Roadside Research – Alien Gas Station Management Never Looked This Fun

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• DEVELOPER: Cybernatic Walrus
• PUBLISHER: Oro Interactive
• PLATFORMS: PC
• GENRE: Simulation / Multiplayer
• RELEASE DATE: February 12, 2026  
• STARTING PRICE: 12,99€
• REVIEWED VERSION: PC

Just when you think you’ve had your fill of small-scale management sims like Little Company or R.E.P.O, something like Roadside Research comes along and flips the script. This game is an absolute blast, especially when you dive into it with friends. Why friends, you ask? Because Roadside Research has this wonderfully absurd comedic twist: you and your teammates are aliens in disguise, running a roadside gas station as a cover, all while secretly studying human behavior.

The beauty of the game is that it starts out simple. You begin with basic gas station tasks like filling up cars, restocking shelves, and serving customers, but as you gather DNA samples from your human patrons, you can upgrade your shop and expand your alien research capabilities. Over time, your little roadside stop becomes a secret hub of intergalactic discovery.

Hands-On Gameplay

As mentioned, you play as an alien disguised as a human, tasked with carrying out everyday, mundane responsibilities. The game operates on a day-and-night cycle. During the day, you manage the gas station: refueling cars, restocking shelves, serving customers, cleaning the premises, and handling payments.

The cashier system is also hands-on. You scroll through the items, manually process card payments and calculate change if they pay with cash. You can also adjust the prices of store items and fuel, which gives you direct control over your profits. While you can follow market prices, certain items unlock bonuses as you progress. For example, placing specific products in your station may allow you to increase their price by 10% without customers questioning it. These small gameplay mechanics gradually expand the longer you play.

At night, the focus shifts. You will mostly end up using alien technology and research tools, allowing you to collect data, analyze human behavior, and advance your secret mission. Progression is tied to completing objectives, such as secretly photographing an agent without being detected or recording suspicious activity. The mission system evolves over time, introducing new mechanics and challenges.

The alien research system adds another layer of progression. You dispose trash in a special machine within your hidden tech area, and by collecting human DNA samples, you earn technology points. These points can be spent on upgrades, research tools, disguises, and new abilities. You can also rearrange shelves, equipment, decorations, and system upgrades to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Gameplay and Progression are Tied Together

One important feature is the suspicion meter. If you act too strangely or use alien technology too openly, human authorities begin to investigate. There are different levels of suspicion: at first, nothing happens; then suspicion rises; and eventually, agents will actively chase you. Certain items you place in your station can also increase suspicion. For example, selling alien-themed toys might make customers more wary. Managing suspicion becomes a crucial balancing act.

There’s room for humor and customization as well. You can personalize your alien’s appearance, such as changing its color. However, you also need to be careful, your alien occasionally leaves goo behind, and if you don’t clean it up, it can raise suspicion. Cleaning is a constant part of the gameplay, whether it’s wiping up dirt, throwing away trash left by customers, or maintaining a comfortable environment.

What I personally really enjoyed was the fuel system. When a car arrives, you first take payment from the customer, then choose the correct type of fuel. You have to press the appropriate button and fill the car accordingly. There’s also a funny little mechanic where you can slightly overfill the tank to earn a bit of extra cash, even if the customer doesn’t actually need that much fuel.

The game truly shines when played with friends. You can even sabotage each other, which makes for some chaotic and hilarious moments. The characters move in such wiggly, wobbly ways that it’s hard not to laugh. The game really thrives on its multiplayer foundation, and that’s what makes it so much fun to play together.

The Final Verdict

It’s also important to remember that this is still an early access title. That means more content and improvements are likely on the way. At the moment, there are a few rough edges, particularly with NPC behavior, the Agents feel a bit lackluster, animations are quite stiff and it needs a better risk vs reward system. However, none of these issues significantly affected my friends and me while playing. We also didn’t experience any crashes or major freezes, just small, occasional glitches that didn’t take away from the overall experience.

Another thing worth mentioning is that you’ll likely spend quite a lot of time with this game. Progression takes effort; you don’t just earn large amounts of money instantly. The game gradually becomes more advanced and complex, even though the core gameplay loop remains the same. It took us around 10 to 12 hours to see most of what the game currently has to offer, and even then, there’s still solid replay value. You never quite know what’s going to happen, whether something unexpected will occur or whether the agents will catch you.

Despite still being in Early Access, Roadside Research is already a solid and fun experience. If you love games that blend different genres, such as management with a dash of alien espionage, you’re going to be hooked on this roadside station. If you grab a few friends to dive into this, you’ll have a blast and you’ll want to stick around long after your first few hours, as the surprises just keep scaling up.

Review copy provided by the publisher