Fastest connection path
- Confirm the correct save owner is hosting and has started the session.
- Ask the host to open Session Details.
- Copy the newly generated Join Code exactly.
- Confirm the current session password.
- Join with the code instead of waiting for a friend listing.
Join Codes change each time the host begins a session. A screenshot or message from an earlier night may contain a correctly typed but expired code.
If the friends list is empty
Both people should be friends on the same platform service—Steam, PlayStation Network, or Nintendo Switch Online—for an active host to appear automatically. The official FAQ links to each platform’s friend instructions.
The Mac App Store edition does not support Game Center friend listings. This is documented behavior; use a Join Code.
If the code is accepted but connection is unstable
The official network checklist recommends:
- Stop heavy downloads and streaming on the host’s network.
- Move closer to the wireless router or use Ethernet.
- Check whether all players are affected, which points toward the host.
- Lower the host’s graphics quality if their frame rate is poor.
- Consider using another host only for a new journey; remember that the existing save belongs to its original host.
What this page does not claim
We found no current official notice of a game-wide outage as of August 5, 2026. Individual community reports are not enough to label a live service incident. If the official checks fail, contact help@bigwalk.game with the platform, game version, time, error text, and whether a fresh session also fails.