If you’re walking and talking with friends in the land of Big Walk, by now you’ve likely already customized your characters using the paint studio not far from where the game begins. But did you know there’s a second, secret paint studio you’ll need to find if you want to access a few special color options and unlock the Big Makeover Achievement or Trophy? Here’s what you need to know about how to get shiny in Big Walk.
First, you should know that getting shiny isn’t required to beat the game. In fact, my group unlocked the true 100% ending before we got shiny. It’s totally optional, unless you really want to also 100% the Achievement or Trophy list. Sorry, Switch players. This one doesn’t apply to you the same.
Still, getting shiny is a fun side attraction and can make your character stand out on your quest to see everything the game has to offer. Given the island can be explored and unlocked in almost any order you choose, I’ll provide the optimal path below if you’re starting from the meet-up spot where each session begins, but your preferred path might take a different route if you have another starting point in mind.
Note: Some minor exploration spoilers are included below.
First, you can’t access the shiny studio until you’ve completed the yellow tower. This means bringing five MacGuffins (the little red eggy things you spend the whole game collecting), to the top of the yellow tower, thereby unlocking and shaping the key so you can open the tunnels that run beneath the island.
Once you’ve done that, you’ll want to start at the big, red, circular hub where each session begins. I took to calling it a gym or a playground, so I will refer to it as “the gym” from here on out. From the gym, head through the gap to the right of the map room. If you’ve not yet opened the map room or the shortcut door to the right, it’s the one in the image below, but the same goal can be achieved if you just explore and enter any tunnel entrance, since you’ve at least gotten tunnel access by now (or else you shouldn’t be using this guide yet).
Head through this shortcut door. If you’ve not opened it, it’s downhill from the red tower just next to the gym.
Continue along the trail with an unclimbable rock wall to your left. After about 30-60 seconds, you’ll see the red tunnel entrance on your left. Enter the tunnels via that opening. There will be a flashlight there if you need it, and I recommend taking it unless you already have a different light source.
Enter the red tunnel.
At the end of this hallway, you can only go one way: up a long, narrow staircase to the right. Head up those stairs, and you’ll be met with a corridor where you can go in one of two directions, with signage on the floor indicating the directions to take in order to reach the yellow or green tower. Though both could get you to where you want to be, the path toward the green tower is best, so head to the right. This will send you through a hallway that shifts colors from blue to red and eventually yellow. Just keep going straight until you see a green door ahead, which you’ll then enter. You’ll now be at another crossroads: Left takes you to the blue tower, while going straight will take you to the green tower.
Go left into the blue corridor, which will look like a big ramp you’re walking up. You’ll go through a doorway into a narrow hall. Head left in this hall, and the blue hallway will turn green and then red.
Up ahead, you’ll see a small grey door, which leads to a different secret that I won’t spoil here, but that I recommend you check it out if you haven’t yet–just remember how to get back to this location.
Through the gray door you go.
After not going through the grey door (or doing so and finding your way back) take a left through the red, spiraling hallway.
The corridor will again change colors, this time to green. Keep going straight through the green hallway and enter a small red door once you come upon it. This door will stick out because it’ll feature a circular paint pattern around it that uses red, blue, and green paints in a manner nowhere else in the tunnels does.
No other door in the tunnels looks like this, so you’ll know you’re where you belong.
Once you’re through that door, you’ll find yourself on a staircase with purple walls. Jump or walk to the very bottom of the stairwell, and you’ll find what you’re looking for: another paint studio, only this one has three additional colors–bronze, silver, and gold.
The new and improved paint studio
Remember that, like with many of the game’s items, you can’t use the paintbrush to color yourself. You’ll need a partner to paint you. Once any of the three shiny colors have been applied to your character, you’ll unlock the Big Makeover Achievement or Trophy–or, on Switch, you’ll just look really cool.
For more on the co-op puzzle game, use our Big Walk tips. If you’re stuck, we also have a guide for the 4166, 1899 puzzle.