According to Eurogamer.net, Aggro Crab studio head Nick Kaman has defended the wave of so-called “friendslop” co-op games, a category which includes their successful title Peak. Kaman argues these games intentionally forego traditional markers of quality like polished graphics or deep story to focus on delivering a specific, fun social experience. He acknowledges the genre sees many low-quality clones flooding storefronts, but says the core appeal is putting connection and teamwork front and center. Peak, published by Landfall—the team behind other multi-million sellers like Content Warning—has been so successful it’s spawned numerous copycats. In fact, the success was so pronounced that Aggro Crab once suggested players pirate their own game rather than play a “microtransaction-riddled” ripoff.
What “friendslop” really means
Here’s the thing: Kaman has a point. The term “friendslop” itself is kind of brilliant and brutal—it perfectly captures the dismissive sneer from gamers who value graphical fidelity, intricate mechanics, or cinematic storytelling above all else. But it also misses the entire point. These games aren’t trying to win awards. They’re trying to be a digital playground, a consistent and reliable venue for friends to mess around in. Think about it. How many “Game of the Year” contenders are actually fun to play with three of your buddies after a long day when you just want to chat and laugh? Probably not many.
The indie production sweet spot
And that’s where the economic argument gets really interesting. Kaman pointed out these experiences can be “very cost-effective for indie production.” Basically, you don’t need a team of 500 artists and a $200 million budget to create a fun moment of shared panic as your friend accidentally knocks you off a cliff. You need a solid, simple gameplay loop and robust netcode. The resources go into facilitating the social chaos, not rendering every individual blade of grass. It’s a smart niche. While big studios chase photorealism, indies can corner the market on pure, undiluted hangout sessions. That’s a viable business model.
The inevitable clone problem
Now, Kaman isn’t naive. He admits the genre gets flooded with “fast-follows and low-quality attempts.” That’s the double-edged sword of a cost-effective formula. Once something like Peak or Content Warning hits big, the rush is on. But the fact that Aggro Crab would rather you pirate *their own game* than play a microtransaction-laden clone tells you everything about their ethos. It’s a wild stance that highlights a core conflict: these games are built on genuine fun and connection, but that very blueprint is easy to exploit for a quick, cynical cash grab. So, is the backlash about quality, or is it just, as Kaman suggests, “mainly fun to be a hater” when the criticism is wrapped in such a juicy term?
Redefining what “quality” means
Maybe we need to shift our quality markers. Is a game with a 100-hour story but terrible co-op lag “higher quality” than a janky physics game that has you crying with laughter for 30 minutes straight with friends? For a huge segment of players, the answer is obvious. These games emphasize teamwork and communication in a way that a competitive shooter or a co-op campaign often doesn’t. It’s less about individual skill and more about shared, emergent stupidity. And in a world where genuine online connection can feel rare, that’s a feature, not a bug. The “slop” might be part of the recipe.
