Being able to lower the red bridge in Big Walk is essential for progress, as this presents the first roadblock you encounter to stop you moving on from the opening area of the game. To cross the drawbridge you'll need to acquire four of the 'red gourd' reward objects (as I'm calling them) by solving puzzles in the surrounding environment, which will in turn unlock the key needed to drop that bridge.
There are four puzzles you need to solve in order to lower the Big Walk red bridge. If you head down the stairs from the tutorial room and go straight ahead from the corridor to the cliff edge, you can see them in the following locations:
- Blue house / symbols puzzle
- Green pillars / switches puzzle
- Orange platform / telescope puzzle
- Yellow girders / crane puzzle
Below, I have laid out instructions for how to complete each of these puzzles, along with what to do afterwards to prepare the key and lower the red bridge in Big Walk. To get through these challenges you'll need to use Big Walk crossplay to join at least one friend to work together with, and the nature of the tasks also highlights why Big Walk couch co-op is intentionally excluded to preserve the puzzles as intended.
Big Walk blue house / symbols puzzle solution
There are two sections to the blue house – one that has a display showing five symbols, and the other that has a selection of symbol tiles that can be placed on the wall. One player needs to enter the area on the left and hit the button, which randomizes the five symbols on the display and shuts the door so no one outside can see the code. That player then needs to communicate the five symbols in the correct order to a player on the other side, who can place those tiles on the wall then hit the button beside it to unlock the red gourd.
Big Walk green pillars / switches puzzle solution
There are switches on each of the green pillars corresponding to the number of players (maximum of four), which all need to be pressed at the same time. However, they are far enough away from each other that the proximity voice chat won't carry, so agree a signal for one player to make (say, dropping their raised arm) then use that when everyone is in position to hit the switches simultaneously and unlock the red gourd.
Big Walk orange platform / telescope puzzle solution
The telescope on the orange platform is in a fixed position looking at a locked box containing the red gourd at the opposing end of the area, and holding the button next to it opens the box while highlighting it with a red light. One player needs to stay on the platform with the button ready to open the box when needed, while another walks to the opposite side of the area to collect the red gourd.
Big Walk yellow girders / crane puzzle solution
The set of yellow girders, which looks a bit like a crane, has a button on the underside of the horizontal beam that releases the red gourd. The height of that beam is determined by the number of players the session is set for (to a maximum of four), and to reach it all players need to stand on top of each other (interact with another player to put them on your shoulders) then if anyone in the stack jumps the top player can reach the button to unlock the red gourd – if the player at the bottom jumps, it won't break the stack if the button is missed and you need another attempt.
How to get the key and lower the red bridge
Once you have all four of the red gourds from the puzzles, bring them to the platform with four buttons near the beach. For each, you'll need one player to hold the button while another player places the red gourd in the respective holder – with all four deposited, the key will be released.
Once you have the key, look immediately to the right of the buttons and just outside of the platform you'll see a keyhole on a pillar. Insert the key into this and the first notch will be carved, then an arrow will appear on top of the pillar pointing you to the next keyhole, where you can repeat this process with subsequent pillars until the key is fully cut.
Finally, once the key has been prepared, take it up the red walkway along the cliff and then insert it in the recess next to the red bridge to lower it so you can progress to the next area. Note that the 'Big Walk' trophy or achievement doesn't unlock until you actually cross the drawbridge, so you won't receive it until you reach the other side.
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