Ever felt like you were just going through the motions at a job? Well, buckle up, because the newly revealed co-op simulator, Roadside Research, takes that feeling to a delightfully absurd extreme. This isn’t just another gas station sim; it’s a hectic, hilarious, and ultimately bizarre mission to blend in as a human—while being an alien—all to gather intel for a future invasion.

Developed by Cybernetic Walrus and published by Oro Interactive, this game turns the mundane into the manic, and here’s why you should be wishlisting it right now.

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The Premise: Undercover and Overwhelmed

The core concept of Roadside Research is simple yet brilliant: you and up to three friends play as aliens in comically poor human disguises (think colorful, balloon-like heads with crudely drawn paper faces) running a roadside gas station. Your dual mission is to:

1. Run a Satisfying Gas Station: This involves all the classic simulation chaos—restocking shelves, refuelling cars, managing inventory, and keeping the place clean.
2. Conduct Secret Alien Research: All while you’re supposed to be “blending in,” you’re secretly collecting data on humanity.

It’s the ultimate balancing act of customer service and covert operations.

The Alien Agenda: Squishy Science and Suspicion

This is where the game truly differentiates itself from other simulators. Your undercover work isn’t just about scanning IDs at the checkout; it involves some wonderfully weird mechanics:

• Collecting “DNA”: That discarded wrapper or empty can a customer carelessly left on the floor? That’s valuable intel! You collect “trash” not for the bin, but for your alien scanner to gain Research Points.
• The Goop Problem: As an alien, you’re prone to… accidents. Occasionally, you’ll hear a squelching sound and find yourself standing in a puddle of green goop—which you have to clean up to avoid suspicion!
• Suspicion Meter: Do too many un-humanlike things (like chasing a customer into the restroom to take a photo of their blue hair for research), and the meter rises. Get too suspicious, and the Men In Black government agents will come knocking. Screw up, and it’s game over!
• Dual Upgrade Path: The Research Points you earn are spent on a separate tech tree from the Gas Station upgrades. You need to decide: Do you invest in better alien scanning tech, or a better coffee machine to attract more customers?

The Human Grind: Simulation with a Twist

Even the gas station simulation side is handled with a charmingly chaotic approach. You need to:

• Master the Checkout: Quickly ring up customers and deal with different fuel types.
• Restock Like a Pro: Keep those snack shelves full of sugary, human-preferred items.
• Cleanliness is… Alien? You even clean the dirty floors using a sponge stuck to the bottom of a boot—because why would aliens use a normal mop?

The fun comes from trying to do the perfectly normal tasks while simultaneously trying to be the sneakiest alien attendant you can be. It’s frantic, funny, and perfect for shouting at your friends in co-op mode.

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The Verdict So Far

With a successful demo having already drawn in players and gathered “Very Positive” reviews, Roadside Research has clearly captured the market’s appetite for absurd, objective-based co-op simulation. It perfectly blends the satisfying loop of a management sim with an incredibly unique and hilarious narrative twist.

If you love the frantic team chaos of games like Overcooked! or the low-stakes management of titles like Gas Station Simulator, but crave something with a truly bizarre, sci-fi sense of humor, this is absolutely the title to watch. Just try not to get any goop on the cash register.

Roadside Research – https://www.cyberneticwalrus.com/

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