Big Walk – The Art of Getting Lost and Finding Your Friends

“But the beauty is in the walking; we are betrayed by destinations.” – Gwyn Thomas

Overview

Big Walk is a fun new puzzle adventure game that can be played with 2-12 players, with cross-play available. Players can join their friends in exploration, conversations, puzzles, and at least a little bit of silliness!

Narrative

Big Walk does not have an obvious running narrative in the same way that a lot of games do, but it does allow players to create their own adventure and story as they engage in teamwork, exploration, and chit-chat as they progress through the experience. There is, however, a very definite ending, though it is vague and somewhat mysterious, and definitely has the potential to raise more questions than it answers!

Gameplay

Big Walk invites players to focus on teamwork, communication, and exploration as they venture across a varied landscape and engage in a wide range of challenges. Players can enjoy the game in groups of 2 to 12 players, and one of the key mechanics is the proximity voice chat. This means that players can only hear one another when they are nearby, getting quieter as the distance between them increases, cannot hear through soundproof glass, and will also notice effects such as their voices echoing in tunnels or large structures. Walkie-talkies can be found and utilised to get around this to some extent, but often making use of arm gestures to indicate directions or wave will be crucial to effective communication. Text chat is also available, but in circumstances where a player would not normally be heard, the text will display as *inaudible*.

Big Walk is just that; the game world is fairly expansive, and players will have to travel long distances in order to get to different locations and find all the challenges. Progression will eventually unlock a train and ski-lift to help ease the pain of the player’s poor, aching, digital feet! This is an intended part of the game; however, where players can take in the environment and enjoy each other’s company, in Big Walk the journey is as important as the destination.

The main activity in Big Walk is finding and solving different puzzles and challenges; these reward red objects that are shaped like a slightly rotund bowling pin or a butternut squash. These do not seem to have an official name, and some players have been quite creative in what they called them; in my playthrough, they were referred to as ‘wibblers’.

The challenges are highly varied and rely on a plethora of different skills such as logic, speed, communication, co-ordination, and teamwork. However, they almost always require some form of communication, and this will often be limited or restricted in some way. For example, a player might have to wear a helmet that renders them blind and then have to follow verbal instructions from another player in order to reach and obtain a ‘wibbler’. Another task might place the players on either side of some soundproof glass that necessitates using arm gestures to communicate information only available to one player to the other, such as which of a selection of symbols need to be placed on the wall and in what order.

There is a series of towers in the game, and each has about 5 or 6 slots in which ‘wibblers’ must be placed in order to release a blank key. This must then be cut to the correct shape by following a series of key-cutting bollards that will also lead the player to where the key can be used. These can unlock new modes of transport, a tunnel network, a giant 3D map room, and more. After all of the different coloured towers have been completed, players can access the final tower that, once completed, will lead the players to the end of the game.

In addition to walkie-talkies, other tools can be found by the players, including torches, binoculars, and laser pointers, as well as things such as backpacks and utility belts that will increase the number of items that can be carried from the default of one. These can be very useful but sometimes need to be sacrificed so that the player can carry a newly obtained ‘wibbler’.

Styling

Big Walk uses a somewhat realistic 3D art style for the bulk of the environment and scenery, with a natural colour palette and dynamic lighting. This contrasts heavily with the simple shapes and vibrant, solid colours of both the playable characters and the objects in the world that make up things such as the puzzles, challenges, transport options, and tools. The distinct difference in the two visual styles and the way that they are combined give the game a unique aesthetic that reflects the massive amounts of fun to be had, and the huge potential for silliness!

There is no background music when playing Big Walk, at least not in a traditional sense; all the music in-game is diegetic. Throughout the world, there are areas with speakers, a control panel, and a portable radio; the latter can be tuned to these areas as they are discovered to unlock different radio stations. Music can then be selected and played through the portable radio on the go. This is an interesting and unique way to implement a game soundtrack and fits perfectly with the game’s proximity voice chat. Despite the potential lack of music, there is a good range of ambient sound effects to bring the environment to life, as well as some quirkier ones, such as the noises made when falling over or when placing a ‘wibbler’ in a tower.

Summary

Big Walk is a truly wonderful game that is sure to bring people closer together. Whether it’s a considered, gentle outing for two, or a dozen friends on a shenanigan-filled journey of chaos, it will be a lot of fun. The game offers unique, communication-centred gameplay full of a broad assortment of thought-provoking puzzles, an intriguing micro-narrative, a charming aesthetic that mixes realism with geometric shapes and block colours, and immersive sound design, not to mention a heap of accessibility options and a brief but comprehensive tutorial area.

Big Walk took around 15 hours to complete, and I had an absolute blast playing this game and was really sad to reach the end. Even if you’re not usually a people person, this game is worth making friends for! I would recommend this game to anyone because it has something for everyone!

Giveaway

Courtesy of the developers, we have two Steam keys for Big Walk to give away to one lucky winner. For more details and your chance to win (or just to chat about indie games), simply join our friendly Discord server and check out the announcements!

Looking for more co-operative games to enjoy with your friends? You may also enjoy these reviews:
Split Fiction – Tick Tock: A Tale for Two – Wobbly Life – Distrust