Big Walk Voice Chat — Proximity, Text Chat & No-Mic Play

Quick answer: use Big Walk's built-in voice chat, text chat, or both. The communication limits are part of the game, so an always-on Discord call removes challenges the game is designed to create.

How proximity voice works

The official Steam description says voices:

• fade as players move farther apart;
• echo through corridors;
• become muffled through walls;
• crackle when carried through walkie-talkies.

This means a quiet or missing voice is not automatically a technical fault. First check whether the other player is distant, behind a barrier or expected to use an in-game communication item.

Can you play without a microphone?

Yes. House House says the complete game can be played with in-game text chat. Text is not a global chat shortcut: it follows the same intentional limitations as voice.

A mixed group can therefore let some players speak while others type without bypassing the communication design.

Should you use Discord or another call?

House House explicitly advises against external chat. The game will not punish the group for using it, but hearing everybody at every distance bypasses situations where players are meant to lose contact or find another way to communicate.

The same consideration applies to local play. Multiple devices in separate rooms can preserve the in-game communication rules; playing side by side in one room lets players hear one another outside the game.

Before the group starts

1. Decide who will use voice and who needs text.
2. Confirm every player can hear or read nearby teammates in the opening area.
3. Avoid an external group call unless the group deliberately accepts bypassing communication challenges.
4. If somebody disappears from chat, check distance and barriers before changing system settings.
5. Use the crossplay setup guide if the problem is joining the session rather than hearing teammates.

Sources

• Big Walk official FAQ — In-Game Chat, House House, checked August 21, 2026.
• Big Walk on Steam — Talking, Valve and House House, checked August 21, 2026.