Panic is a publisher and hardware maker best known for the Playdate handheld and for publishing Big Walk, which surpassed 1 million sales in six days. It is also refunding $12.36 to customers as a share of tariff rebates it received from the U.S. government.
Panic's recent output centers on Big Walk, the cooperative adventure from House House, the team behind Untitled Goose Game. Released on August 4, 2026, Big Walk supports 2 to 12 players and uses a proximity voice chat system where voices fade with distance and muffle through walls. The game launched on PC via Steam, PS5, and Nintendo Switch 2, with cross-play. Within six days, Panic announced it had surpassed 1 million copies sold. On Steam it holds a 'Very Positive' rating with 93% of roughly 9,901 reviews recommending it, and a Metacritic score of 92. Ahead of release, the game had earned a Metacritic score of 93, the highest for a new game that year.
Panic also handled a financial matter tied to the Playdate. After a Supreme Court ruling against tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, Panic received tariff rebates from the U.S. government and is automatically refunding $12.36 to customers. Panic's Cabel Sasser told Game Developer, "Simply put, this is not money we should keep." The company noted the Playdate's low hardware profit margins meant it could not absorb the tariff costs itself. The move contrasts with major companies like Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, which are keeping similar rebates.
Panic's publishing slate also includes Frog Sqwad, a cooperative puzzle action game from Panic Stations, a studio within the Skeleton Crew group. Frog Sqwad launched on June 12, 2026, for PC via Steam and Xbox Series X|S, with Xbox Game Pass availability. It supports up to eight players and centers on tongue-based movement and object manipulation. The game costs 980 yen, with a supporter pack for 600 yen.
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Aug 28
Panic, the company behind the crank-equipped handheld console Playdate, is automatically refunding $12.36 to customers as a share of tariff rebates it received from the U.S. government. The rebate follows a Supreme Court ruling against the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, which had led Panic to raise the Playdate's price. The refunds are expected to land in customer accounts within a few days. Panic's Cabel Sasser told Game Developer, "Simply put, this is not money we should keep." The company acknowledged that processing the rebate and building the refund system took significant work, and Neven Mrgan noted on Bluesky that Panic lost sales after the announcement, but everyone agreed refunding customers was right. Panic explained that the Playdate's low hardware profit margins meant it could not absorb the tariff costs itself. The move contrasts with major companies like Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, which are keeping similar rebates. Nintendo, for instance, reflected roughly $300 million in tariff rebates in its earnings, and consumers have filed class action lawsuits alleging double-dipping when companies both profit from higher prices and retain the rebates.
Aug 10
Panic announced on August 11 that Big Walk, a cooperative adventure game developed by House House, surpassed 1 million copies sold within six days of its August 4 release. The game, which supports 2 to 12 players, emphasizes teamwork and communication through a proximity voice chat system where voices fade with distance and muffle through walls. Players can also use tools like radios, megaphones, and laser pointers, or gestures such as pointing and waving, to coordinate. The open world allows free exploration, with the store page encouraging players to wander aimlessly or watch the sunset. On Steam, the game holds a 'Very Positive' rating with 93% of approximately 9,901 reviews recommending it, and it has a Metacritic score of 92. On launch day, peak concurrent players exceeded 40,000 on Steam, with similar numbers during peak hours since. Big Walk is available on PC via Steam, PS5, and Nintendo Switch 2, with cross-play support. It is the latest work from House House, the team behind Untitled Goose Game.
Aug 4
Publisher Panic released Big Walk, the new cooperative multiplayer puzzle adventure from House House, the studio behind Untitled Goose Game, on August 4. The game is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2, with the Switch 2 version priced at 2,300 yen. Big Walk supports 2 to 12 players and cross-platform play, and it is designed to be played with a group of friends from start to finish. Players control bird-like creatures with three spheres for bodies and explore a vast open-world island filled with puzzles and challenges. Communication is central to the experience, using a proximity voice chat system where voices fade with distance and muffle behind walls, and where players can temporarily lose the ability to speak. Various tools and toys, such as radios, laser pointers, binoculars, megaphones, smoke flares, whiteboards, and cowbells, help players coordinate. The game has a clear ending, but players can also ignore objectives and wander freely. Ahead of release, Big Walk earned a Metacritic score of 93, the highest for a new game this year, and many outlets, including Polygon, have called it a Game of the Year contender.