How to Play Big Walk With Friends: Party, Lobby & Join Codes

Quick answer

Big Walk is online co-op only for 2–12 players. To play together, one person hosts a session, then friends on the same platform join from the in-game friends list, while friends on other platforms enter the host's session code. There is no pre-game lobby — entering a code drops everyone straight into the starting area, so coordinate before anyone joins.

Same platform: join via friends list

When everyone is on the same system (all Steam, all PS5, or all Switch 2), the friends list is the fastest route. Once the host has loaded into a session, it appears for friends to join.

1. Launch Big Walk and choose your voice settings.
2. From the main menu, select Join Game.
3. Under Join via Friends List, pick the friend who is hosting.
4. Load in and you drop into the shared world.

Cross-platform: join with a session code

When your group mixes systems, Big Walk uses a session code. Each session generates one automatically when the host starts.

1. Launch Big Walk and set your voice settings.
2. On the main menu, select Join Game.
3. Enter the session code in the field at the top of the screen.
4. Load in — you arrive directly in the starting area.

The host finds the code in the corner of the session menu before launch, then in Session Details from the in-game menu after starting. The code is session-specific, so share the newly generated one rather than an old code.

One exception: the Mac App Store version has no Game Center friends list, so even same-platform Mac players join with a session code.

Player count and world versions

A single session holds 2 to 12 players. When the host starts, they pick a world version — 2-player, 3-player, or 4-plus — which sets the expected minimum group size; the world layout changes to fit. Drop-in and drop-out are supported, so players can come and go without ending the session for everyone.

Every participant needs their own device and their own copy of the game. There is no split-screen, couch co-op, or LAN mode (see split-screen and couch co-op).

Console memberships

• PS5: needs an active PS Plus membership to play online.
• Nintendo Switch 2: needs Nintendo Switch Online.
• Steam / Mac App Store: no extra subscription required.

Crossplay covers playing together; it does not merge store accounts or saves. Owning Big Walk on one storefront does not unlock it on another, and there is no cross-progression at launch. The save lives with the host.

Why coordinate before joining

Entering a code drops you straight into the starting area with no lobby to gather first. If everyone types the code at different times, the group scatters before anyone can regroup. The simple fix: the host shares the code, everyone reads it, and the whole group joins together.

Troubleshooting joins

• Double-check the session code and that the host is still online.
• If the friends-list session does not appear, confirm you are on the same platform and friends there.
• Restart the game if the session does not show; most connection issues clear after a refresh or a new session.
• Make sure everyone is on the latest game version.

Related: Join friends & hosting · Crossplay · Player count · Beginner guide