R.E.P.O.

Basic Game Information

R.E.P.O. (Retrieve, Extract, and Profit Operation) is an online cooperative survival horror video game developed and published by the Swedish studio Semiwork. It was released in early access for PC through Steam on February 26, 2025, and is built using the Unity engine with Photon for networking. Though still in early access, the game has already attracted attention for its unique blend of multiplayer teamwork, atmospheric horror, and creative monster design.

Autoethnographic Reflection

When it comes to horror games, R.E.P.O. was one of the first horror games I had ever felt brave enough to play. As someone who has always had a deep appreciation and love for horror films, especially slashers and ghost stories, I struggled to play horror games as they just felt too real. Being able to control a character in a horror setting made the horror aspect of this game feel more personal the more I played. Though it still scares me, R.E.P.O. does so in a way that feels manageable and not too intense. The most important aspect of R.E.P.O. that made me feel brave enough to face it was that I wasn’t ever facing the fear alone, as I was playing online with my friends.

That sense of shared experience is what truly makes R.E.P.O. special. Many of my closest friends live far away, and gaming together has become one of the few ways we stay connected. With R.E.P.O., the game’s co-op mode transforms what could be a lone and terrifying experience into a shared adventure where you experience fear and laughter. I’ve had some of my favourite nights laughing and screaming through R.E.P.O. with my friends, many of which are moments of panic which then turn into laughter, and fear dissolving into joy. So, with a game like R.E.P.O., it’s not just about winning or surviving, it’s about creating memories together with your friends, peers and even with yourself.

Monsters and Survival

R.E.P.O. blends horror and humour in ways that make its survival mechanics both frightening and entertaining. From the thrill of being chased by the Huntsman or the Reaper to get the players' hearts racing, to the intense moments of navigating these foreign maze-like spaces in the dark, they are experiences players have when playing games that are personal to us. As Perron writes, “Survival horror well and truly puts forward the fact that the emotional experience of a video game is a personal one. In the dark, controlling your player character, you are the only one negotiating the menacing game space and facing the monsters” (Perron 11). In R.E.P.O., however, that fear during gameplay becomes collective when you play within a group, so this transforms players’ experiences with horror games from isolating to exhilarating.

Furthermore, R.E.P.O. is a game that curates an environment for the monsters to stand out in their own intriguing way, and so the creatures are as fascinating as they are terrifying. For example, there are some monsters within the game, like the Apex Predator duck, that begins as an inviting and even adorable creature but then mutates into a monstrous creature upon contact. The Apex Predator is designed to follow the mouse cursor of the player it targets, making the difficulty of obtaining items while not touching the duck almost impossible. This is just another way the game embodies its bizarre yet creative monsters. Alongside the Apex Predator are the other monsters, such as the Shadow Child or the Robe. These monsters are created to immediately evoke a panic response from the player. Then, there are the monsters within R.E.P.O. that are nonetheless creepy but less difficult to fight off. For example, the Gnomes, though they are eerie, the ducks can be defeated by simply picking them up and smashing them with no additional strength upgrades needed. On the more difficult side, players are faced with the more challenging monsters, such as the Robe, a towering dark figure that screeches as it chases players and can even slash the player under tables and chairs. In terms of destroying the monster, this can only be done with additional strength upgrades, aid from friends or by simply shoving the creature into lava pits (Dane et al.).

As Mittman and Hensel highlighted, “the monsters are not an inexplicable blunder of taste; they are essential” (Mittman and Hensel 11). Similarly, in R.E.P.O., these horrifying creatures are not just an obstacle to be frightened of, but the monsters are a vital source of creating a terrifying experience within games, whilst also provoking fear and adrenaline for players. Each creature, whether grotesque or adorable, shapes the player’s emotional experience and shifts the idea that fear can be both dreadful and amusing.

Co-op Gameplay

Cooperation in R.E.P.O. is a major aspect that encourages many players to keep coming back to the game. Horror games, when played alone, can feel extremely isolating, but when this experience is shifted into a cooperative experience, the game can become something entirely different; it’s an exercise of teamwork, communication, shared fear and chaos. Working together to collect loot, while navigating spaces that become increasingly more difficult and fending off various monsters, players are required to rely on their teammates for aid. In R.E.P.O., when a player dies, the only remains left over are a head. When this head is brought back to the truck, it brings the dead player back to life.

As Chris Hayner goes on to describe, this current excitement for the cooperative gaming era is labelled as the “modern co-op renaissance,” where indie titles and smaller studios invite players to explore new worlds together (Hayner). This observation perfectly fits R.E.P.O. There’s something oddly comforting about hearing your friends scream through your headset while you’re all being chased by monsters. The fear becomes communal, shifting the terrifying experience into a comedic and memorable experience.

Art Style and Development

Beyond its mechanics, R.E.P.O. comes to life through its art style, atmosphere, and constant updates as it's still in early access. The developers have infused the game with personality, from the robot’s mouth movements during chat, down to the smaller yet notable details like the paintings on the walls that show the actual game developers.

Semiwork has been consistent in releasing new maps, monsters, and gameplay features, which is an essential practice in maintaining engagement for smaller online game studios. Guy Agiv points out that “nothing is more frustrating than a game that’s too difficult and keeps players from progressing. On the other hand, if a game is too easy, then the lack of challenge will bore players” (Agiv, “Difficulty Curves”: How to Get the Right Balance).

R.E.P.O. is incredibly successful when it comes to balancing this dynamic, offering enough challenge to stay exciting without overwhelming new players. An additional aspect is the game's mechanics, as Michael Gerra-Clarin explains, is that players must “search for valuable objects and transport them to the extraction point, all while avoiding lurking dangers,”. So, with each new stage, both the difficulty and the rewards increase, pushing players to take greater risks and offering a slow but maintainable challenge, all while encouraging a sense of strategy.

Sound also plays a crucial role in creating tension within horror games. Pawel Baran goes on to describe how, within horror games, “it’s in the quiet moments, the player checks their scarce inventory and feels unprepared and stressed” (Baran 7). R.E.P.O. uses silence just as effectively; with these moments of stillness, it can make every creak and distant noise feel unbearable. With the importance of sound, it’s also important to emphasize how background sounds can generate a strong sense of tension by just listening (Chen 6). One of the most terrifying moments for me personally was hiding under a chair from the Head monster, hearing only the wet, chomping sounds of its teeth clamping together as it looked for me and my teammates. Sound in R.E.P.O. is not just a tool of fear, but it’s also a way of connecting and creating memories with other players.

Lore and Symbolism

Beneath R.E.P.O.’s gameplay lies a mysterious world filled with horrifying symbols, strange rituals, and only small clues and fragments of lore. This mysterious world can be further understood as players can piece together their surroundings. By noticing the surroundings player may be left with more questions than answers through the paintings, artifacts, and the very truck used for extraction. These details hinted at a deeper story about humanity’s extinction. As mentioned by Rowan Jones, “humanity has died out in R.E.P.O., but the lack of rotting or canned food… offers a clue. Perhaps resources became so scarce that food was eventually depleted entirely, and humanity ended up starving to death, or worse.” This series of unresolved mysteries adds a haunting backdrop to the gameplay, hinting at a story that goes possibly beyond what players can see.

Conclusion

Above all, R.E.P.O. matters to me because it unites my love of horror with my love of connection. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, showing me that fear can be thrilling rather than paralyzing, especially when shared. It has become a bridge between me and my long-distance friends, serving as a reminder that even moments of panic can bring people closer together. For me, R.E.P.O. isn’t just a game; it’s a reminder that the best memories often come from chaos, laughter, and a little bit of fear.

Gameplay Video

“R.E.P.O. GAMEPLAY WALKTHROUGH (4K 60FPS) NO COMMENTARY” YouTube, uploaded by TheSixGame, 27 Feb. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot19JF52aTI.

Themes and Connections to Scholarship

Agiv, Guy. “Difficulty Curves: How to Get the Right Balance.” Game Developer, 24 Jan. 2024, https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/difficulty-curves-how-to-get-the-right-balance-

Baran, Pawel. “Observe, Dismember, Overcome: Resident Evil 4 (2005; 2023) and Dead Space (2008; 2023) as Video Game Extensions of the Body Horror Subgenre.” Zagadnienia Rodzajów Literackich / The Problems of Literary Genres, vol. 68, no. 1, 2023, https://czasopisma.ltn.lodz.pl/Zagadnienia-Rodzajow-Literackich/article/view/2805/2483

Chen, Rilang. Investigating the Audio-Visual Psychological Effects in a Horror Game. Master’s thesis, Northeastern University, 2022. Northeastern University Library, https://repository.library.northeastern.edu/files/neu:4f18cx08x/fulltext.pdf

Dane, Patrick, Meg Koepp, Jen Rothery, et al. “All REPO Monsters - Monster List.” IGN, 7 Apr. 2025, https://www.ign.com/wikis/repo/All_REPO_Monsters_-_Monster_List

Gerra-Clarin, Michael. “R.E.P.O. Gameplay and Story.” Game8, 4 Mar. 2025, https://game8.co/articles/reviews/repo-gameplay-and-story

Hayner, Chris. “Peak, R.E.P.O. and the Modern Co-Op Gaming Renaissance.” TheGamer, 7 Aug. 2025, https://www.thegamer.com/peak-repo-co-op-gaming-pandemic/

Jones, Rowan. “R.E.P.O. Lore – A Complete History.” Dot Esports, 14 Mar. 2025, https://dotesports.com/general/news/r-e-p-o-lore-a-complete-history

Mittman, Asa Simon, and Marcus Hensel, editors. Classic Readings on Monster Theory. Arc Humanities Press, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uvic/detail.action?docID=5752284

Perron, Bernard. Silent Hill: The Terror Engine. University of Michigan Press, 2012. Landmark Video Games series, https://www-fulcrum-org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/epubs/1r66j182f?locale=en#/6/6%5Btip01%5D!/4/2/2/4%5Bpage_iii%5D/1:0

Perron, Bernard, editor. Horror Video Games: Essays on the Fusion of Fear and Play. Foreword by Clive Barker, McFarland & Company, 2009. https://web-p-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=de86bd8e-ed49-40eb-9193-ff15f16c4114%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=684095&db=nlebk