Metacritic Score of 91: 'Big Walk's' Early Reception, Seen Through Streaming Data

Kim Jun-su (HealT) | 2026-08-17 08:32:28

Article Link: https://www.thisisgame.com/series/428936?newsId=400081

A weekly look at the hottest game in global streaming, powered by data! This week, ContentFlux's analytics take us through the numbers.

Today's spotlight falls on Big Walk. We take a look at how this new co-op adventure — where friends roam a vast open world solving puzzles together — is being received in the streaming market.

▶ (Source: House House)

A Co-op Adventure Debut With a Metacritic Score of 91

Big Walk is a multiplayer co-op adventure game developed by House House — the studio behind Untitled Goose Game — and published by Panic. It officially launched on August 4 for PC (Steam), PS5, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Players control colorful, rounded characters as they explore a sprawling island. Rather than following a fixed storyline or mandatory quests, the game offers an open-ended structure where players work with companions to solve structures and puzzles scattered across the field.

On top of that, co-op gimmicks scale in size depending on how many players are involved, and there are carrying mechanics that require players to physically haul items. With no combat or death mechanics, players can focus purely on exploration and communication, enjoying the game's lighthearted fun.

▶ (Source: House House)

▶ (Source: House House)

On August 11, publisher Panic announced via official social media that Big Walk had surpassed 1 million units sold worldwide just six days after its official launch.

Alongside this commercial success, critical reception has been positive as well. As of August 14, according to global review aggregator Metacritic, Big Walk holds a Metascore of 91, while its User Score stands at 8.1.

▶ Panic thanks fans for 1 million units sold, via social media.

Landing on the Twitch and Chzzk Charts, With Strength in the U.S. and English-Speaking Markets

According to ContentFlux's Top 100 chart, which tracks global streaming metrics, Big Walk drew most of its early attention on Twitch and Chzzk.

In the first tracked week — Week 1 of August (Aug. 3–9) — Big Walk entered Twitch's Global Top 100 chart at No. 12 (NEW), recording a peak concurrent viewership of over 860,400. It also made its first appearance on the YouTube weekly cumulative views chart at No. 86 (NEW), racking up more than 10.8 million cumulative views.

On Chzzk, a domestic Korean platform, the game entered the chart at No. 34 (NEW), posting a peak concurrent viewership of over 12,000. On SOOP, however, no chart entry data was recorded.

▶ Big Walk's ranking for Week 1 of August 2026, based on weekly cumulative views and cumulative peak concurrent viewers.

Moving into Week 2 of August (Aug. 10–16), Big Walk's metrics diverged somewhat across platforms.

On Twitch, weekly peak concurrent viewership came in at over 236,000, with the game slipping eight spots from the previous week to land at No. 20. On YouTube, it dropped out of the Top 100 chart entirely, with no entry data recorded.

Chzzk, on the other hand, showed steady growth on the domestic front, climbing 18 spots from the prior week to No. 16 with a peak concurrent viewership of over 14,600. SOOP, as in the previous week, recorded no chart entry data.

▶ Big Walk's ranking for Week 2 of August 2026, based on weekly cumulative views and cumulative peak concurrent viewers.

An analysis of global viewer distribution on YouTube over the most recent 11 days (Aug. 3–13, 2026) shows the United States accounting for the largest share of cumulative views at 40.6%, followed by Brazil at 31.9%.

Brazil's high share in particular was largely driven by content from major creator 'alanzoka.' The remaining rankings were the U.K. (5.9%), Spain (4.1%), Canada (3.5%), Indonesia (3.4%), Ukraine (3.3%), Sweden (2.9%), and France (2.3%).

In terms of video volume, the U.S. again led with a 34.6% share, followed by the U.K. (5.6%), Brazil (4.4%), Japan (3.8%), Canada (3.5%), France (2.5%), Australia (2.1%), India (2.1%), and Spain (2.0%).

▶ Country distribution of Big Walk content on YouTube, by cumulative views.

▶ Country distribution of Big Walk content on YouTube, by number of videos produced.

A breakdown of Twitch data by language shows English-speaking audiences dominating. By peak concurrent viewers, English accounted for a majority share at 58.3%, followed by French (11.4%), Portuguese (5.9%), Spanish (5.0%), Russian (5.0%), Italian (4.3%), Chinese (4.1%), German (3.6%), and Polish (2.2%).

By number of actual broadcasts, English again ranked first at 63.8%, followed by French (7.2%), German (6.0%), Russian (4.3%), Spanish (4.1%), Portuguese (3.8%), Chinese (2.9%), Italian (2.7%), and Polish (1.7%).

▶ Language distribution of Big Walk content on Twitch, by peak concurrent viewers.

▶ Language distribution of Big Walk content on Twitch, by number of broadcasts.

A Positive Mood Built on Delightful Co-op Chemistry

Next, we looked at user sentiment toward the new release through gameplay footage from global creators and viewer feedback.

First up is 'CaRtOoNz,' a general gaming YouTuber from the U.S. with 4.05 million subscribers, who published Big Walk gameplay content on August 6. The video captured a lighthearted playthrough in which multiple players named and doted on a wobbly, roly-poly object they discovered while exploring the map, as well as their progress solving a variety of puzzles hidden throughout the world.

In particular, the quirky physics-driven interactions enabled by the lighting, visual direction, and physics engine, along with the playful chemistry between players, stood out as major sources of fun. That said, the footage also captured minor mishaps stemming from some convoluted puzzle structures, navigation confusion, and limited inventory space.

Key Points • Varied puzzle-solving and area exploration through player cooperation • Creative use of in-game objects and charming interactions • Praise for the lighting, visual direction, physics engine, and sound design • Creative use of items such as radio stations and laser pointers • Bonding between players through lighthearted conversation and jokes

Low Points • Progress hampered by some puzzles' high, convoluted difficulty • Inconvenient resource and item management due to limited inventory space • Navigation confusion and difficulty finding one's way as a newcomer • Progress delays from miscommunication between players • Lost key items such as laser pointers, and related mishaps ▶ An excerpt from CaRtOoNz's Big Walk video content, summarized by ContentFlux AI.

A sentiment analysis of the YouTube comments on this video found positive sentiment leading at 48%, followed by neutral at 35% and negative at 16%.

▶ Sentiment distribution of YouTube comments on CaRtOoNz's Big Walk video.

Positive Summary • Praise for the game's distinctly peaceful, lighthearted multiplayer chemistry • Appreciation for the beautiful music and Australian-inspired setting, with ongoing requests for follow-up episodes

Neutral Summary • Discussion of in-game systems such as 12-player multiplayer support and backpacks • Mentions of the developer's Australian background and hopes for a possible Xbox release

Negative Summary • Frustration voiced over lost items and misunderstandings of game mechanics • Requests to fix uneven in-game audio levels and improve sound quality ▶ An excerpt of viewer sentiment on CaRtOoNz's Big Walk video comments, summarized by ContentFlux AI.

Next, Brazilian mega-creator 'alanzoka,' who boasts 9.25 million subscribers, also released a Big Walk playthrough with friends on August 6.

With his signature playful role-play and quick-witted humor, alanzoka moved from a train-operating mission to open-world exploration, delivering both entertainment value and a strong sense of immersion. That said, the playthrough also revealed some minor technical shortcomings, including in-game sound levels set too low, controls that felt less than intuitive, and frame drops in certain sections.

Key Points • Open-world exploration and mission completion through multiplayer cooperation • Highly flexible character customization and role-play fun • The importance of teamwork and communication across a sprawling map • Highly immersive gameplay carried by a humorous atmosphere • Varied cooperative elements, such as rescuing a child and collecting keys

Low Points • Reduced clarity due to in-game sound volume set too low • Frustration from stiff, unintuitive controls • Temporary confusion from lack of teamwork and unclear role division • Navigation difficulties and lost items due to the map's complex layout • Frame drops and bugs occurring during gameplay ▶ An excerpt from alanzoka's Big Walk video content, summarized by ContentFlux AI.

A sentiment analysis of viewer comments on this video found neutral reactions leading at 44%, followed by positive at 43% and negative at 13%.

▶ Sentiment distribution of YouTube comments on alanzoka's Big Walk video.

Positive Summary • Praise for witty role-play with friends and their humorous chemistry • Appreciation for the game's cozy sense of immersion, with continued requests for more episodes Neutral Summary • Curiosity about the in-video story ('Ripened Red Strawberry') and how it ends • Discussion of a distinctive playstyle within the co-op structure and parenting-related jokes Negative Summary • Disappointment over the creator's uncooperative play and disruptive behavior • Requests to improve broadcast editing quality, citing scrambled scene order and screen stutters ▶ An excerpt of viewer sentiment on alanzoka's Big Walk video comments, summarized by ContentFlux AI.

Developer House House previously made waves in 2019 when Untitled Goose Game picked up Game of the Year honors at both the D.I.C.E. Awards and the Game Developers Choice Awards.

Big Walk, too, has posted solid early sales and critical scores without relying on flashy graphics or complex systems, drawing its charm instead from cooperation and communication in their purest form. Whether House House's distinct sensibility will turn Big Walk into another dark-horse hit remains well worth watching.

This article is provided through a content partnership with GC. (ContentFlux homepage)