The Friendslop Genre Needs A New Name
GameSpot reviews Big Walk, a new co-op puzzle game from the developers behind Untitled Goose Game, and calls it one of the best co-op games ever made. The game, which belongs to the “friendslop” genre—a category for accessible, casual games designed for shared experiences—proves highly engaging and difficult to set down. However, the reviewer raises questions about the appropriateness of the “friendslop” label itself. While the game receives praise with no apparent technical or design flaws, the article suggests the real issue lies not with Big Walk’s quality but with how this category of games is classified and named. The review highlights the tension between games that are casual and social in nature and the somewhat derisive terminology used to describe them, prompting discussion about whether the gaming industry needs better terminology for this increasingly popular genre of accessible, multiplayer-focused titles.