Big Walk Review Roundup

TL;DR: Big Walk reviews are strongly positive but platform-dependent: as of August 11, 2026 it holds 92 on Metacritic for PC, 88 on PS5, and a notably lower 75 on Switch 2, alongside 93% positive Steam user reviews. Critics praise the communication-driven puzzles and the ending; the recurring criticisms are tedious walking stretches and one-time magic.

Scores at a Glance

All figures as of August 11, 2026. Scores move as more reviews land — the platform split matters more than any single headline number, and early coverage citing "Metacritic 93" reflects a momentary value from launch week.

What Critics Love

The strongest praise centers on how Big Walk turns communication itself into the puzzle:

• Kotaku (Rebekah Valentine): "A good puzzle game makes you feel like a genius. Big Walk does one even better." Her review — one of two the developers themselves highlighted at launch — also calls the finale "fantastic and worth experiencing."
• Eurogamer (100 on Metacritic): "A funny, exciting, and deeply rewarding multiplayer adventure that combines knockabout fun with some surprisingly big ideas."
• The Guardian (Lewis Gordon) describes the setting as "a kind of architectural fever dream transplanted to a handsome Australian wilderness," and praises the "ingenious use of proximity and direction-based voice audio."
• Screen Hype (98): "It reminded me that the best co-op experiences are about laughing at the journey, communicating in ways you never expected."

The Guardian's review also highlights what the game doesn't do: no notification loops, no upgrade treadmills — in Gordon's words, an experience "expressly designed to foster enriching connections and childlike playfulness."

The Criticism, Written Honestly

No 92 is unanimous, and the negative threads are consistent across sources:

• The walking can drag. Kotaku states it plainly — "Sometimes, the walking part is bad" — citing uneven terrain and getting wedged between rocks. The Guardian agrees: "the actual walking is the least interesting part of Big Walk," with frustration building on repeated backtracking through the same scrub.
• The magic is single-use. Kotaku's most distinctive critique: "Its magic is brilliant, and it also is single-use. Once you know the tricks, you can't be surprised." If replay value matters to you, weigh this one seriously.
• Teamwork dependency cuts both ways. Gameliner (70) notes the game "shines when you tackle its varied puzzles together, as teamwork is essential and no one can carry the group alone" — praise that doubles as a warning if your group is flaky.
• It is genuinely not for solo players. On the Steam forums, the most active critical threads — "Slop" (46 replies) and "Sick of these 'Play with your friends' games" (24 replies) — come from players frustrated that Big Walk requires friends, has no matchmaking, and offers no single-player mode. That's a design stance, not a bug, but it's the single most common reason for negative sentiment.
• The launch voice issue left a mark. Threads like "Will Buy If Audio Issues Fixed" show the quiet-voice problem affected purchase decisions. House House confirmed and fixed it in patch v1.4.8 on August 7 — details in the crossplay guide.

About That Switch 2 Score

The 75 on Switch 2 sits 17 points below PC. Two honest caveats before reading too much into it: the Switch 2 sample is small (5 reviews vs 26 on PC), and Metacritic's user score isn't split by platform. Still, if you're choosing between versions at the same price, the price comparison plus this platform gap makes Steam the safer critical pick as of August 11, 2026.

So — Is Big Walk Worth Buying?

The critical consensus is one of 2026's strongest for a co-op game, and the criticism clusters around two questions only you can answer: do you have 1–11 friends who'll actually show up, and do you accept a one-shot experience of roughly 20 hours (Kotaku's playtime estimate, including side content)?

If yes to both, the reviews are about as good as this genre gets — and Kotaku's practical advice applies: "There is no better time to call up your friends, get everyone to give up one night a week." If you have PS Plus, the free claim until August 31 makes trying it zero-risk. If you're still learning what the game even is, start with the beginner guide.

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