The term "friendslop" has emerged to describe co-op games focused on shared experiences with friends, a label that developers at House House, creators of the upcoming game Big Walk, find both useful and slightly problematic.
Nico Disseldorp of House House acknowledged the utility of the term in a recent Reddit AMA, stating, "I love that there is a word out there to help people categorize games that are good for groups of friends to play together, and that it recognizes that the friends are the important part! It's a useful concept imo." However, he expressed a personal preference against the "slop" portion of the term, noting its negative connotations from other contexts, such as "AI slop." Disseldorp added, "I think these games are so thoughtfully made," suggesting that "slop" doesn't adequately capture the care put into their design.
Despite the nuanced feelings about the descriptor, the House House team also revealed the inspiration behind Big Walk's distinctive game world. While Australia hosts numerous game studios, few explicitly set their games in the country. Big Walk, though not strictly set in Australia, strongly evokes the Australian bush with its muted, dry greens, abundant gum-like trees, and the scent of eucalyptus. The game's environment is directly based on Wilsons Promontory National Park in southeastern Victoria.
Jake Strasser of House House detailed the development process, explaining that "All the plants in the game are native to the Prom, as well as the iconic granite. The topography of the island is also based directly on the Prom—we started with a LIDAR heightmap of the real place, and then started sculpting and accentuating landforms from there." The team's proximity to the park allowed them to visit for inspiration, gather textures, and record ambient sounds.
Christopher Livingston, in his review of Big Walk, described the game as "a joyous jaunt through a gentle world full of thoughtfully-designed puzzles," notably avoiding the "friendslop" label altogether.