R.E.P.O. is a six-player horror game developed by indie game studio Semiwork. It was released on 25 February 2025 on Steam, quickly gaining attention on social media for its goofy gameplay and mechanics. You play as a small trash-can-like robot, a “semibot“, armed with a single cart. The game’s main premise is to explore spooky buildings in search of valuable items and safely return to the extraction point to meet the quota set by your money-grubbing boss, nicknamed the Taxman. However, it is never that simple. This game consists of complex gameplay mechanics that make each run a unique mix of strategy, chaos and humour.
Interestingly, every object behaves realistically according to weight and size, making minor mishandling result in the destruction of valuable items. Small trinkets are easy to carry, while heavy objects like a dinosaur statue require multiple players to manoeuvre it. Bigger items offer higher rewards, but also bring bigger headaches. Mishandling any item can reduce its value or destroy it completely. This aspect of the game makes players cautious when handling objects, creating a challenging yet rewarding tension.
Monsters roam on every map, from deceptively cute ducks to floating creatures and gigantic titans capable of one-hit kills, each with its own twisted mechanics. The duck is a monster that is not hard to kill. At first, it looks harmless, but this quack is not to be underestimated. A single pet will make it transform into a jaw-snapping nightmare that can kill you instantly. As a result, players often hide and scurry away like rats once they hear them. If you are brave enough, killing and harvesting their cores can help meet quotas.
Dead players can be revived once you have met the quota, though sadly, they return with only 1% of their health. At this point, you face a daunting choice of either choosing to be charitable and sacrifice your own health to save them or use them as bait for monsters while returning to the truck.
However, the game’s absence of a time limit can become a flaw for players. Although it allows players to thoroughly explore the map, players can get bored if they die too early in the game, especially when their bodies cannot be retrieved and revived. They are forced to sit and wait until their friends complete the level, which can disrupt the game’s pacing.
R.E.P.O.’s proximity chat sets them apart from other games. Teammates’ screams echo through the dark hallways, turning moments of fear into comedy as the screams fade into the distance. They uniquely utilise their proximity chat on certain items and monsters. For example, the spewer attaches itself to a player’s face, causing them to lower the pitch of their voice. This is especially comedic as players sometimes mistake it for a monster, but it is just a friend begging for help in that demonic voice.
Items, like the Time Capsule, can distort your voice and slow your movements, making even ordinary tasks unpredictably hard and hilarious as you carry it to the cart. These mechanics demonstrate the developers’ focus on blending horror with humour, ensuring that even failures can be memorable.
However, not every player chooses to use the in-game proximity chat. Those relying on external voice chat may lose out on these funny distortions and find their experience no different from other cooperative horror games. This weakness becomes more noticeable because R.E.P.O. shares a striking resemblance with the popular game Lethal Company, despite the developers’ insistence that they did not take inspiration from it. Without their unique proximity chat system, their game is at risk of being overshadowed by comparisons.
Between levels, money extracted from loot can be spent in the shops. It randomises after every round, making the game feel less repetitive for players. The items range from upgrades to weapons, such as strength upgrades, tumbling abilities, extra carts and indestructible drones. The game also includes a secret easter egg where players can discover a hidden ceiling tile with valuable items, such as the duct-taped grenade. However, it also shows the difference between experienced players and new players. Those who already know about these secrets can gain extra advantages that newcomers may miss, creating a subtle divide in how they experience the game.
When levelling up, the difficulty increases with higher quotas, tougher monsters and more extraction points located in complex areas. What starts as a funny scavenger hunt quickly becomes a desperate plea for survival.
A particular twist occurs when players fail to meet their quotas. Instead of simply losing, players are dropped into an arena to battle each other for the title of “King of Losers”. The victor earns a crown to wear in the following rounds, though I feel it is just a cosmetic to brag to your friends that you kicked their butt. However, it also adds humour and softens the frustration of losing.
R.E.P.O. creates an experience that is chaotic, terrifying and hilarious all at once. Despite some drawbacks, each run feels different, blending tension with comedy in a way that certain games struggle to manage. If you enjoy a horror experience where you can laugh one moment and scream the next, R.E.P.O. is worth playing. Just do not underestimate the duck.
Caitlin 
Clara 
Kath Smart