Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 498 sampled Steam reviews (462 positive / 36 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing13% mention it
- Multiplayer & servers12% mention it
- World & exploration8% mention it
- Music & audio8% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Music & audio25% mention it
- Visuals & art19% mention it
- Story & writing14% mention it
- Multiplayer & servers11% mention it
- Bugs & crashes11% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
72%
102 reviews
5-15h
97%
212 reviews
15-40h
100%
179 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 89 | 70 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 95% | 90 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 87 | 135 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 97% | 93 | 3000 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 91.9, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 29,985 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 28, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 3873 total reviews in window · weighted 257.8 up / 3.5 down · computed 35m ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (48)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 100
“Forged in the lineage of hiking simulators like Peak, A Short Hike and Baby Steps, Big Walk is a charming, multiplayer expedition about the simple joys of hiking with friends. While there are plenty of quaint puzzles to solve, the crux of the hike is about exploration and discovery- but without the dizzying adrenaline. You may even be inspired to embark on your own real-life hikes, too.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“One of the best games for spending time with friends. Big Walk doesn't try to limit you, doesn't force you to rush, and doesn't stress you out, but creates all the conditions for a fun and soulful time.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Big Walk is a game that is nothing short of outstanding in its design, a co-op adventure that feels like you're 12 years old again and venturing across those fields with your buddies.Its strict reliance on communication and clever puzzle design makes it one of the most rewarding games I think I've ever played, but its technical shortcomings on the Switch 2 version do take the shine off a touch. Thankfully, it's not enough to break what is one of the most unique and intriguing games released this decade, if you're willing to learn to communicate.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“What Big Walk truly offers is a place to just be a gaggle of silly friends in a world where it seems harder and harder to spend real, quality time with the people close to you. Every step across this bizarre island built us up to its final test. The new inside jokes in the form of wacky gestures, the understanding we gained of each other’s strengths, the tailor-made language we’d developed just for this game, they all became tools to help us finally succeed. And we all found ourselves unexpectedly misty-eyed as we said our last goodbyes to the experience.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“While there have been some great action-oriented co-op games in the last generation, Big Walk takes a big swing at throwing you and your friends into a space full of varied puzzles with little direction, expecting that you’ll work things out”
read full review ↗ - 100
“You may be surprised to see how generic I was in reviewing Big Walk, and then glancing at the rating I gave it, but it's exhilarating to be faced with a title that deserves your full attention, yet my description of it would deprive you of the joy of discovering it. It's a title I recommend to everyone, without hesitation or exclusion: the premise is that of an online cooperative game that asks you to embark on a journey (of about 15-20 hours) that, I swear on all that's dearest to me, you won't easily forget, and that might even bring a tear or two to your eyes as the credits roll. It has no explicit narrative, no golden path for the player to follow, and you'll have to make every step, every puzzle, and every gourd your own. But, ultimately, every memorable journey is so for the memories it leaves you with and for the people who helped create them. If you want to try it, Big Walk is also on PS Plus, otherwise you can trust me and take a leap of faith and buy it on sale for around €15. Ignore the YouTubers who try it in single player and without understanding a thing call it a Squid Game without the squid, ignore the unmotivated hatred that now moves entire communities against a product just because they are people with very sad lives: grab your headphones, call your friends, and spend 15 hours testing yourself among the sweet sounds and welcoming colors of the best indie game of this year and undoubtedly a game worthy of being included in the Olympus of the best games of all time.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Look, I’m going to just come right out and say it. Big Walk is one of the best puzzle games I have ever played. It is also one of the best social experiments I have ever participated in. From the proximity voice chat that created so many humorous moments and grounded me in this world, all the way to the moments of trust that were required to guide my friend through a blind puzzle box, or vice versa. There are moments of absolute joy and bliss that are yours for the taking in your journey and memories that will last you a lifetime.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Big Walk gives us an excuse to gather together with friends, go on some walks, and solve some often great puzzles. It’s a great example of a developer gradually building on its ideas for more complex and challenging tasks that make you realize what you did before prepared you for this. (And sometimes, maybe it really does feel like basketball is the answer.) It’s a great excuse to sit back, work together, and talk things through in a pleasant world filled with colorful puzzles.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Big Walk's charm lies in the surprising nature of its world and the delight of discovery: you never know what awaits beyond the next hill. You also encounter various cryptic structures and themes. It feels like an exciting expedition full of unexpected events, moments of laughter interspersed with getting lost in the darkness of night. Silliness and chaotic antics are all part of the journey, especially when traveling in a large group. Without a doubt one of the most inventive games of the year.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Big Walk works because, at its heart, it understands that multiplayer games don’t need to be competitive, combative, or constantly active to be enjoyable. The best moments come from communication, exploration, mistakes, and unforeseen circumstances that arise when a group of people works together to solve problems.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Big Walk brought back the feeling we had been missing for years: starting a game without knowing what awaited us, and then finding ourselves never wanting to leave it. It successfully blends fun, cooperation, and comedy into a combination that is rarely achieved, delivering an experience full of creative ideas where you and your friends create your own stories, but with one condition: you must choose the right friends to experience it with.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Released at this time, 'Big Walk' offers exceptional enjoyment with just two simple elements: adventure with friends and puzzles. There are no difficult controls or pressure to compete; simply solving unknown problems together with friends provides enough fun to keep you entertained for hours. This is a game that demonstrates just how special that so called 'simple fun' can be.”
read full review ↗
3DNews
Nintendo Life
The Indie Informer
Nindie Spotlight
Gamesource Italia
Pixel Byte
Siliconera
KonsoliFIN
GamesCreed
Just Play it
PNN…and 36 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- 1.5.1 Patch NotesAug 28, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- 1.5.0 Patch NotesAug 26, 2026
- 1.4.10 Patch NotesAug 21, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.4.8 - Fixes for quiet voicesAug 7, 2026significant · resets scoring window