One of my favourite things aboutThe Game Awardsthis year was the range of trailers. It certainly wasn’t the speeches, which were unfortunately rushed through or skipped entirely. Even though the GOTY noms were all triple-A titles, they each looked and played very differently, a reminder that even as the industry becomes more obsessed with photorealism and safe edges, games have tremendous power to be unique. The trailers underlined that, and a standout in this regard wasBig Walk.
House House’s follow-up toUntitled Goose Game, Big Walk brought a cartoonish and comedic flair to the show. Premiering in the pre-show surrounded by some of the other most interesting trailers (Pony Island 2, Windblown), Big Walk didn’t initially grab me. A little like Devolver’s Baby Steps, which seems in the same ballpark, it looks a bit too into its own silliness. However, after I rewatched the trailer back, I have come to the conclusion that it’s a strand game… maybe.
The idea of a strand game comes fromDeath Stranding- players can interact with each other through messages in a shared world, but not in a direct messaging sort of way. There has to be a layer removed, like a conversation heard through water or echoing across the universe, for it to be a strand game. Some impact other players can leave on the surface of your world to let you know you’re not alone, without directly interfering, is the mark of a strand game.
There has been an attempt to force this genre into existence in the years since Death Stranding, likely becauseKojimais already known as one of the founding fathers of stealth games and has been the most successful in cultivating his auteur persona. We’re also all a little lonely these days, and know that online connectivity is here to stay but crave something more meaningful that battle pass adjacent co-op or invasions from trolls to ruin your fun. Maybe I’m forcing it here.
But it does feel like there are traces of the strand genre already alive in the industry.Pokemon Legends: Arceushad players leaving backpacks for each other around the map. Though they predate Death Stranding, theDark Soulsmessaging system, which reached a new level of popularity withElden Ring, also feels like strand mechanics.Try finger but hole indeed.
And then we come to Big Walk. It’s described as a “co-operative walker talker” by House House, where you need to stay in contact with your friends to solve puzzles. That sounds like a regular online co-op game, then. But the trailer often shows a few characters on the map very far away from each other, not particularly working together at all. Even if it’s not a full strand experience, Big Walk could still channel its energy.
Strand games are about connection, first and foremost. The sense that others are right there with you, like footsteps in the sand. It’s clear that Big Walk is a game about connection too - a walking sim with puzzles is typically a solo experience. It should not be judged on how strand-like it is, especially when that descriptor has only been projected onto it by myself and others. However, it does seem to offer a deeper sense of connection than just regular co-op, and that’s a major reason to look forward to it.
I’m still not sure how I feel about Big Walk, with its snoot snoot art style and goofy humour. And I typically find online play in games that belong in single-player tiresome. However, if Big Walk uses this online play to underline its messaging rather than because a focus group said ‘play with friends’ was a motivating sales factor, then I’ll be right there with you all, reaching out across the strands of our existence.
