Getting a group going
How many players should you pick?
This is the setting most groups get wrong on their first night, because the intuitive answer is the wrong one.
When you start a session as host, Big Walk asks you to commit to a 2-player, 3-player, or 4-or-more-player version of the world, and it builds itself around that answer. Big Walk (House House) (primary source, opens in a new tab)
The instinct is to pick the biggest number your group could reach. The developers advise the opposite:
“Think of this setting as the minimum number of players who will be participating, rather than the maximum.” Big Walk (House House) (primary source, opens in a new tab)
The reason is that the world is built for the number you name. Size it for a friend who only shows up half the time and the group is short-handed whenever they are missing.
Plan your group
The three settings
2 player version
3 player version
4+ player version
That is all the developers say about them: the host picks one, and “some things in the world change to adapt to each of these choices.” They do not describe what changes, and neither will we. Big Walk (House House) (primary source, opens in a new tab)
Small group or big group?
Separately from the host setting, the FAQ is asked what the ideal number of players is. The answer refuses to name one, answering “Any number in that range is good!”, and describes a spectrum instead:
“With fewer players the game is a more focused co-op experience. Once you get closer to 12 it's more of a fun, chaotic mess.” Big Walk (House House) (primary source, opens in a new tab)
Note that this is about how many people you actually have, across the whole two-to-twelve range, not about which of the three host settings you pick. It closes: “But it'll be good no matter how many people you're playing with.”
Things that catch groups out
- There is no single-player mode. Not a limited one. None. You need at least one other person. Big Walk (House House) (primary source, opens in a new tab)
- There is no matchmaking. You cannot be paired with strangers. Big Walk expects the same group across multiple sessions, so you need to bring your own people. Big Walk (House House) (primary source, opens in a new tab)
- The host holds the save. Progress lives with whoever hosts, so if that person cannot make it, the group cannot continue from where it left off. Big Walk (House House) (primary source, opens in a new tab)
- A missing microphone is not a blocker. Text chat is a full substitute and the whole game can be finished with it. Big Walk (House House) (primary source, opens in a new tab)
Common questions
How many players can play Big Walk?
Two to twelve. There is no single-player mode, and the game requires at least two people.
Does the number of players change Big Walk?
Yes. When starting a session the host picks a 2-player, 3-player, or 4-or-more-player version of the world, and the game adjusts. The official FAQ describes the difference as ranging from focused co-op at the low end to a fun, chaotic mess at the high end.
What player count should the host choose?
The official FAQ advises choosing the minimum number of players who will be participating, rather than the maximum. If five people are around tonight but only three can make every session, pick the three-player version.
What is the best number of players for Big Walk?
The developers say any number in the two to twelve range is good, and that the experience simply changes character rather than getting better or worse with more people.