PEAK's Developer Rejects “Friendslop” Criticism, Defends Co-Op Design

PEAK is not trying to compete for Game of the Year, and its developer says that expectation misses the point. Aggro Crab studio head Nick Kaman has addressed growing criticism around so-called “friendslop” games, arguing that PEAK was designed to prioritize shared play over traditional benchmarks like visuals or narrative scope. The co-op climbing game, published by Landfall and now available on Steam, places teamwork and communication at the center of its experience, even as some players dismiss that focus as shallow.

Speaking about the term, Kaman acknowledged that PEAK and similar games often attract backlash because they move away from familiar measures of polish. He said that reaction has less to do with design failures and more to do with expectations placed on games that gain sudden popularity. PEAK follows earlier Landfall successes such as Content Warning and Totally Accurate Battlegrounds, all of which found large audiences without conforming to mainstream production standards.

In an interview on GamesRadar+, Kaman explained the studio’s position directly.

“There’s backlash because sometimes these games forego traditional quality markers like polished graphics or story, but these games aren’t trying to be Game of the Year. They focus on delivering a specific experience and that can make it very cost-effective for indie production.” — Nick Kaman

He also noted that rapid success brings imitation. As co-op games surge on Steam storefronts, lower-quality follow-ups inevitably appear, further fueling criticism. Kaman was blunt about the response cycle.

“Like with any hot genre, you get a lot of fast-follows and low-quality attempts flooding the storefronts, but I think it’s mainly just fun to be a hater, especially when a term like ‘friendslop’ is so juicy.” — Nick Kaman

According to Kaman, PEAK’s appeal rests on something simpler.

“There’s a real desire to connect and hang out in online worlds, and friendslop games put that at the front and center of the experience. These are games that emphasize teamwork and communication, as opposed to just testing your individual skill in a group setting.” — Nick Kaman

Critical response has reflected that focus. Eurogamer contributor Christian Donlan previously described PEAK as his “new gaming obsession,” praising its climbing mechanics and straightforward design.

Read also, Aggro Crab and Landfall have said PEAK was never meant to become a permanent live service: the game began as a four-week game jam experiment and, despite selling over 10 million copies, is still expected to reach a natural endpoint rather than evolve indefinitely.