The concept of “friendslop”, which describes games ideal for having fun with friends in a relaxed way, has gained a lot of attention in the gaming community recently. While not all titles labeled this way win over the public, the new Lazy River project comes with high expectations, promising a unique cooperative experience.
This long-awaited Steam game takes direct inspiration from Peak, a well-known cooperative climbing game, but inverts the logic of vertical exploration for a horizontal scenario. In it, the task of players and their companions is to navigate a slow river, but infested with zombies, challenging the team to survive in an aquatic environment.
Initial Early Access development details
Practical experience with Lazy River during the Summer Game Fest demonstrated the title’s potential, confirming that it is the type of game that is perfectly suited for leisure time with friends. The dynamics presented at the event reinforced the idea of a game built for social interaction and group fun.
The game’s central plot involves a local water park that has been hit by a mysterious virus, turning all visitors into mindless zombies. Interestingly, these creatures cannot touch the water, a crucial detail for the survivors’ strategy.
To escape the park, players and their allies need to build an improvised raft, using inflatable buoys found along the way. Then they arm themselves with water pistols and pool spaghetti, preparing to head down the lazy river toward freedom.
Along the journey, it will be possible to find small shelters that offer food, essential to keep the characters nourished. However, these supplies also attract the attention of zombies, who will try at all costs to jump on the raft to devour the adventurers’ brains.
Facing the dangers and exploring the mechanics of Lazy River
To repel the hordes of undead, players have two main options: shoot several times with water pistols or, for faster elimination, push them into the river using pool spaghetti.
Eventually, drones will also fly over the area, activating the water park’s laser defense system. Shooting down these drones becomes a priority to prevent the alarm from being triggered, adding an extra layer of challenge and strategy to the gameplay.
The testing session was quite fun, and one of the highlights was the “dolphin jump” mechanic. By shooting the ground with the water pistol or launching a water balloon before performing a jump, players can slide at high speed, which is ideal for quick escapes.
Just like Peak, Lazy River seems to be one of those games that allows both deep immersion, focused on reaching the end, and more casual sessions, perfect for playing while chatting on Discord. The versatility of the experience is one of its strengths.
Although the term “friendslop” is often used pejoratively, it can be quite endearing, especially when fun between friends is the main goal. If the gaming experience is enjoyable in a group, the game fulfills its purpose.
Lazy River currently does not have a definitive release date, but it is expected to enter early access soon, available for PC via the Steam platform.