{"rewrite":{"id":"r_02ac324cd29b8570414b653e","clusterId":"c_2bb851dc50638134514fdebe","slug":"friendly-steps-drunk-co-op-homecoming-game-launches-on-steam","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Friendly Steps Drunk Co-op Homecoming Game Launches on Steam","summary":"Ytopia and developer KORO.GAMES released the cooperative action game Friendly Steps on Steam on September 3, 2026. The game supports up to four players, locally and online, who control drunk characters tied together with ropes and must make their way home. Each leg is assigned a separate control, producing a natural staggering gait, and if one player falls, everyone is dragged down with them. The full version includes slopes, stairs, bridges, and construction sites that act as physics-based obstacles, plus hidden passages, items, quests, and detours scattered around the city. A time attack mode lets players compete purely on homecoming speed, and a speedrun mode offers a high-speed variant. Character customization includes costumes such as a salariman, firefighter, police officer, punk, and streamer, along with emotes and voice chat. The regular price is 950 yen, with a 20 percent launch discount currently applied. The demo version had surpassed 500,000 players before the full release. The game supports Japanese.","whyItMatters":"The demo's player count of over half a million gives the full launch a substantial pre-release audience, making this small-scale co-op title a notable test of whether a physical-comedy party game can convert demo interest into paid sales on Steam.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eKORO.GAMES previously drew attention with the zombie survival sequel \u003ci\u003eTerminus: Zombie Survivors 2\u003c/i\u003e, whose predecessor sold over 150,000 copies cumulatively on Steam.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe developers describe the core loop as one where \u0026#34;walking\u0026#34; assigns separate controls to the left and right feet, and pressing buttons does not let players walk briskly as they wish.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe rope mechanic means what is needed is \u0026#34;teamwork and patience,\u0026#34; per the developers, who note the game \u0026#34;tends to lead to arguments\u0026#34; despite voice chat support.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eHidden routes, items, quests, and detours are spread across the city, with the developers joking that exploration leads players to \u0026#34;sometimes (every time?) regret your choices.\u0026#34;\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe full version\u0026#39;s route home includes far more diverse locations than the demo, with \u0026#34;merciless\u0026#34; and \u0026#34;ruthless\u0026#34; physics acting as obstacles \u0026#34;every few meters.\u0026#34;\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe suspicious individuals mentioned in the feature list are described as awaiting players on the way home alongside the physics-based terrain.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eCostumes extend beyond the base set to include a streamer outfit, and customization is paired with emotes and voice chat for coordination.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eYtopia and KORO.GAMES frame the game around a tagline: \u0026#34;Getting home while drunk is difficult, and friendship is fleeting.\u0026#34;\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eLaunch sale pricing and Japanese language support were confirmed at the time of publication, with stock status and prices noted as current as of the article\u0026#39;s writing.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Friendly Steps is out now on Steam: up to 4 drunk players tied together by rope, each leg on its own button, one fall and everyone goes down. The demo already pulled 500k players.","twitterPost":"Co-op chaos is here. Friendly Steps launches on Steam today, 950 yen with 20% off, and it comes with a speedrun mode for when you master staggering home drunk.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Ytopia and KORO.GAMES launched Friendly Steps on Steam, a four-player co-op game about drunk characters roped together trying to get home. The demo passed 500,000 players, and the full version adds new locations, costumes, and time attack modes.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"4Gamer.net\",\"url\":\"https://www.4gamer.net/games/012/G101277/20260903012/\",\"title\":\"Co-op action game 'Friendly Steps' where friendship is put to the test launches on Steam. Players tied together with ropes, up to 4 drunks try to make it home\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/09/03/171698.html\",\"title\":\"Get Home While Drunk with Up to 4 Players! Cooperative Action Game 'Friendly Steps' Launches on Steam\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":10529,"outputTokens":1384,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":null,"createdAt":"2026-09-03T16:15:00.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-09-03T16:18:27.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-03T16:18:27.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_2bb851dc50638134514fdebe","canonicalTitle":"最大4人で酔っ払いながら帰宅しろ！誰かが転べば巻き添えな協力型アクション『Friendly Steps』Steam配信開始","representativeArticleId":"a_50367c54642c06172f33ff10","sourceCount":2,"writtenSourceCount":2,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Friendly Steps\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"release\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-09-03T13:00:03.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-09-03T13:00:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-03T16:18:26.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"4Gamer.net","url":"https://www.4gamer.net/games/012/G101277/20260903012/","title":"友情が試される協力型アクション「Friendly Steps」，Steamでリリース。ロープで互いの身体をつなぎ，最大4人の酔っ払いたちが帰宅を目指す"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/09/03/171698.html","title":"最大4人で酔っ払いながら帰宅しろ！誰かが転べば巻き添えな協力型アクション『Friendly Steps』Steam配信開始"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Friendly Steps"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"release","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Friendly Steps launched on Steam on September 3, 2026, published by Ytopia and developed by KORO.GAMES.","The game supports up to four players in local and online co-op, with each player controlling a drunk character's legs separately.","Friendly Steps is priced at 950 yen with a 20 percent launch discount applied.","The demo version surpassed 500,000 players prior to the full release.","The full version adds time attack and speedrun modes, plus character costumes including salariman, firefighter, police officer, punk, and streamer."]}