Every so often, a game announcement cuts through the noise-reminding you why you love this medium. House House’s new gameplay trailer for Big Walk did exactly that for me. This isn’t another battle royale or loot-laden time sink; it’s a sandbox for friendship, weirdness, and creative communication. After the mayhem (and memes) of Untitled Goose Game, I was curious what the Melbourne studio would do next. Big Walk looks like their most ambitious, and frankly, most human project yet.
Key Takeaways
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Panic |
| Release Date | 2026 |
| Genres | Cooperative Adventure, Online Multiplayer, Social Sandbox |
| Platforms | PC, Console |
When I see a new online co-op game, my guard always goes up: will it be just another Discord-in-the-background experience, or actually something that makes playing with friends feel special? The new Big Walk trailer answers that with a big, playful “yes.” House House is doubling down on the actual act of communicating—not just giving you voice chat, but making your ability to hear each other a genuine mechanic. If you wander too far, you literally can’t coordinate, turning “Where’d you go?” into real gameplay, not just a meme. I love this: it’s a rare game that trusts players to create their own fun through simple presence and conversation.
Big Walk isn’t about chasing XP bars or killstreaks. The trailer shows the dev team bumbling together through forested islands, solving puzzles, and—best of all—just goofing off. Whether you’re kicking a friend’s binoculars into the ocean or sitting by the sunset, the game leaves space for players to invent their own stories. This caught my attention because, as a longtime gamer, I crave these unscripted, goofy moments way more than another round of “capture the flag.”
House House’s track record makes me optimistic. Untitled Goose Game was a viral sensation because it let players inhabit a space and mess with its rules. Big Walk looks like the next evolution: still mischievous, but collaborative and communal instead of adversarial. And with Panic publishing (they also backed Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game), you know there’s a love for quirky, heartfelt ideas here—not just safe bets.
One detail I love: the soundtrack, composed by Melbourne’s AKSFX, is 100% diegetic. Music actually plays from in-game speakers, heard by everyone at once. In other words, when you’re dancing in a clearing or stargazing with friends, the music’s not just an emotional undercurrent—it’s a literal part of the shared space. It’s a small touch, but it shows how every system is designed to deepen the feeling of being together.
Of course, I have some questions. Will the world be big and varied enough to support long-term play? Are there enough collaborative challenges to justify bringing the same group back week after week? And will the magic of proximity chat hold up with randoms, or does it rely on playing with good friends? These are the sorts of things that don’t get answered in trailers, but House House’s past work suggests they’re thinking about replayability and charm in equal measure.
For me, Big Walk isn’t trying to outgun the AAA giants or chase the next live-service trend. Instead, it’s asking: what if a game made the simple act of hanging out with friends feel magical again? That’s the piece so many “social” games miss—and the reason Big Walk has my attention. If your friend group laments the death of the couch co-op era, keep this on your radar.
TL;DR: Big Walk is shaping up to be a refreshing reimagining of multiplayer—where talking and exploring together is the game. If you’re tired of formulaic co-op modes and long for new ways to genuinely hang out online, this could be the sleeper hit of next year. Watch this space.
Source: Panic via GamesPress