Big Walk Beginner Guide: What Your Group Should Know First

Big Walk is a cooperative adventure built around teamwork and communication. It is not a drop-in party lobby or a conventional single-player hike, so a little preparation saves a group from discovering a deal-breaker after everyone has bought the game.

Build the right group

The supported group size is 2 to 12 players. The host chooses a two-player, three-player or four-plus version of the world when starting a session, and some parts of the world adapt to that choice. Fewer people create a more focused cooperative experience; a group closer to twelve is intentionally more chaotic.

There is no proper solo mode and no random matchmaking. The official FAQ says the adventure is designed for a consistent group across multiple sessions. Invite people you already know, or organize the group before launch rather than expecting the game to find partners for you.

Confirm every platform

Big Walk is available on Windows and Mac through Steam, on the Mac App Store, on PlayStation 5 and on Nintendo Switch 2. The developers say no other platforms are planned at this time. That means Xbox and the original Nintendo Switch are not supported in the current official lineup.

Crossplay is supported between the available systems. Friends on the same platform may see the host in their platform friend list. Mixed-platform groups can use the short Join Code generated for each hosted session.

Pick a dependable host

The host owns the save and all shared progress. The host must start first, other players connect to that active session, and everyone is disconnected when the host stops. Choose someone who is likely to attend future sessions and has a stable connection. Changing hosts later does not automatically transfer the original save.

Before inviting everyone, let the host load their character into the world. If joining fails, check that the host has no connection warning, confirm every player is online, and restart the game on the joining device and then the host device if needed.

Use the in-game communication

Big Walk is designed around proximity voice chat and text chat. Voices fade over distance, echo, muffle through walls and work with tools such as walkie-talkies. Text chat carries similar intentional limitations, so a microphone is optional, but the in-game communication system is not.

Avoid a separate Discord call for the actual play session. Outside communication can bypass situations where the game deliberately limits what players can hear or say. If friends are in the same house, use separate rooms and separate devices so real-world voices do not spoil those mechanics.

Five-minute launch checklist

1. Confirm that every player owns a supported version and has installed current updates.
2. Decide who will keep the save and host future sessions.
3. Choose the two-, three- or four-plus world based on the minimum reliable group size.
4. Test voice input or decide who will use in-game text chat.
5. Share the Join Code with anyone who cannot join from a platform friend list.
6. Use headphones where possible to prevent echo and doubled voices.
7. Leave enough time for a long-form cooperative session rather than treating it as a five-minute match.

That preparation is enough. The adventure itself is handcrafted and has an ending, so this guide deliberately avoids puzzle and location spoilers.

Where are the map and train guides?

After the group is comfortable with the basics, use the dedicated map and train guides rather than a generic full-game walkthrough. The map page covers the Red Tower, Map Room and coordinate reading; the train page covers the Blue Tower, station key and carriage stop lever. Both pages begin with spoiler warnings, so first-time groups can stay here until they actually need a route.

What is Big Walk about?

Big Walk is a handcrafted online cooperative adventure for 2–12 people. Friends cross a large world, solve communication-heavy puzzles, carry tools and use proximity voice or text chat. It has a beginning and an ending, but no solo campaign or random matchmaking; the shared journey and the way the group communicates are the main experience.