The enigmatic indie game Big Walk, developed by House House, presents players with a curious challenge: identifying and naming the game's crucial, oddly shaped items. These objects are central to gameplay, awarded for solving puzzles and instrumental in unlocking new areas and features. However, the game eschews traditional inventory systems, leaving players to hold and use these items without any explicit in-game labels.
This lack of defined nomenclature transforms a core mechanic into a communal act of communication. Big Walk is designed for two to twelve players, necessitating that participants agree on names for these abstract objects to progress. The experience has led to a wide array of creative and often humorous player-given names for the items.
Some players have adopted names based on the item's appearance. For instance, a common comparison likens the objects to Kong-brand dog chew toys, a name that reportedly originated from an exasperated developer at a preview event and has since stuck with some groups. Others have opted for more descriptive or whimsical labels, such as "nipples," "baby," "red heads," "gourds," or "jelly baby."
Reviewers and players have shared their diverse naming conventions. Polygon's group referred to the items as "baby," while Giant Bomb kept it simple with "ball." Eurogamer players, alongside some individuals, leaned into the dog toy comparison, calling them "kongs." Jesse Vitelli and Eric Van Allen identified the items as "gourds." Other notable suggestions include "red heads" from Lewis Gordon and "eggy things" from GameSpot, who also humorously dubbed the game's characters "Walklings."
These varied interpretations underscore Big Walk's emphasis on shared understanding and emergent gameplay. The game's design encourages players to forge their own language and context, making the act of naming these ambiguous items a significant part of the overall experience.