, getting a true ending takes around 20 hours. It is great to see a cooperative game of such scale, yet simple and innovative.

Sound and Visual

Big Walk’s sound design is crafted with the aim of enhancing the importance of communication. As there is proximity audio, it fades away the farther the other player goes. Moreover, tools like Megaphones and walkie-talkies play a crucial role in keeping communication the main subject for larger puzzles. Although there is no dialogue in the game, the charm of the world design is what keeps the players united.

Big Walk’s visual design is also impressive. Although players take the role of birdy-bugs, the island’s textures are impressive. There is a day and night cycle that changes the lighting dynamically, requiring players to use light bulbs or torches at night.

Verdict – Score 8.5/10

Big Walk is probably the best cooperative adventure game of 2026 for now. The scale of the game is bigger than most cooperative games and requires constant communication for progression. There are numerous puzzles, and each one is unique, requiring the players to figure out the solution on their own. Although there is no hand-holding in Big Walk, tools play a crucial role in helping players communicate, navigate, and solve puzzles. Moreover, it has decent replayability, especially if you are going for all the achievements and the true ending. However, Big Walk is not for players who look for combat or fast-paced progression. It is slow and becomes repetitive while going back and forth for collectibles.

Big Walk is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, and macOS.