Friendslop is ruining horror games and I’m tired of it
I've had it. YAPYAP has pushed me over the edge. Friendslop is running rampant in the indie horror sphere, spreading with no sign of stopping.
I was never one to jump on the friendslop bandwagon or refer to games of its kind in this derogatory way, but there's been a recent and quite drastic shift in indie horror games that I can no longer ignore. And sadly, it's thanks to Lethal Company.
A fan of horror games since adolescence, I started paying attention to the indie side because of PewDiePie's Amnesia: The Dark Descent Let's Play. Oh, things were far simpler back in 2010. Amnesia was just the start, Five Nights at Freddy's followed, and many have since come and gone, but the virality of a game has grown more and more important in recent years.
Released back in October 2023, Lethal Company paved the way for many to come as a delightful and highly entertaining co-op title that was both as creepy as it was hilarious. It soared to stardom on YouTube and Twitch, and had its moment in the spotlight with every update until the Company Cruiser got added in July 2024. Yet, Zeekerss's fantastic horror game with clever AI and eerie ambience has since been replaced by the challenging R.E.P.O. Unlike its competitors, R.E.P.O. held onto a strong identity even with similarities to LC. But it was the likeable and adorable semibots and the psychics-based mechanics (plus frequent updates) that pushed it into the top spot.
It's similar to what came of the cancelled Silent Hills project titled, P.T. Many, including games you've likely heard of and played (e.g., Layers of Fear and VISAGE) were directly inspired by a demo that singlehandedly created a subgenre of horror. But the problem with a pioneer is how oversaturated the market becomes following a new idea. Creators latch onto a popular idea as if it's their lifeline.
While SCP: Containment Breach offered full player autonomy, scary monsters, engaging level design, and multiple endings, the influx of recent co-op horrors does nothing of the sort. Titles outside of LC and R.E.P.O. have tried their hand at going viral, but few make it. There's Murky Divers, Nuclear Nightmare, Emissary Zero, Forsaken Frontiers, PILGRIM, YAPYAP, and many, many more—all different variations of one another. But where these games often stumble is their bugginess.
Friendslop exists as a setting and a single gimmick, where the formula is copied and pasted over and over until you forget what made the original so damn good. Even Outlast tried its hand at co-op horror with Trials, and it completely lost what made the original absolutely terrifying—the claustrophobic camcorder.
It appears as though our attention span has been trained to either be satisfied with mediocre (as seen across all media) or be content in supplying entertainment with our own banter that comedically pairs with jankiness and bugs. The fun lies in creating it with friends or watching your favorite streamer play it. And where's the fun in playing alone when the game isn't scary and lacks any real danger outside of crashes?
I've seen and played them all. The problem with friendslop is that they have genuine potential, but purposely limit themselves because the goal is to simply go viral, make a ton of money, and move on to the next project or disappear altogether. Outside of Lethal Company, R.E.P.O., and even Phasmophobia, most co-op horror lacks creativity. I don't expect original ideas anymore, but perpetual rip-offs are just as frustrating when playerbases continue to eat it up because of their favorite content creator, or they're bored because a better title hasn't seen an update in months.
Co-op horror was a rarity in the past. Left 4 Dead stood alone, apart from experimental games like White Noise in the 2010s. Today's quota-driven games are helped by random generation, but level design, mechanics, and enemy AI are still important. Updates are needed to retain player attention, and you can't just ship a broken mess and expect to go viral because proximity chat is entertaining when your friend gets cut off mid-scream. I'm sick of co-op horror titles praying you'll be happy because its core concept reminds you of the best in the subgenre and little else.
I would love to see the return of couch co-op and genuinely scary games where friends make getting through the nightmare a little easier. Because friendslop continues to go viral and showcase how impeccable graphics aren't needed to make an amazing game, many developers tag along, believing they can come up with something without having the creativity or drive to do so (beyond getting that big paycheck).
Really, who can blame them for trying?
The post Friendslop is ruining horror games and I’m tired of it appeared first on Destructoid.
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