Big Walk

Usually, despite having watched this industry for most of my life, I can be pretty wrong about certain games succeeding. Big Walk is not one of those games. I knew House House's puzzle exploration adventure would be a hit from the moment it was revealed. Capitalising on the tremendous wave of "friendslop" games, with a genuine passion for cooperative, communicative gameplay that goes beyond a logline of a gimmick, Big Walk seemed from its first trailer a game that would give a great shared experience, not just a waste of time with pals for a small fee like so many other "friendslop" hits end up being.

I've already shared my early impressions on Big Walk, and so this review is going to be a bit of a shorter judgement on the game as a whole. After being able to dig into Big Walk a lot more consistently with my usual squad, I can only heap more praise on House House's cooperative puzzler. Its casual, without being lightweight. Addictive, without feeling punishing or pressured, and has a consistent, wonderful charm that oozes through every inch of its atmospheric world.

The aim in Big Walk is... well, there isn't really an aim. You can complete the game, and then go for another ending after that, but from the game's design it's clear the real flow comes from simply experiencing it. It reminds me of when you first step out into the open world of an RPG, but with friends. What's that tower over there? Do you reckon we can reach that peak? How do we get the train working? All questions you'll ask yourself, finding the answers as you go along your adventure. No main path showing you the way forward, nothing guiding you except whatever catches your eye at any one point.

Big Walk's genius is in its simplicity, and this is clearest through the game's use of communication. There are issues with voices, that still haven't been patched out at the time of writing (despite an update saying they had), but even if your mates are a bit quiet even when they're close to you, the use of voice comms and hand signals is consistently innovative in Big Walk. You will use everything you can to communicate for puzzles, whether you're sending hand signals across the map to guide someone, or whether you're speaking into a receiver to tell someone in another room to pass a message on to the next person about the solution in front of you. There's always a fun trick to each puzzle, and while nothing stumped my group for more than ten minutes or so, we had a lot of fun rage-baiting each other while letting our wacky characters throw their arms about.

The main mechanics might not be incredibly deep, but the constraints of only being able to talk, flail about, and throw an object mean that House House has made the most out of each of them in creative and unique ways. No puzzle feels like another, and because you're spending a lot of time walking, exploring, and just taking in the world, each occasion you stumble upon a puzzle section is made to feel like an event. You're hungry for those chew-toy shaped prizes at the end, and your focus or enjoyment is never diminished thanks to the experience not just being one puzzle after another. If there is an element to the game that detracts from that enjoyment, it's the day/night cycle. While it definitely adds to the overall experience, I'm not sure the addition is worth it in the long run. During your first couple of nights, the novelty of the game's increased darkness and being able to follow each other's eyes is interesting, but that fades quickly. Of course, there are multiple ways to battle the dark, but often it feels like night comes too quickly and leaves too slowly. Stumbling around in the dark isn't nearly as fun as striding around in the day, and it does feel slightly like it's a way for House House to pad out more play time in Big Walk.

Big Walk's title tells you all you really need to know about the game. It's much more about the sense of journey and appreciating time spent with your pals than it is about reaching the destination, collecting all the chew toys. It understands that a co-op experience doesn't need time pressures, wacky gimmicks, or a viral twist to make it fun. With a calming, atmospheric world complimented by a lovely soundtrack, innovative puzzles that make the most out of simple mechanics, and communication tools ramped up to their best, Big Walk is easily one of the best games I've played in 2026 so far, and an easy recommendation for anyone wanting to go on adventure from the comfort of their desk.