Now Playing: RV There Yet?

RV There Yet? Is a co-op focused game in which you (and up to three friends) are tasked with driving an RV across a map from point A to point B. And that’s it. That’s the game. I’ve seen it affectionately (and sometimes not so affectionately) referred to as ‘friend-slop’ because it’s a cheap and cheerful little game targeted at people who want . . . a cheap and cheerful little game to play with friends.

And that’s exactly why I bought two copies in the Winter Sale, one for me, another for a friend so we had something new to try after clocking 300 hours or so in Phasmophobia together. Whilst it is technically possible to play RV There Yet? solo, I certainly wouldn’t recommend it. This is very much a game where the majority of your fun comes from interacting with your friends within the sandbox provided. I imagine that trying to play it on your own would probably be a rather miserable and dull experience.

At the time of writing there are two maps available to drive across with your friends and I’m currently working my way through the second and having a great time doing so. And I hope we get more maps in the future too, because despite the simplicity (and silliness) of the concept, there’s certainly room to expand and improve.

Getting from A to B on each map is obviously not as simple as it might sound. Along the way you’ll encounter all kinds of obstacles in your path that will require team work and coordination to navigate – from broken bridges to water hazards to angry bears – there is a very mild puzzle aspect to the game as you try to figure out the best path forward, and there is some light optional exploration as you explore various structures along the way to collect materials or cosmetic items.

Your RV is both incredibly fragile yet incredibly resilient at the same time. You might reverse accidentality into a tree and see your entire roof fall off, but you might also accidentality drive off a bridge, plunge into a steep ravine, land upside down and still be able to get out, flip the RV over and drive away. Your RV has a health bar that lowers with each knock you take, leading to pieces of it falling away.

Your engine can also take damage and your wheels can come off. But with the right tools and an abundance of scrap you can repair as you go and keep the old girl running. If the RV does take excessive damage it will be destroyed, restarting you at your last checkpoint. These are at various service stations you’ll encounter as you traverse the map where you’ll also find randomised items to help you on your way.

The physics in RV There Yet? make little sense but there is an important degree of consistency to them. You can use a winch to drag the RV up steep hills or swing it 90 degrees around sharp bends. It’s best not to take it too seriously and just enjoy how silly it all is. You play as short, dumpy (yet shockingly resilient and strong) little dudes who can drink, smoke and eat burgers whilst wearing various silly hats and glasses. There’s a fair degree of interaction with the world, items and each other meaning you can dick around as you drive.

Visually the game looks nice. It’s going for a simple, clean, colourful style that should run just fine even on low-spec systems. Oh, and the last stretch of the first map was a wonderfully fun little surprise. I won’t spoil it!

Overall, RV There Yet? might be ‘friend slop’ but it’s also a very fun and enjoyable co-op game that you’ll easily get a good twenty or so hours out of if you play through both maps – and maybe more if we get more maps in the future. At only 6 quid you really can’t go wrong with it. Just remember – it’s about the journey, not the destination.

7/10