The term "friendslop"

September 14, 2025 @ 12:25

There's been a lot of games coming out as of late that have been classified by players as "friendslop." The term originates as a descriptor for games like Lethal Company, R.E.P.O., and other games like PEAK, but really it encompasses a large mass of cooperative multiplayer games. I don't like this term.

The term "friendslop" implies in the name that these games are "slop." Cheap garbage to be shovelled down the player's gullet with no thought behind them whatsoever. In reality, a lot of these games are genuinely really fun and addictive. Not because of their use of addictive, manipulative strategies like battle passes or lootcrates, but because they have a genuinely enjoyable gameplay loop that makes it fun to hop in, play a quick match or 2 with friends, and move on. Sounds like fine dining to me, especially in comparison to a lot of other modern games.

I assume the main reason this term exists is because of the prevalence of new games that fit in the category, with multiple games coming out every year that have somewhat similar gameplay. Things like all the aforementioned games, as well as projects like Content Warning or Phasmophobia. That and the fact that they're not "huge" games. Oftentimes they are relatively simple, focusing more on funny social interaction between you and your friends being brought out by the games themselves. They're also almost always indie games by small teams, or even individuals, leading people to arbitrarily assign the label of "slop" compared to that of larger companies (though most AAA games are arguably slop in comparison to many modern indies, and even old ones).

This term just feels derogatory to the work put into them. These are good games, and art, meant to be enjoyed, even if only for a short period.