Big Walk Is the Highest-Rated Game of 2026 — And It's a Co-Op Game About Talking

House House, the Australian studio behind the cultural phenomenon Untitled Goose Game, has done it again. Their follow-up, Big Walk, launched on August 4, 2026, and has already become the highest-rated new release of the year with a 93 Metacritic score.

Big Walk is a co-op communication game for 2–12 players. You and your friends explore a large open island, solve puzzles, and discover secrets — all without any direct instructions. The game relies entirely on proximity voice chat (or an ingenious proximity text system) to communicate. Want to tell your friend to push a button? Better figure out how to describe it without pointing.

Reviews have been extraordinary. GameSpot's Mark Delaney gave it a 9/10, calling it "one of the best co-op games ever." Kotaku praised its "brilliant puzzle design and chill-out vibes." The Verge described it as "co-op Breath of the Wild." Polygon noted that with 13 scored reviews in, Big Walk sits comfortably at the top of 2026's Metacritic chart.

The genius of Big Walk is that it doesn't tell you what to do. You arrive on the island with your friends and simply... walk. The puzzles emerge naturally from the environment. A locked door requires finding a key. A bridge needs raising. A train needs its horn honked (and yes, you can honk it). The joy comes from figuring things out together — the "eureka!" moments are multiplied by having someone to share them with.

At $19.99 on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2, Big Walk is an easy recommendation for anyone with friends willing to talk. If you play solo, you're missing the point — and the game won't let you play alone anyway.