Roadside Research is the best friendslop game of 2026 so far

Roadside Research, released Feb. 12 in early access for Windows PC and Xbox Series X, casts up to four players as aliens posing as humans who run a rural gas station to surveil human behavior. The disguises are intentionally absurd—players tape crude sketches of faces to their heads—and the game's low‑poly look, finicky controls and emphasis on cooperative play place it firmly in the "friendslop" genre.

At its core it's a management sim: make money by selling gas and shop items, but every task is fiddly. Operating the cash register and gas pump requires precise inputs—counting change to the penny, removing and reconnecting the nozzle, holding the pump button to reach an exact amount—so it's easy to mess up.

roadside research, friendslop, early access, windows pc, xbox series, aliens, gas station, management sim, cooperative play, low poly