Big Walk Crossplay: How to Set Up One Shared World
Yes, Big Walk supports crossplay. Players on Windows, Mac, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2 can join the same online world. Pick one reliable host, let that person start the session, then use the host’s Join Code for anyone who is not visible through the same platform friend list. The host keeps the save, so use the same host when your group returns.
| Check before the session | Verified answer | What your group should do |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows and Mac, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2 are the supported platforms; the official FAQ says crossplay works between different systems. | Buy or install the game on a supported system, then plan on using a Join Code when platform friend lists do not overlap. |
| Host and save | The host saves progress automatically. When the host stops, everyone else disconnects. | Choose the person most likely to return for later sessions as host. |
| Joining | A friend’s active game may appear on the same platform service. Otherwise, the host can share a newly generated Join Code. | Have the host enter the world before anybody tries to join. Use a password if the group needs a private session. |
| Versions | Only the first two parts of the version number need to match. | Update before the session and compare the first two version parts if a Join Code fails. |
| Communication | In-game voice and text chat carry the game’s distance and obstruction rules. Same-room play undermines that design. | Use separate rooms or remote devices, and keep communication inside the game when you want the intended puzzle experience. |
| Group fit | Big Walk supports two through twelve players. The official team describes smaller groups as more focused and larger groups as more chaotic. | Choose the world setting around the smallest group likely to stay for the full session; it changes challenge configuration, not the maximum who may join. |
The crossplay answer is simple; the session choice is not
Crossplay is the easy part. The practical decision is who should hold the save. Big Walk is a long-form cooperative adventure rather than a random-matchmaking game, and the official FAQ says the host is the keeper of the group’s progress. A different person can join later, but a returning group needs its original host to reopen the world where it left off.
That makes Big Walk a poor fit for a lobby that changes completely every night. It is a strong fit for a regular group that wants to build shared knowledge over more than one sitting. This is the useful distinction missing from broad recommendation lists: crossplay answers whether devices connect; hosting answers whether the group’s plan survives a second session.
Use this host-and-join sequence
First, choose the host. Pick the person with the most stable availability, not necessarily the fastest device. That account will hold the save.
Next, start the world before sending invites. The official troubleshooting guidance says the host should have a game running and their character loaded into the world. On the same platform service, friends may see the active session automatically. Cross-platform friends can use the Join Code generated for that session.
Then, protect the session. Anybody who knows a Join Code can join, so use the session password when the code may be visible beyond the intended group. The host can find both controls in Session Details after the world starts.
Finally, test the chat before the first puzzle. Big Walk deliberately makes communication part of the challenge. Its in-game text chat follows the same distance and obstruction rules as voice chat, so a group can use text without bypassing the design.
What to do when crossplay does not connect
Do not begin by assuming that mixed platforms are unsupported. First verify that the host is already in the world, that every device has an internet connection, and that the first two parts of every player’s version number match. A difference in the third part alone is not meant to block play.
If a friend’s game does not appear, use a Join Code instead of waiting for a platform friend list. The Mac App Store release does not provide a Game Center friend-game list, so Join Code is the intended route there. If the connection still fails, the official FAQ directs players to restart the game and check whether their device can reach Epic Online Services.
Why Big Walk is different from a drop-in friendslop night
Big Walk is not built around quick matchmaking or a disposable round. It asks a group to talk, separate, regroup, and learn its world together. Crossplay makes that possible across a mixed-device group, but it does not remove the commitment to a shared host and a returning crew.
Choose Big Walk when your friends can nominate a host and come back to the same world. Choose another game when the priority is a public lobby, same-room co-op, or a session where nobody can reliably keep the save.
Official sources
This page’s platform, crossplay, hosting, join-code, version, group-size, chat, and accessibility facts are linked to the Big Walk FAQ from House House. The supported player range and crossplay feature are also stated in the official press kit.