Roadside Research

About

Roadside Research is a single player and multiplayer casual simulation game with comedy 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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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 825 reviews

humor75 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

Fun and addictive gameplay loop with a unique alien twist on the gas station/supermarket simulator genre.
Highly entertaining and chaotic multiplayer experience with friends, generating hilarious moments.
Good progression system with upgrades for both the gas station and alien technology, maintaining player engagement.

Gameplay can be difficult and overwhelming to manage solo due to lack of automation and NPC helpers.
Technical issues including bugs, glitches, and occasional crashes impact gameplay experience.
Some feel the alien theme is underdeveloped, making the game feel like a generic gas station simulator with limited depth.

humor
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game’s humor is widely praised for its quirky, chaotic, and genuinely funny moments, especially during co-op play with friends, creating memorable and laughter-filled experiences. While some players find the humor charming and the alien disguise premise amusing, a few feel the comedic elements could be expanded with more varied alien abilities and interactions to enhance engagement. Overall, the humor effectively balances silliness and cleverness, making typical simulator gameplay more enjoyable and entertaining.
- “My fellow humans, my journey as a gas station owner and operator has proven to be insightful and ridiculously hilarious.”
- “The art style and humor 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 challenge comes from balancing normal gas station tasks with your secret alien mission, creating a constant tension that is both stressful and hilarious.”
gameplay
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
62%
8%
The gameplay offers a solid and enjoyable core loop with satisfying simulation mechanics, especially in co-op mode, featuring humor, creative elements, and smooth progression. However, it can become repetitive due to limited variety and depth, with certain mechanics feeling underdeveloped or unimpactful—particularly the alien theme and investigation features. Despite minor bugs and some clunky controls, the game's fun, chaotic multiplayer experience and potential for future expansion are widely appreciated.
- “Honestly, the game has a great base and gameplay loop to vibe with some buddies.”
- “I've put 13+ hours into this game playing single player only and honestly I didn't expect to enjoy it this much. The simple mechanics are what really hooked me: filling gas, restocking, upgrading—everything feels smooth and satisfying. Each in-game day feels rewarding and you can genuinely feel yourself progressing.”
- “Very impressed by Roadside Research, because even in early access the gameplay loop feels fresh and not repetitive even after 3 hours.”
- “The fact that they just run right over you feels like the developers didn't want to add mechanics to change the pathing for the cars.”
- “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.”
- “The gameplay quickly becomes repetitive, as it mainly cycles through the exact same actions every single day with little to no variation.”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
41%
18%
The graphics are generally praised for their colorful, stylized, and clean aesthetic that complements the game's humor and personality. However, some users report technical issues such as bugs, out-of-sync lines, and limited graphic setting adjustments, which can affect visibility and performance, especially on lower-end systems. Overall, the visuals are enjoyable and fit well with the game's comedic and quirky style.
- “Super smooth, clean, and crispy graphics.”
- “Visually, the game adopts a colorful, stylized aesthetic that complements its comedic undertones.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “I attempted to lower my graphic settings and nothing worked to fix it.”
- “Could use some better graphics on the NPCs, but other than that it's a pretty fun and entertaining game full of laughs!”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game is often described as tedious and repetitive, especially in the late game where tasks become monotonous without automation or employees. Players suggest adding more progression elements, such as a leveling system or varying challenges, to make grinding feel more rewarding and less slow. Multiplayer is recommended to alleviate some of the solo grinding tedium.
- “Once you unlock all alien tech, expand the gas station, and have all produce unlocked, you're basically just grinding for more money with no new objectives, making the progression feel pointless.”
- “Not having employees makes it less fun and not worth grinding for late game; you end up doing the same tasks repeatedly with no variation.”
- “Grinding feels tedious because you have to manually do everything: cash register, ordering items, cleaning, throwing garbage, and serving people at the pump, making the process slow and unenjoyable.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The game suffers from numerous stability issues, including frequent bugs, glitches, and occasional softlocks that severely impact gameplay, especially in co-op mode where lag and bugs are more pronounced for joining players. While some find the bugs part of the fun, others consider them frustrating enough to seek refunds. On a positive note, developers are responsive and actively addressing these problems.
- “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.”
- “Probing in general is very buggy and can softlock you; not even the Esc key works.”
- “Customers are able to detect the player from impossible angles, the cleaner boot does not function properly in either single player or multiplayer, and the checkout counter frequently glitches.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game's story centers on an alien navigating life on Earth with a secret mission to gather data for an invasion while managing a gas station, blending humor and covert espionage. While some players find the narrative engaging and emotionally impactful, others feel the story lacks depth and progression, suggesting the addition of a leveling system or more defined objectives to enhance a sense of achievement. Overall, the story creatively balances mundane tasks with an undercover alien plot, though it could benefit from further development.
- “This game made me cry; its story is so good.”
- “You land on Earth with one simple mission: gather data, prepare for invasion, and absolutely nail the art of being painfully normal.”
- “At its core, the game blends business management with covert alien espionage, tasking players with maintaining a functional human establishment while secretly gathering data for an off-world research mission.”
- “Very fun and funny game, but it feels incomplete without a proper storyline or progression system. Currently, after unlocking all alien tech, expanding the gas station, and unlocking all produce, the gameplay just becomes a grind for more money without meaningful objectives.”
- “The mission is unclear. I have eaten what humans call 'mootar orl' and saw them putting it in their automobiles. It tastes just like the somulack back home, but this does not clarify the actual purpose of the mission.”
- “You land on Earth with one simple mission: gather data, prepare for invasion, and absolutely nail the art of being painfully normal. However, the story lacks depth and development beyond this basic premise.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game generally runs smoothly with reasonable system requirements and solid performance, benefiting from its Unity engine. However, some users feel it still requires significant optimization to improve overall efficiency. Bugs are minimal, contributing to a stable and enjoyable experience.
- “It uses Unity (thank God. Too many indie devs leaning on UE5 recently and then performance ends up being poor) and my experience has been pretty smooth overall.”
- “Not many bugs, solid performance, and a very calming/fun vibe.”
- “It needs some serious optimizations.”
- “Performance wise, the game runs decently.”
- “Performance-wise, it runs well and the system requirements are reasonable.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
Users feel that the game currently lacks music, making the experience feel incomplete, and suggest adding rhythmic background tracks for a better atmosphere. They also express interest in options to upload custom music and include nostalgic tunes, such as 70s grocery store tracks, to enhance store ambiance.
- “It would be really cool if you could upload your own music into the game, as well as 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.”
- “It really needs music or some kind of beat/rhythm cue to feel good, and without that it feels off.”
- “No music.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users emphasize that enhancing solo replayability, especially in singleplayer mode, is key to maintaining dedicated, long-term players.
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a powerful emotional experience, with a storyline that deeply resonates and even brings players to tears.
- “This game made me cry; its story is so good.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game’s atmosphere is praised for its distinctive "Men in Black" vibe, which adds a cool and unique feel that sets it apart.
- “I also love the 'Men in Black' vibe—it adds a really cool and unique atmosphere to the whole game.”