“Friendslop” is a term that has been becoming increasingly popular lately, and I feel like it diminishes something very valuable: a game that makes you laugh with your friends. A game like R.E.P.O.

In R.E.P.O., we have to collect a series of objects, fit them into a small, limited-space cart, bring them back to the base, and sell them for enough money to advance to the next level. The more objects we put in the cart, the less space we have, and questions start to arise: Will this object fit? Could I make it work if I rearrange everything? Will I be able to move the cart without everything falling out?

Now add the fact that every object has its own size, shape, durability, weight, and behavior. And, to add even more tension, there are monsters capable not only of killing us, but also of destroying what we are carrying in the cart. Each one has its own unique way of interacting with us and our environment.

As we progress through the game and heavier objects start appearing, we are (almsot always) forced to work with someone else to carry them and figure out how to get them back to the base. It is similar to moving houses, where a couple of people have to figure out how to carry and fit some enormous piece of furniture through a tiny doorway. Except here, you cannot just sit down and think about it or stand still for too long, because you might get hit with a jumpscare that makes you drop the object, break it, or simply die.

With all these variables, it is no surprise that R.E.P.O. has become the clip-generating machine that it was—and still is. But these moments are not simply the result of putting realistic physics into a game and waiting for something funny to happen. They are the result of good design.

And even its premise fits into this. The “story” is basically about a greedy tax collector who sends us out to repossess things, while we carry out the job as the result of an “apparent debt.” It is about greed and ambition.

And believe me: many times you will find yourself wondering whether what you are carrying in that cart is really worth it. Whether it is worth risking everything for one more valuable object, even when you already have enough to finish the level.

(Spoiler: greed comes at a cost.)

R.E.P.O. is not particularly visually creative, it does not have a deep or terrifying story, and it does not even have an ending. . And it does not need any of that to convey a feeling. All it needs is its own language: physics, order, and strategy in an arcade game, with money essentially functioning as the score.

The language of video games.

★★★★

THIS GAME IS THE BEST GAME TO EVER EXIST. FUN MECHANICS, SCARY WHEN SUPPOSED TO BE. MODDING IS EASY. IT'S FUN.