Why Indie Co-op Horror Games are my new favourite kind of games.

Since the release of Lethal Company in 2023, there’s been an explosion of new indie co-op horror games that expand on it’s ideas, and some have delivered the most fun gameplay experiences I’ve had in recent memory. The best example of this is R.E.P.O. which has seen massive success thanks to its unique and hilarious physics based gameplay, as well as how well it translates into funny videos and streams.

This category of games has shown time after time that there’s so much creative potential in the space. Titles like Phasmophobia, Escape the Backrooms and R.E.P.O. all offer completely different gameplay experiences, while still giving me and my friends genuine fun and lots of laughter.

Plenty of Memorable Moments.

One of my favorite things about indie co-op horror games is that every session without fail, delivers at least one moment that stands out. One of my favourites was being last alive in R.E.P.O. and the scruffy little cunt known as the Rugrat steals my money bag and kills me with it. Or recording a chaotic video in Content Warning full of grown men screaming and referring to the imaginary “chat” telling them to like and subscribe.

I judge these kind of games by their ability to create memorable moments between friends. Murky Divers and Nuclear Nightmare for example, while not bad, they failed to stand out. In some cases they just weren’t very fun, to the point where I found myself thinking we’d have had a better time just playing Lethal Company.

Content Warning

High Value for a Low Price.

When these kind of games release, it’s usually not hard to convince my friends to grab them. The low price tag, usually around £10 is perfect, especially since you generally need up to four players to justify the purchase.

Unfortunately, the downside is pretty clear. Without at least one or two other people, the games can be almost unplayable. As much as I like Lethal Company, the average solo player is not going to be able to survive long or have nearly as much fun. Personally, I’m fine with that, I don’t think these games need to be balanced or playable solo for the obvious reasons.

Non-Competitive.

As I get older, I don’t have the time or patience for competitive games like Marvel Rivals anymore. PvP often means that me or my friends get tilted, or dealing with arseholes in the chat gets tiring.

With PvE games, that friction disappears and I can just have a good time without the hassle.

And being British, me and my friends naturally tell jokes and do unnecessary things at each others expense. For us, silly co-op horror games give us the tools necessary to push the limits of our friendship, even getting personal (Thanks R.E.P.O. text to speech). If anyone overheard us play, they’d think we should be locked up, but in reality, we’re closer than ever and have some crazy inside jokes.

R.E.P.O.

Overall Thoughts.

Triple A gaming feels bloated at the moment, with a million games releasing that play it safe or are failed live service attempts. That’s where indies have really had a chance to shine and stand out against the crowd. In the case of Lethal Company, it outsold Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 on steam.

I’m genuinely eager about the future of these kind of games, but it comes with some downsides too. Lethal Company’s creator taking a break to work on other projects, leaving us months with no new content. Others abandon support completely once the player base falls off. Either way, new high quality games are releasing so often now that it feels a little bit unfair to complain.