- Games
- Roadside Research
Playing together
- Online co-op4 players
- Local co-opNot confirmed
- NoSame platform onlyFriends on different platforms, such as PC and PlayStation, can play together.
- Not confirmedA friend can join or leave while you are already playing, without starting over.
- Not confirmedFriends play free with a Friend's Pass or similar.
- Steam DeckPlayableValve's own rating
About the game
You run a gas station while hiding your alien identity from its customers. Fill cars, handle purchases, order supplies and keep the place clean. Your other job is gathering information about humans. Research gadgets help you collect data, but suspicious behaviour can bring government agents to the station. Money and research points unlock different equipment and improvements.
Up to four players work together online. You can divide the register, fuel pumps and restocking between friends while someone gathers research. Between working days, you rearrange the shop and decide what to upgrade. Hand-drawn face disguises and alien tools give the routine a comic side. The game is in early access, with further systems still being developed.
How it feels
Kind of game
You play on the same side through shared levels, matches, missions or jobs. Progress comes from combining your actions toward the same objective.
- A big part
- Now and then
- Tension and danger
- Story
- Physical comedy
- Fighting
- Getting better
- Planning ahead
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- About
- Everyday work, Science fiction, Cooking
Rated on our own feel scale. 3 sources back these ratings.
Screenshots
From the Steam store page. Open one to see it full size.
If you liked Roadside Research
You will probably enjoy these too. Each one says why.
Ale & Tale Tavern
Why it scores 86%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared team objectives
- About
- Everyday work and Cooking
- Notable in both
- Calm and coziness, Time to hang out, Working in sync, Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How Ale & Tale Tavern differs
- More exploring than Roadside Research
- 6 online
Both give your team shared objectives to work through together. Both are about everyday jobs and businesses and cooking. Both are calm and low on stress.
But more exploring than Roadside Research.
Supermarket Simulator
Why it scores 85%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared team objectives
- About
- Everyday work
- Notable in both
- Calm and coziness, Time to hang out, Building and creating, Working in sync, Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op for up to 4 players
- 4 online
Both give your team shared objectives to work through together. Both are about everyday jobs and businesses. Both are easy to play while you chat.
No big difference from Roadside Research.
Waterpark Simulator
Why it scores 85%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared team objectives
- About
- Everyday work
- Notable in both
- Calm and coziness, Laughter and chaos, Time to hang out, Building and creating, Working in sync, Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op for up to 4 players
- 4 online
Both give your team shared objectives to work through together. Both get loud and silly when plans go wrong. Both are about everyday jobs and businesses.
No big difference from Roadside Research.
All co-op facts
Last checked 24 October 2026. The small numbers link to the page that states each fact.
Co-op
- Fewest players online
- Not confirmed
- Local co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on one screen
- Not confirmed
- Split or shared screen
- Not confirmed
- Separate-device co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on separate devices
- Not confirmed
- Free base co-op
- No
The checked computer full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
- 17
- Confirmed free setups
- Does not apply
- Crossplay between
- Does not apply
- Friends can join mid-game
- Not confirmed
- Only one of you needs to buy it
- Not confirmed
- Voice chat by distance
- Not confirmed
Sources
9 pages
store.steampowered.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Most players online, Platforms, Release status, Release date, Free base co-op.
- Online co-op: Online co-op is an explicit supported feature of the base game.
- Most players online: Publisher description states one to four players.
- Platforms: The Steam version requires Windows 10 or 11.
- Release status: The current buyable base game is marked Early Access.
- Release date: The Early Access release date is 12 February 2026.
- Free base co-op: The checked computer full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam app ID.
- Steam app ID: The product record identifies app 3643170.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam Deck.
- Steam Deck: Valve rates the game Playable on Steam Deck.
orointeractive.comOfficial site, read 24 October 2026
Backs Most players online, Genres, Kind of game, About, Unlocks and progress.
- Most players online: The publisher states a maximum of four players.
- Genres: The publisher describes a simulation game about operating a gas station.
- Kind of game: Friends share station duties and the alien research objective.
- About: The main premise combines running a business, alien technology and cooking food for travellers.
- Unlocks and progress: Separate station and alien equipment upgrades give persistent goals.
steamcommunity.comOfficial support page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Crossplay, Release status, Release date.
- Crossplay: The pinned developer FAQ explicitly says crossplay is not available yet. It was edited on 29 August 2026.
- Release status: The developer confirms an Early Access launch rather than a full release.
- Release date: The developer names 12 February 2026 as the Early Access launch.
steamcommunity.comOfficial news, read 24 October 2026
Backs Crossplay.
- Crossplay: The 20 October 2026 news still calls crossplay upcoming. The 19 October beta recruits an exclusive playtest group, so it is not public release. This overrides the Xbox cross-platform capability labels.
xbox.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Platforms, Most players online, Free base co-op.
- Platforms: Current Play with list includes PC and Xbox Series X|S. The product remains Game Preview.
- Most players online: Capabilities explicitly list online co-op for two to four players.
- Free base co-op: The checked Xbox full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
sirusgaming.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Sessions, Tension and danger, Calm and coziness, Working in sync, Time to hang out, Getting better, Fighting.
- Sessions: Sirus Gaming review dated 5 April 2026 follows a saved station across working days and equipment upgrades.
- Tension and danger: Agent visits interrupt ordinary work, but failure has little lasting cost.
- Calm and coziness: The review describes routine stretches between low-consequence agent visits.
- Working in sync: Concurrent shop, pump and research duties make dividing work useful.
- Time to hang out: Routine repeated chores between investigations leave room for casual chat when the team divides duties.
- Getting better: Basic tasks are introduced directly, with some learning around research gadgets.
- Fighting: Stun lasers briefly disable investigating agents rather than supplying a sustained fighting loop.
mkaugaming.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Laughter and chaos, Physical comedy, Story, Building and creating, Planning ahead.
- Laughter and chaos: MKAU Gaming review dated 20 February 2026 describes comic alien deception and absurd research technology amid ordinary station work.
- Physical comedy: Passing cars can knock down workers, an occasional physical mishap rather than a physics-led game.
- Story: A father sends the aliens to study humans, providing a light mission setup.
- Building and creating: Shelves, displays and equipment are placed as the persistent station expands.
- Planning ahead: Stock ordering, shop layout and equipment choices need modest preparation.