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House House’s latest multiplayer adventure, Big Walk, has captured the attention of players around the world with its innovative approach to cooperative gameplay. By focusing entirely on communication as the core mechanic, this 2-12 player “walker-talker” game demands that you and your friends rely on proximity voice chat, walkie-talkies, and sheer teamwork to navigate a sprawling, beautiful open world inspired by the Australian bushlands of Wilsons Promontory. However, while the opening sequence of the game is a masterclass in teaching players the ropes of acoustic navigation and basic tool usage, it can become a bit tedious for veteran players who simply want to start a fresh adventure with a new group of friends.
If you have already played through the opening hours of Big Walk and find yourself needing to host a brand new session for a different set of friends, you might be dreading the prospect of re-doing the initial tutorial puzzles. Fortunately, the dedicated Big Walk community has come to the rescue. Thanks to a specialized save file shared by a community member, you can now skip the game’s opening tutorial and jump straight into the first open area, ready to explore without any restrictions.
Below, we outline exactly what this custom save file contains, provide a step-by-step walkthrough on how to install it on your PC, and offer some essential advice on how to manage your new multiplayer session once you have bypassed the introductory segment.
Why Would You Want to Skip the Tutorial in Big Walk?
Big Walk is a game that thrives on discovery and shared experiences. When you first boot up the game, you are placed in a relatively confined starting area that serves as a safe environment to learn the game’s unique mechanics. You learn how your voice echoes through canyons, how the volume of your voice naturally attenuates over distances, and how to effectively use the in-game walkie-talkies to coordinate with teammates who are out of earshot. It is a brilliant introduction that sets the tone for the entire journey.
However, the reality of online multiplayer gaming is that friend groups are often fluid. You might have started your first playthrough with a dedicated trio on launch day, but a week later, you manage to convince five other friends to buy the game. Because Big Walk relies on a host-based save system, starting a game with a completely new group usually means the host has to start a brand new save file.
For the host who has already experienced the magic of the opening hour, re-doing the exact same communication puzzles, finding the first set of basic tools, and unlocking the very first door can feel like a chore. Bypassing this section allows the host to get the new group straight into the meat of the game—the expansive open world where the real cooperative challenges and exploration begin. It streamlines the onboarding process for large groups and ensures that the momentum of your game night isn’t stalled by introductory tasks.
A Crucial Warning for First-Time Players
Before we explain the technical details of downloading and installing the save file, we need to issue a strong warning: If you or your friends have never played Big Walk before, do not skip the tutorial.
We cannot emphasize this enough. The opening segment of the game is not just a traditional video game tutorial; it is a carefully crafted narrative and mechanical onboarding process that establishes the stakes of your adventure. It teaches you how to listen to the environment, how to interpret the direction of your friends’ voices, and how to operate the game’s unique communication tools. Skipping this section will leave new players entirely confused about how the proximity voice chat functions, how the walkie-talkies work, and what the general goal of the game actually is.
If you are a first-time player, take your time. Enjoy the initial confusion and the eventual moments of clarity when you finally coordinate successfully with your partner to open the first set of gates. If you are a veteran player hosting for a group of newcomers, we still strongly recommend playing through the tutorial normally so your friends can experience the game as House House intended. For more context on why this initial discovery phase is so important, you can read our deep dive on why getting lost is the heart of Big Walk’s cozy co-op adventure. Skip the tutorial only if everyone in your group is already familiar with the core mechanics, or if you are specifically trying to quickly recover a lost save file.
What is Included in the Post-Tutorial Save File?
The save file we are using for this bypass method was graciously provided by Reddit user VinnieLits in the Big Walk community subreddit. You can find the original post and discussion at Reddit: A save file post-tutorial only.
According to the creator, this community-reported save file is specifically designed to be as “clean” as possible while still skipping the opening. Here is exactly what the file contains:
- The First Area Door is Opened: The initial puzzle sequence that requires players to coordinate and unlock the massive wooden gate leading out of the starting canyon has been completed.
- The First Radio Station is Unlocked: The introductory radio station, which serves as your first major waypoint and introduces the game’s overarching challenge structure, has been activated.
- No Further Progression: Absolutely no other challenges, puzzles, or exploration milestones have been completed. The rest of the Australian bush-inspired map remains completely untouched and waiting to be discovered by you and your team.
- No Advanced Tools Acquired: The save file only includes the most basic starting equipment. You will still need to venture out into the world to find essential navigation gear. If you need help locating these items later, refer to our guide on how to find the lost map, compass, and red gourd in Big Walk.
This makes it the absolute perfect starting point for veteran players. You skip the linear introduction but miss out on zero open-world content.
Step-by-Step Installation Guide for PC
Currently, manipulating save files is only officially supported on the PC version of Big Walk (via Steam). While the game features cross-platform multiplayer with PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2, console players do not have easy access to their local save directories to perform these kinds of file replacements.
If you are playing on PC and want to install the post-tutorial save file, follow these precise steps to ensure you do not corrupt your game installation.
Step 1: Download the Community Save File
First, you will need to download the actual save file data. You can access the Google Drive link provided by the community member directly through their Reddit post. Download the zipped folder containing the save data to a convenient location on your computer, such as your Desktop or Downloads folder. Extract the contents of the ZIP file so you have the raw save files ready to go.
Step 2: Locate Your Big Walk Save Directory
Next, you need to navigate to the hidden directory where Big Walk stores its local save data on your Windows PC. Open your Windows File Explorer and paste the following directory path into the address bar at the top:
%userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\House House\Big Walk\user_data\save_games
Press Enter, and you will be taken directly to the folder containing your current save slots. If you are having trouble finding this folder or need more information on how the game manages its local data, check out our comprehensive Big Walk PC save file location and backup guide.
Step 3: Backup Your Existing Save Files (Crucial)
Before you paste any new files into this directory, it is absolutely imperative that you back up your existing save data. Even if you are starting a new game, you do not want to accidentally overwrite the 17-hour 100% completion file you have with your primary friend group.
Create a new folder on your Desktop (name it something obvious like “Big Walk Save Backups”) and copy everything from the save_games directory into this new backup folder. If something goes wrong during the installation process, you can simply delete the corrupted files and replace them with this backup.
Step 4: Install the Downloaded Save File
Inside the save_games directory, you will notice that Big Walk uses a specific naming convention for its save slots (usually designated as Slot 1, Slot 2, etc.). Look at the files you extracted from the community download in Step 1.
If you want the new save to occupy an empty slot, simply drag and drop the extracted files into the save_games directory. If you need to rename the slot number (for example, changing the file prefix from slot 1 to slot 3 so it doesn’t overwrite your main game), carefully rename the newly downloaded files before placing them in the directory.
Once the files are securely in the save_games folder, you can close File Explorer and launch Big Walk.
Managing Your New Multiplayer Session
When you boot up the game and select the save slot containing the downloaded file, you will spawn just past the first set of opened doors, right near the newly activated initial radio station. From here, you act as the official host for this session.
Inviting Your Friends
Because Big Walk uses a peer-to-peer hosting structure, your friends simply need to join your active session using the game’s built-in invite system or via the Steam friends list. As they drop into the game world, they will spawn near your location, effectively skipping the tutorial alongside you. If you are trying to orchestrate a massive expedition and need help managing connections, remember that there is currently no server browser in Big Walk, so you must manually invite players to your lobby.
Customizing Character Appearance
One minor quirk of downloading someone else’s save file is that the default character color and cosmetic appearance for the host might be set to the original creator’s preferences. When you first load in, you might find your character sporting an unfamiliar shade of green or wearing a hat you didn’t choose.
Don’t panic! The game allows you to adjust your appearance at any time. Simply navigate to the nearest character customization station (there is usually one located near major landmarks like the first radio station) to swap back to your preferred look. If you need a refresher on where to find these stations or how the customization system works, read our quick tutorial on how to change character color and appearance in Big Walk.
Transferring the Host Responsibilities
If you downloaded this save file but actually want someone else in your group to be the permanent host (perhaps someone with a more stable internet connection), you will need to manually send them the save file using the same directory path mentioned above. They will need to place the file in their own local folder before launching the game and inviting the rest of the group. We have a detailed breakdown of this process in our guide to transferring save files and changing hosts in Big Walk.
By utilizing this community-sourced save file, veteran players can bypass the brilliant but repetitive opening sequence of Big Walk and immediately dive back into the collaborative puzzle-solving that makes the game so special. Just remember to use this shortcut responsibly—the magic of the game’s proximity voice chat relies heavily on that initial shock of discovery, so always let your new friends experience the tutorial at least once. Happy walking!