Big Walk Tutorial: Your First 30 Minutes (Beginner Walkthrough)

Quick answer

Your first half hour in Big Walk is a soft tutorial: solve four cooperative puzzles in the starting area, shape the released key at the cutters, and lower the drawbridge to open the island. Along the way you learn the two systems that define the whole game — communication that fades with distance and carrying items in your hands.

If you have not set up the session yet, start with the beginner guide (host, world version, invites) first.

Entering the tutorial area

After loading in, the group starts in a contained starting zone. There are almost no instructions on screen, on purpose. Spend the first few minutes learning how the world reacts:

• Raise your arms to signal teammates.
• Pick up and kick objects.
• Sit to slide down slopes.
• Speak normally, then walk away — notice how voice gets quieter with distance.

That fading voice is not a bug. It is the core mechanic, so test it before you spread out.

The four opening puzzles

The beach station has four slots and a large key on the back. Four nearby puzzles each hand you one collectible. Order does not matter:

1. Yellow scaffolding button — one player lifts another so the bottom player can jump and hit the high button.
2. Blue-house match — a player locked inside calls out a symbol order; the teammate outside places matching panels.
3. Green structure switches — everyone presses their switch at the same moment.
4. Telescope and box — one player keeps a button held to open a distant sealed box while another grabs the item.

Smaller groups may need a few trips back to the beach, because you can only carry as many items as your hands and bags allow.

Shape the key and lower the drawbridge

1. Carry all four collectibles to the beach station and fill the slots.
2. The key comes free — pull it out.
3. Run it through the five key cutters (three to the north, two on the shore). Follow the red arrows so you cut in the correct order.
4. Slot the shaped key into the drawbridge. The bridge lowers and the starting area opens permanently.

If the key will not fit, the cutters were run out of order or one was skipped — retrace the red arrows.

Grab the flashlight

Crossing the drawbridge unlocks a flashlight. The island runs a day/night cycle, and night gets very dark before you have light. With the flashlight, the rest of the map is readable after dark.

If night falls during the tutorial, you can wait it out or set off the lakeside rocket to briefly light the area — but getting the flashlight is the real fix.

Habits that make co-op click

• Talk in-game, not on Discord. House House recommends avoiding outside calls; the communication limits are puzzles, not problems to bypass. A microphone is optional — text chat has the same distance rules.
• Memorize one landmark before leaving. A distinctive rock, tree, or structure becomes your regroup point if the group separates.
• Don't sprint ahead alone. The game quietly punishes solo wandering; separated players lose contact and get lost.
• Share carrying duties. Assign who holds lights, who carries puzzle pieces, and who navigates.

What to do after the bridge

The wider island opens with towers, transport, and far more puzzles than the tutorial. See the full walkthrough for the tower progression, or how to play with friends if your group is still connecting.

Related: Beginner guide · Walkthrough · Party setup