Roadside Research

About

Roadside Research is a single player and multiplayer casual management game with comedy, economy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Cybernetic Walrus and was released on February 12, 2026. It received positive reviews from players.

Roadside Research is a 1 to 4 player co-op gas station simulator. Except you’re aliens. And undercover. Do very human things like restocking shelves while preparing for the invasion. Just don’t get caught.

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,767 reviews

humor171 positive mentions

stability36 negative mentions

Hilarious and chaotic gameplay that is especially fun with friends, offering many memorable and funny moments.
Unique twist on the store simulator genre by incorporating aliens, spying, and a suspicion mechanic that adds tension.
Consistent developer support and frequent updates showing care and responsiveness to player feedback.

Game is currently better suited for multiplayer as solo play is overwhelming and tedious due to lack of automation or AI employees.
Several bugs and technical issues including connection problems in multiplayer, physics glitches, UI clumsiness, and occasional crashes.
Repetitive gameplay loop with slow progression and limited long-term content causing boredom after initial hours.

humor
171 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its quirky, silly, and chaotic moments, especially when playing with friends, making it a hilarious and enjoyable co-op experience. Players appreciate the funny alien antics, goofy physics, and amusing details like customizable disguises and slapstick mishaps, which provide consistent laughs without feeling forced. While some find the humor repetitive after extended play, overall it effectively blends comedy with engaging gameplay to create a uniquely funny simulator.
- “This gem of a game has been the most hilarious shenanigans for 4 players that I have experienced in a long time.”
- “The art style and humour are spot on. The face customization is simple but has loads of personality, and the game creates some genuinely hilarious moments. I even played co-op once, and it led to one of the funniest gaming memories I’ve had in a long time.”
- “The game thrives on chaotic co-op energy, clever mechanics, and genuinely funny moments that don’t feel forced.”
gameplay
143 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
58%
9%
The gameplay offers a fun, cooperative, and satisfying simulation loop with easy-to-understand mechanics and charming alien-themed twists, particularly shining in multiplayer settings. However, it tends to become repetitive over time due to limited variety in objectives and shallow progression, with some mechanics feeling unfinished or underdeveloped. Early access bugs and clunky interactions occasionally hinder the experience, but ongoing updates and community feedback show promise for deeper, more engaging gameplay in the future.
- “The gameplay loop is super satisfying once you get going.”
- “The mechanics are easy, the actions are funny, and running for your life while hopped up on your own goop juice made it so much more funny.”
- “The 'alien research' mechanic adds such a fun, mischievous twist to the job-simulator trope.”
- “Game is the same as other supermarket simulators but worse currently, no employees to automate tasks, the mechanic of "not getting caught" is simply clean up after your character goops (poops) on the ground, the multiplayer can get pretty janky, the NPCs' animations look like they're in 5 fps.”
- “Mechanics are clunky, interactions are inconsistent, and half the time it’s unclear whether something isn’t working because it’s a puzzle or because it’s just broken.”
- “The gameplay quickly becomes repetitive, as it mainly cycles through the exact same actions every single day with little to no variation. You’re rarely required to think ahead, manage risks, or adapt to unexpected situations, so after a short time, the gameplay starts to feel empty and predictable rather than engaging.”
stability
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
The game is currently very buggy and unstable, particularly in multiplayer where connection issues, glitches with character movement, and interaction problems frequently arise. While some players find the glitches add a quirky charm, many report frustrating bugs that hinder gameplay and make certain tasks tedious or impossible. Despite these issues, ongoing developer support and updates show promise for improved stability in the future.
- “The game is good and fun to play but for multiplayer there are still connection issues that kick you out of the game and make it struggle to rejoin; there are also glitches with picking stock off shelves and character movement, which only seem to happen in multiplayer.”
- “I am not quite sure I would fully recommend this game in its current state as it is still very buggy, especially for multiple players (2nd player unable to grab items off wall, pick up trash correctly, and delete already placed items).”
- “So bug ridden that it's completely unplayable. I barely got ten minutes in before encountering a bug that completely locked me out of any gameplay interactions.”
grinding
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is frequently described as tedious and repetitive, especially in single-player or solo modes, with many tasks feeling micromanaged and slow without automation. While cooperative play can make the experience more enjoyable, the lack of meaningful progression or varied challenges often leads to a sense of monotonous task repetition. Players hope for updates like automation and more engaging objectives to reduce the grind and enhance long-term enjoyment.
- “I fell in love with the trailer, but the gameplay isn't the chaotic fun shown there; it's tedious task repetition that gets boring quickly.”
- “Not having employees made it feel less fun and not worth grinding for late game; you're just going to do the same thing over and over and over.”
- “Very fun and funny game, it has potential to go a bit further maybe with a storyline or something that requires you to progress through a leveling system with different locations on a map that have higher risks, more frequent agent investigations and more customers making it more difficult as you progress, giving you an objective to feel like you're achieving something in the game because, at the moment it feels like once you unlock all alien tech, expand the gas station and have all produce unlocked, you're kinda just grinding for more money.”
graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
48%
12%
The graphics receive mixed feedback, with praise for the game's colorful, stylized, and smooth visuals that complement its humor and aesthetic, but criticism for issues like repetitive visuals, bugs in settings, and NPC design. Performance varies, with some users able to run high settings smoothly even on integrated graphics, while others face glitches and limited graphical options. Overall, the graphics are seen as adequate and fitting for the game's tone but not outstanding or highly detailed.
- “Runs amazing on my PC with the highest graphics setting on the game.”
- “Super smooth, clean and crispy graphics.”
- “Visually, the game adopts a colorful, stylized aesthetic that complements its comedic undertones.”
- “For example, every time I open the game I have to change the graphics settings again, and sometimes (since I’m hosting) my boyfriend can’t start the day (open the store).”
- “It's just added on as a gimmick to sell the game, creating the illusion that this game is different or unique, when in reality it is another 'gas station simulator' clone, except with worse graphics.”
- “Input is bugged so you can't perform any of the actions and the graphics are bugged with a massive out of sync line in the middle of the display making it hard to see what you are doing.”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
The game's optimization is mixed, running well on moderate systems during early to mid-game but experiencing notable performance issues, especially in late game stages. While some users report smooth gameplay and reasonable system requirements, others highlight slow, unoptimized elements and expect improvements as the title progresses through early access. Overall, further optimization updates are needed to enhance performance and player experience.
- “My PC isn't the best for gaming but it runs well with performance and ultra performance modes on!”
- “After 18 nearly consecutive hours of play and unlocking all products and 95% of the expansions/upgrades, I have no issues with performance.”
- “Performance-wise, it runs well and the system requirements are reasonable.”
- “Stay away from this game till it's fully out and more optimized.”
- “But I feel the more you progress (e.g. expanding store, buying new products), the game starts to run into some pretty intense performance issues, especially towards late game.”
- “The performance is equally tragic.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
62%
23%
The story centers on an alien disguised as a gas station worker whose secret mission is to collect human DNA, blending management tasks with covert espionage. While some players find it humorous and engaging, others feel the narrative has minimal impact on gameplay and could benefit from more varied missions, progression, and deeper objectives to enhance immersion. Overall, the story adds charm but lacks evolving depth.
- “Maybe an actual story line instead of challenges.”
- “The alien plot has almost no effect on gameplay.”
- “Very fun and funny game, it has potential to go a bit further maybe with a storyline or something that requires you to progress through a leveling system with different locations on a map that have higher risks, more frequent agent investigations and more customers making it more difficult as you progress, giving you an objective to feel like you're achieving something in the game because, at the moment it feels like once you unlock all alien tech, expanded the gas station and have all produce unlocked, you're kinda just grinding for more money.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The in-game music is widely considered repetitive and grating, leading many players to disable it and play their own playlists instead. Users express a desire for more varied and customizable music options, including the ability to upload personal tracks and add themed tunes to enhance the store atmosphere. Overall, the current soundtrack feels empty and detracts from the game's vibe.
- “Just turn off the in-game music in settings and play your own playlist; this game becomes quite literally the chillest game there is.”
- “It would be really cool if you could upload your own music into the game, as well as have more customization options.”
- “If they could add more music (like those wonderful 70s grocery store tracks) to play in the store and outside, that would be great.”
- “I get that it's EA but it feels empty, and the looping 45-second song is absolutely grating.”
- “It really needs music or some kind of beat/rhythm cue to feel good, and without that it feels off.”
- “No music.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users praise the game's atmosphere for its distinctive "men in black" vibe, which creates a cool and unique ambiance that enhances the overall experience.
- “What I like most is the atmosphere.”
- “I also love the 'Men in Black' vibe—it adds a really cool and unique atmosphere to the whole game.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate replayability that caters to solo players, emphasizing that strong single-player content encourages consistent long-term engagement.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a deeply emotional experience, featuring a powerful story that resonates strongly with players and even brings some to tears.
- “This game made me cry; its story is so good.”

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5h Median play time

8h Average play time

4-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 21 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Roadside Research is a casual management game with comedy, economy and science fiction themes.

Roadside Research is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Windows and Xbox.

On average players spend around 8 hours playing Roadside Research.

Roadside Research was released on February 12, 2026.

Roadside Research was developed by Cybernetic Walrus.

Roadside Research has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked Roadside Research for its humor but disliked it for its stability.

Roadside Research is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Supermarket Simulator, Grocery Store Simulator, Gas Station Simulator, Gas Station Simulator: Prologue - Early Days, Ultimate Theater Simulator and others.

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