Built-in voice or external?
Decaying Winter has built-in proximity voice, so people closer on the map sound closer in your ears. For a regular group that's often enough. Larger groups tend to add a Discord voice channel so they can split into squads without shouting over each other.
Push-to-talk vs open mic
Open mic is easiest for two or three people. Past five, push-to-talk keeps the route intelligible — wind, footsteps and chatter pile up fast otherwise.
- Bind push-to-talk to a key you can hold while moving.
- Mute yourself at a quiet moment rather than mid-sentence.
- Remind new walkers that proximity voice carries.
Etiquette that holds a group together
The game is built around conversation, so a little structure helps. Call out landmarks, agree on a regroup point, and don't leave the slowest walker behind — the host's save only moves when the group does.
If voice won't connect
Check the host's build matches yours, confirm the platform's mic permission, and fall back to text pings if voice is unavailable. The walk continues either way.