One of the most positive things about accessible tech and mass social media platforms - one of the very few positive things - is when an indie developer can create something fun, have a TikTok or reel blow up, gain a following, and then that following goes on to share the game online, creating more buzz and leading to a booming success for these studios that were gambling on a decent enough reception once published.
It helps when these games involve entertaining social elements in the gameplay.Among Ussaw a sudden rise in popularity during the most isolating time of this generation, withPhasmophobiafollowing closely. In more recent years, we’ve seenLethal Company,Content Warning, and numerous others that are following in the footsteps of this silly, scary, cooperative extraction genre.
These are games that rely heavily on social elements between players, using proximity chat and silly premises to set up some comedic horror in the best way possible, all while working towards an objective. Now, we have another game in the genre, and a great one at that.
At this point, my only real use for TikTok is to follow indie devs I find with cool ideas. You guys seenSledding Game? You should check it out.
I Can See Repo Going Much Further
Repo, while not intentionally chasing the Lethal Company-esque wave, is the latest game to hit the internet with stride, and you know what? I think this will be the one to really mark the genre’s presence, longevity, and significance, as the developers at Semiwork Studios celebrate success and excitedly push forward in Early Access.
This isn’t to say that Lethal Company, Phasmophobia, or any of the others have failed since. The hype of visibility on social algorithms drops after a couple of months, and the same will happen for Repo, I have no doubt.
However, after watching some of the developer diaries and Q&As for Repo, I feel strongly about this one sticking it out with a flood of creative and worthwhile content updates. The game, which was originally intended to be a single-player game about a man who cleaned a haunted location, is already enjoying more and more notoriety,much of it coming from players posting their clips and funny moments, enticing more to give it a try.
I think a large part of the significance of Repo comes from its style. While it doesn’t look too dissimilar from Lethal Company or Content Warning on the surface, it has something they don’t: a distinct, iconic character model for a mascot.
You Can Spot These Oversized Soda Cans From A Mile Away
Yes, the orange suits of Lethal Company are so recognisable that I can immediately clock them being used as a skin in Fortnite, but you know how you’re able to identify an Among Us character in a heartbeat? Semibots are so far from anything human, with a Muppet-esque way of talking, the ability to shrink down into a little tin can, and eyes that hilariously follow what the player is looking at. Lethal Company set the stage for an iconic gameplay loop, but Repo is the shining performance on the now-grand stage of this genre.
I love the games that have come before it, and I can’t wait to see what else comes around, but at the heart of it all, I want to see Repo grow and evolve; I want to see what new features we get, what the game looks like in its eventual full release, and what increasingly silly antics I can experience as these funny little robots. And I have no doubt that it will push on to give us exactly that.
