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Big Walk’s brilliance is in its restraint. Left to explore an island together, this co-operative puzzle game offers little guidance. Complete challenges with no hints, limited resources and the scant communication afforded by an in-game proximity chat. Sophisticated in its simplicity, House House have crafted an endearing, memorable experience and put “friend-slop” on notice.
The premise is simple: venture out together and work together to solve puzzles.
House House’s only instruction is to skip the party chat. Much of the game’s challenge (and fun) hinges on the ability to hear (or not to hear) your companions. Get used to reiterating plans, then trusting your friends to complete their task out of earshot. There will be a lot of this, and using a voice chat breaks the game.
The first challenge is therefore finding your teammates. Spawning in and venturing down an ominous, red corridor, you eventually hear the blather of your mates emanating from the end. The prox chat only extends so far, making things tricky if you wander.
This starting location is the central hub—or at least that’s what we’ve coined it, as landmarks aren’t otherwise labelled. There’s a training course (as much a tutorial as you’ll encounter) and lost property, where possessions from previous sessions will be deposited upon disconnect.
Follow the predefined path for a moment, and you’ll find yourself on the island, where things get interesting. With no more instruction, you must make sense of your surroundings, inferring what’s required from the colourful buildings peppering the landscape.
Fortunately, you’re confined to a single area as you get familiar with the core gameplay loop.
If this has piqued your interest, you could stop reading here.
You could dive into the experience mostly blind, as I did. Make sense of the world around you, learn through trial and error, and fumble your way through. It’s what Big Walk’s all about: the journey, and the chaos that ensues.
Should you still need convincing, let me continue.
Progressing through the game requires you to solve puzzles and collect keys. Each key you collect opens up new areas or features on the island. Seeing it through requires navigating most of the island and conquering its secrets.
Each puzzle in the game is unique. Some rely on communication, translating symbols into awkward poses relayed to your buddies through a sound-proof screen. Others are physics-based, kicking an item through an obstacle course.
The game is rudimentary by design. Resources are limited. You can only carry so many gadgets at once. Proximity chat only reaches so far. A sign written on a whiteboard mightn’t be readable at a distance. Completing each challenge asks you to get crafty, and respects the player’s intelligence without ever feeling too difficult or obscure.
Ingeniously, these challenges scale to the number of players tied to your world. The design work required to pull this off boggles my mind.
Unfortunately, it’s not perfect. Your character is intentionally a bit clumsy. However, this means navigating the landscape can be clunky. I’d collide with invisible geometry, and was often confused by what surfaces could be hiked.
Similarly, some challenges ask you to travel a distance, and the trekking threatened to become tedious. Yes, it’s ironic that the actual walking element of a game called Big Walk is where I take a little issue.
Thankfully, there’s plenty to experience without it feeling overwhelming.
Exploring the island, I was transported back to summers spent camping in the national parks near where the developers call home. Complete with granite boulders, gumtree-filled gullies, banksia bushes and squeaky sand, I felt like I was spending a weekend on Wilson’s Promontory.
On that note, I got quite a thrill from the game’s sound design. Australian birds can be heard throughout. Ask any Aussie; this is the soundtrack to any hike through the bush.
Diegetic music is a novel touch too. There’s a nice soundtrack to the game, which you’ll need to unlock by activating transmitters around the island, and then tuning in with your handheld radio.
Poking about this world, discovering its secrets and completing the puzzles has a magic to it. Although radically different from their breakout hit, Untitled Goose Game, House House have again crafted something special.
It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea; you need to lean in, take your time and think creatively. But it doesn’t overstay its welcome, balancing quality over quantity.
It’s a tonne of fun with a close group of friends. And close they’ll need to be; co-operation is key to conquering Big Walk.
