· Alice Darla · Lifestyle
R.E.P.O. Is the Co-Op Horror Game Turning Looting Into Ludicrous Art
If you’ve played enough co-op horror games, you probably think you’ve seen it all—until you’re tripping over a friend’s floating grand piano while being chased by giggling gnomes in R.E.P.O.
Short for Retrieve, Extract, and Profit Operation, R.E.P.O. is a co-op horror survival game that’s equal parts treasure hunt and chaotic improv comedy.
Developed by Swedish indie studio Semiwork, it dropped into early access on Steam in February 2025 and immediately rocketed up the charts.
With over 90,000 glowing reviews and upwards of 145,000 concurrent players within weeks, this $8 Steam game is now staking serious ground in the co-op horror genre.
So, What Kind of Game Is R.E.P.O.?
R.E.P.O. is a six-player online experience where your team explores procedurally generated facilities—think haunted offices or cursed wizard schools—to loot valuables and get out alive.
Only, these aren’t standard pick-up-and-go items. Instead, every object is governed by fully physics-based mechanics. Your job isn’t just to survive monsters—it’s to survive your friends.
Using a levitating grabber tool, you have to manually carry loot through narrow halls and doorways. And yes, everything breaks.
Slam a fragile vase into a wall? It shatters. Bonk a CRT TV on a step? Down goes your payday.
Value degradation is part of the game’s twisted charm, and watching your profit tank live on-screen is its own kind of horror.
What Makes It Different from Lethal Company?
The comparisons to Lethal Company are inevitable—and fair. But while Lethal Company delivers dread with a side of bureaucracy, R.E.P.O. leans hard into slapstick.
It inherits the loot-and-escape loop from its predecessor but fuses it with the absurdity of Content Warning’s monster design.
Add to that a comedy physics system and a strange affection for bean-shaped robots with flapping mouths, and the result is something uniquely stupid—and spectacularly fun.
Instead of ominous silence, you’ll often hear distorted screams, robot chatter via proximity voice chat, or auto-voiced text input from players without mics.
Every mechanic is designed to escalate the ridiculousness: from monsters that hijack your voice to players who unintentionally sabotage the mission with a single mistimed piano pivot.
If you’re into games where horror gets filtered through absurdity, you’ll probably enjoy our take on Mouthwashing, a surreal, sinister dive into space horror with equally bizarre energy.
Monsters, Mods, and Mayhem
The horror element isn’t just tacked on. R.E.P.O. has its fair share of disturbing enemies—mannequins that stutter toward you, blind gun-wielders, and the infamous Reaper.
But it’s not always the enemies that wreck you—it’s the chaos. Spewers, for example, latch onto players’ faces and turn them into puke-spraying liabilities, capable of melting loot with acidic bile.
Between runs, the chaos doesn’t let up. The in-game shop is a playground where you can test items on friends (like inflatable hammers or “goofy” gear), fueling the kind of unserious anarchy that’s become its signature.
And thanks to modders, the experience is expanding: from funny hats to extended lobbies supporting more than six players.
Why It’s Blowing Up on Twitch and TikTok
The keyword here is shareability. From the shrieking loot fails to AI-voiced callouts gone haywire, every moment is clip-worthy. Streamers love it because viewers can’t look away.
TikTok creators are turning gameplay into episodic comedy. And fan-made animations starring the game’s bean-shaped bots have spawned a cult-like fandom.
That virality has helped R.E.P.O. dominate the co op horror games space.
It now sits comfortably among the best in the genre—not because it’s the scariest, but because it’s one of the most unpredictable.
If you’re looking for more frights to share with friends, check out our roundup of scary games to play with friends—just maybe leave the heirlooms out of reach.
Is It Worth It?
At less than ten bucks, R.E.P.O. might be one of the best value propositions in multiplayer horror.
It’s goofy, frustrating, hilarious, and frequently brilliant. While still in early access, the developers are actively engaging with the community, promising new maps, features, and polish.
Yes, the mobile version is still rough around the edges (bugs, bad controls, and no mic support have plagued its reception).
But on PC, R.E.P.O. is a standout—especially for players who don’t mind watching their loot, and friendships, shatter in real time.
