Big Walk Wiki
The Short Version
| Setting | Set it to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Field of view (PC/Mac) | 65–75 | Wide enough to stop the queasiness, narrow enough to avoid warped edges |
| Crosshair | Off | Nothing in the game needs one, and screenshots look better without it |
| Motion reduction overlays | On, if you are prone to motion sickness | Built for exactly this game's long first-person walks |
| Microphone device | Check it, do not assume it | The wrong default device is the most common "nobody can hear me" |
| Push to talk | Your call — both work | Open mic suits close groups; push to talk suits noisy rooms |
| Challenge skipping (host only) | On, if anyone in the group might need it | Stops one inaccessible challenge from blocking the whole group |
Field of View, and the Motion Sickness Problem
Big Walk is a first-person game that consists almost entirely of walking, for hours, over uneven ground. That is the exact recipe for simulator sickness, and motion sickness does show up in the game's negative reviews — a small share, but a real one. See the reviews breakdown.
A field of view in the 65 to 75 range is the sweet spot. Below that the world feels like it is being funnelled through a tube, which is what makes people queasy. Much above it and the edges of the screen start to stretch, which looks strange and, for some people, is its own kind of unpleasant.
If 75 is not enough, turn on motion reduction overlays in the accessibility menu before you raise the FOV further. House House put them there for this.
Turn the Crosshair Off
There is nothing in Big Walk you aim at. No weapons, no precision targeting, no scenario where a dot in the middle of the screen tells you anything you did not already know. The game offers crosshair styles, and the most useful style is none — you get a clean view of one of the better-looking landscapes in co-op games, and your screenshots stop having a reticle in the middle of the sunset.
Audio: the Setting That Decides the Session
Voice is the game's core mechanic, so a broken mic is not a minor annoyance, it is not playing. Before the group sets off:
- Confirm the input device. The top entry in the audio settings is the microphone the game is actually using. Systems with a webcam, a headset and a monitor with a built-in mic pick the wrong one constantly.
- Decide on open mic versus push to talk. Big Walk works well with an open mic because the proximity system handles distance for you. If your room is loud or you eat during sessions, push to talk is kinder to everyone else.
- Know where mute is. Muting is a normal part of a four-hour walk. Learn the key before you need it.
How to tell who is talking. Big Walk shows no names above players, which is genuinely disorienting in a group of twelve. The tell is the face: a speaking character's mouth moves with their voice, and a muted player's mouth is shrunk down. Once you notice this you can identify a speaker across a field, and it replaces the nameplates the game refuses to give you.
If people can be heard but only barely, that was a real bug at launch and House House fixed it in version 1.4.8 — the patch notes have the detail, and the voice chat guide explains how proximity, walls and walkie-talkies change what you hear.
Host-Only Settings
Some choices belong to whoever hosts, and they apply to everyone:
- Challenge skipping. The accessibility menu lets the host make challenges skippable. It exists because some challenges require hearing, reading, speech, quick reactions or fine motor control, and House House did not want that to lock anyone out of a co-op game. Turning it on does not force anyone to use it.
- Group size configuration. The host sets the session up for 2, 3 or 4-plus players. This changes how many people the world expects — how many hands a challenge needs — not how hard the puzzles are. Choose the size your group actually plays at.
- Session password and join code. The code is in the corner of the host menu before you start, and under Session Details once you are in. A password keeps the session closed; without one, a running session is visible to the friends of everyone already in it.
- Who hosts at all. The save lives with the host, so the same person has to host every session or the group loses its progress. Pick the friend with the most free evenings.
Controls Worth Knowing Before You Set Off
- Throwing is bound close to picking up. Learn which button throws, then avoid it while holding a key or a gourd — thrown objects travel far and open country hides them well.
- Raising an item latches. Hold the raise briefly and your character keeps the pose after you let go, which is how you walk a long dark stretch with a lamp held high.
- Rebinding is supported. Controls can be remapped on every platform, and the accessibility menu is where to start if the defaults do not suit you.
The gadgets guide covers what those carried items do.
Settings Questions
What is the best FOV in Big Walk?
Between 65 and 75 on PC and Mac. That range is wide enough to prevent the tunnel-vision feeling that causes motion sickness during long walks, without the edge distortion that comes with pushing it higher.
Big Walk makes me motion sick — what can I do?
Raise the field of view into the 65–75 range and turn on motion reduction overlays in the accessibility menu. Both exist for this. Shorter sessions and sitting further from the screen help too.
Can I turn off the crosshair in Big Walk?
Yes — the game offers crosshair styles including none, and nothing in Big Walk requires aiming. Turning it off is the recommended default.
How do I know who is speaking?
There are no name tags. Watch mouths: a speaking character's mouth moves in time with their voice, and a muted player's mouth is visibly shrunk. It takes one session to become second nature.
How do I turn on challenge skipping?
The host enables it in the accessibility menu, after which challenges can be skipped. It was built so that challenges requiring hearing, speech, quick reactions or fine motor control cannot block a group, and a skipped challenge still awards its reward.
Does the 2, 3 or 4-player setting change difficulty?
No. It changes how many players the world expects — the number of hands a challenge is built around — rather than how hard the puzzles themselves are. Set it to the size your group usually plays at.
Set up and ready? The beginner guide covers the first session, and the walkthrough covers where to actually go.