Peak (video game)

PEAK
Developers
Publishers
  • Aggro Crab
  • Landfall
EngineUnity
PlatformWindows
Release16 June 2025
GenreAction-adventure
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer

Peak (stylised in all caps) is a cooperative climbing video game developed and published by Aggro Crab and Landfall Games for Windows via Steam on 16 June 2025.[1] Played in a first-person perspective, up to four players must climb a randomly pre-generated mountain through unique environments to reach rescue. Along the way, players can collect and use items to assist in their ascent.

The game was met positively by critics, widely described with the term "friendslop", and was a major financial success, selling over ten million copies. A major update, "The Final Ascent", was released on 11 August 2026, with bugfixes and other maintenance updates coming after.[2]

Gameplay

Three players climbing toward a luggage case in the 'Alpine' region.

Peak is a co-op climbing video game played from a first-person perspective. Players assume the role of castaway Scouts who must climb a mountain through a series of pre-generated levels in order to reach rescue after surviving a plane crash. The game supports up to four players who can communicate via proximity chat. Every 24 hours at 17:00 UTC, the game rotates level environments and layouts, allowing for repeated replay value.[3][4][5]

While climbing, players must maintain their personal stamina bar, which shrinks in capacity when affected by environmental status effects such as hunger, injury, weight of held items, poison, and extreme temperature. Players can carry and utilise items found in the natural game world as well as in luggage cases littered throughout the map by the Scouts' crashed plane. Many items are consumable, and can impact status effects or provide temporary bonuses like unlimited stamina. Players can also utilise backpacks to increase inventory space and use traversal items such as rope spools and pitons to streamline their ascent.[6]

Players will fall unconscious if their stamina capacity is completely negated by status effects.[7] If an unconscious player's stamina is not restored quickly, they die. Players may resurrect dead teammates through the use of relevant items or special altars found at the end of each level.[8]

Peak is divided into six levels, each a different biome with unique obstacles and items. Levels 2-5 each rotate between two biome variants, each one with unique enemies and environmental hazards; for example, level 3 is presented either as a cold "Alpine" region or as a deserted "Mesa".[9] One of the most notable enemies, the "Scoutmaster", appears when a player travels too far from the rest of the group (~200m above), or when it is summoned through the use of a relevant item.[10]

Upon reaching the sixth biome titled "Peak", players complete the game and unlock harder difficulty.[11] Cosmetic items can be unlocked through completion of in-game achievements (which the game dubs "badges").[12]

Development

Peak was originally developed as part of a one-month game jam held in February 2025 in South Korea. Developers planned the project as a small experiment between two studios, a "learning experience."[13] The entire development was very spontaneous, described by one of the employees as "fun, fast and wild cowboy development", but at the same time "the most fun ever had making a game."[14] It was later expanded into a fuller version and officially released on 16 June 2025.[15] The game quickly grew in popularity on the live streaming platform Twitch, and the level of success has been compared to games like Lethal Company and Phasmophobia.[16]

There have been three major updates that have released for the game, adding new biomes, items, cosmetics, and threats. The first update, released on 11 August 2025, added the Mesa biome for the as a map variation for Alpine - third level.[17] The second update, released on 5 November 2025, added a fungal forest biome known as the Roots as a map variation for Tropics.[18] "The Final Ascent" update, released on August 11, 2026, added two new biomes, Gloom - a foggy forest area - and The Citadel, a giant castle, which both act as map variation for Caldera and the Kiln, respectively.[19][20]

Marketing

Merchandising

Aggro Crab partnered with Makeship to release two Peak plushies, one based on the player character and another based on Bing Bong, the mascot of the in-universe airline called 'BingBong Airlines' and a plush that can be found in-game.[21][22] They also have created figurines available on YouTooz. Other merch includes shirts, hats, and a poster available on Fangamer[23] and more shirts, hats, pins, stickers, a notebook, and a free colouring page available at Mighty Merch.[24][25]

Collaborations

In March 2026, Peak collaborated with Fortnite to release a cosmetic bundle in the Fortnite Item Shop inspired by the game. In December 2025, Peak collaborated with Bbno$ to release an in-game concert that starred the rapper. For the event, a statue of the rapper was added into the game, holding a bugle item; grabbing the bugle out of the hands of the statue and playing it triggered the event, causing depictions of Bbno$, Ironmouse, and vlogger Vanillamace to appear in the water, and perform pre-recorded songs for the player.[26]

Reception

Peak received "generally favourable" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[27] OpenCritic determined that 100% of critics recommend the game.[28]

PC Gamer rated the game 86/100, commenting that it is a "fantastically crafted game" and "everything I'd want from a co-op game" with "fantastic value for its money."[30] TheGamer described the game as "the best friendslop game I've ever played."[32] Vice described the game as the "best in its class", and since the very announcement they knew it would be "magic."[33] Other reviewers consider Peak one of the best climbing games ever, noting that it is "silly" and fun.[34] Some journalists also compared Peak to Cairn - a different climbing game, focused not on the cooperative work, but on quieter, more deliberate and isolated experience.[35]

Sales

Within the first 24 hours of release, the game sold over 100,000 copies.[38][39] Sales surpassed one million copies within the first week, outselling Aggro Crab's previous title Another Crab's Treasure.[37][40] By the ninth day after release, total sales reached two million copies,[41] and surpassed 5 million sales within the first month.[42] In mid-August 2025, it was announced that the game had sold over ten million copies.[43]

The Aggro Crab social media account posted about the game's success, with sarcastic frustration about how the game performed better than Another Crab's Treasure.[44]

Awards

Year Award Category Result Ref.
2025 Golden Joystick Awards Ultimate Game of the Year Nominated [45][46][47]
Best Multiplayer Game Won
Best Indie Game - Self-Published Nominated
PC Game of the Year Nominated
Streamer's Choice Won
The Streamer Awards Stream Game of the Year Won [48]
The Game Awards 2025 Best Multiplayer Game Nominated [49]
The Steam Awards 2025 Better With Friends Won [50]
2026 British Academy Games Awards Multiplayer Longlisted [51]
New Intellectual Property Longlisted

Notes

  1. ↑ Based on 6 reviews

References

  1. ↑ Vatankhah, Matt (16 June 2025). "Aggro Crab and Landfall Join Forces to Make 'Peak', a Co-op Climbing Game about Friendship and Falling". Vice. Archived from the original on 18 June 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  2. ↑ "PEAK". Steam Community. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  3. ↑ Kuhnke, Olsin (14 June 2025). "Peak is a small, goofy co-op climbing game from the devs behind Another Crab's Treasure and Content Warning". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  4. ↑ Morales, Greysun (23 June 2025). "How to Play With More Than 4 Players in PEAK". GameRant. Archived from the original on 23 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  5. ↑ Morales, Greysun (17 June 2025). "Peak - What Does 'New Island' Mean?". GameRant. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  6. ↑ Morales, Greysun (20 June 2025). "Mastering the Backpack in PEAK - How to Actually Use It". GameRant. Archived from the original on 20 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  7. ↑ Perez, Diego (24 June 2025). "How to Restore Stamina in PEAK". GameRant. Archived from the original on 25 July 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "How to revive in PEAK". The Times of India. 19 June 2025. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  9. ↑ Fillery, Jake (12 August 2026). "PEAK Has 9 Biomes That Filter Randomly and Here's How it Works". GameRant. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  10. ↑ Phillips, Kara (24 June 2025). "Where to find the Scoutmaster in Peak". PCGamer. Archived from the original on 24 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  11. ↑ Morales, Greysun (21 June 2025). "PEAK: What's the 'Tadpole Scout' Reward?". GameRant. Archived from the original on 23 June 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
  12. ↑ Fillery, Jake (13 August 2026). "PEAK: Every Badge & Cosmetic (And How to Unlock Them)". GameRant. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  13. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (25 May 2026). "Peak's success helped Aggro Crab commit to co-op, says studio head: 'We thought we were a character action studio'". PC Gamer. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Kerr, Chris (19 March 2026). "'Text is evil:' How making Peak changed indie studio Aggro Crab". Game Developer. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  15. ↑ Joshua, Orpheus (16 June 2025). "PEAK Launches on Steam: A Co-Op Climbing Adventure from Landfall and Aggro Crab". Nosy Pixel. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  16. ↑ Carmona, Carla (19 June 2025). "Twitch's Co-Op Game of 2025 May Just Be Peak". GameRant. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  17. ↑ Colp, Tyler (8 August 2025). "Peak players have dust devils and deadly cacti to fear in its Mesa Update coming next week". PC Gamer. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  18. ↑ "Everything New In Peak The Roots Update - Full Patch Notes". GameSpot. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  19. ↑ Kuhnke, Oisin (11 August 2026). "As Peak gets its final big update, developers Landfall and Aggro Crab explain why it isn't a 'forever game'". Rock Paper Shotgun.
  20. ↑ L., Stefan (13 August 2026). "Peak – The Final Ascent is the last big update for the friendslop hit". The Sixth Axis.
  21. ↑ Hallahan, Sam (3 July 2025). "Peak's Bing Bong Plushie Is About To Be Real, And I've Never Needed Anything More Than This". TheGamer. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  22. ↑ Cichacki, Shaun (3 July 2025). "Need a Bing Bong or a Scout of Your Own? Makeship Is Partnering With Landcrab To Create a 'PEAK' Collaboration". VICE. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  23. ↑ "PEAK". Fangamer. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  24. ↑ "PEAK MERCH IS HERE". Steam. 26 November 2025. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  25. ↑ "PEAK". Mighty Merch. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  26. ↑ Justin Wagner (14 December 2025). "Peak just added an in-game concert starring rapper bbno$, but it's gone tomorrow". PC Gamer. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  27. 1 2 "PEAK Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  28. 1 2 "PEAK Reviews". OpenCritic. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
  29. ↑ Van Aken, Alex (10 July 2025). "Peak Review". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 15 July 2025.
  30. 1 2 Gould, Elie (26 June 2025). "Peak review". PCGamer. Archived from the original on 26 June 2025. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  31. ↑ Paschetto, NicolΓ² (8 July 2025). "PEAK – Recensione". The Games Machine (in Italian). Archived from the original on 8 July 2025.
  32. ↑ Coleman, Jack (29 June 2025). "Forget REPO And Crab Game, Peak Is By Far The Best Friendslop Game I've Played". TheGamer. Archived from the original on 30 June 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  33. ↑ Cichacki, Shaun; Franklin II, Anthony; Koepp, Brent; Valens, Ana; Vatankhah, Matt (26 June 2025). "Waypoint Mini Review Roundup Episode 7: 'PEAK'ing, Sneaking, and Point-And-Clicking. A Little Grand Strategy for Good Luck, Too". VICE. Archived from the original on 30 June 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  34. ↑ Donlan, Christian (24 June 2025). "Budget Steam smash hit, Peak, is my new gaming obsession". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  35. ↑ Townsend, Chance (29 January 2026). "'Cairn' review: It's 'Peak' for the real climbing freaks". Mashable. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  36. ↑ Gerblick, Jordan (23 June 2025). "'I'm gonna crash out': Even the creators of co-op climbing game Peak are stunned by 1 million copies sold in 6 days – 'Why did this stupid jam game sell more than Another Crab's Treasure'". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  37. 1 2 Gould, Elie (24 June 2025). "'Why did this stupid jam game sell more': Climbing game Peak has sold 1 million copies in under a week, outperforming its developer's most popular game". PCGamer. Archived from the original on 24 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  38. ↑ Kerr, Chris (23 June 2025). "Aggro Crab and Landfall 'side hustle' Peak has sold 100,000 copies in 24 hours". Game Developer. Archived from the original on 18 June 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  39. ↑ Hore, Jamie (18 June 2025). "Chaotic new co-op game Peak is a surprise, 93% rated hit on Steam". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on 18 June 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  40. ↑ Shutler, Ali (23 June 2025). "This indie co-op game surprised everyone by selling a million copies in under a week". NME. Archived from the original on 23 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  41. ↑ Gould, Elie (26 June 2025). "Peak has now sold 2 million copies in just 9 days, as the devs reveal what's next for this co-op climbing game: 'Let's talk about what we're cooking'". PCGamer. Archived from the original on 26 June 2025. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  42. ↑ Pabriga, Cedric (14 July 2025). "Co-Op Climbing Game Peak Reaches 5M Copies Sold Less Than One Month After Release - Gaming News". Gaming News. Archived from the original on 3 August 2025. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
  43. ↑ Valentine, Rebekah (20 August 2025). "Peak Sells 10 Million Copies". IGN. Archived from the original on 20 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  44. ↑ Makar, Connor (23 June 2025). "Charming co-op climbing game Peak takes Steam by storm, selling one million copies in six days and mounting the top sellers page". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 24 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  45. ↑ Harris, Iain (3 October 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads the Golden Joystick Award 2025 charge for most nominations, nudging out Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
  46. ↑ Ramsey, Robert (3 November 2025). "Clair Obscur, Ghost of Yotei, and More Battle for Golden Joystick's Ultimate Game of the Year Award". Push Square. Archived from the original on 3 November 2025.
  47. ↑ Bevan, Rhiannon (20 November 2025). "All Of The Winners At The Golden Joystick Awards 2025". TheGamer. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  48. ↑ Thompson, Cher (17 November 2025). "Streamer Awards 2025: Full List Of Nominees & How To Vote". Screen Rant. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
  49. ↑ Maas, Jennifer (11 December 2025). "The Game Awards 2025 Winners List". Variety. ISSN 0042-2738. Archived from the original on 4 February 2026. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  50. ↑ "The Steam Awards 2025". Steam. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  51. ↑ McGowen, Andrew (9 December 2025). "'Indiana Jones and the Great Circle,' 'Ghost of Yōtei' and 'Split Fiction' Among Best Game Contenders in 2026 BAFTA Games Awards Longlist". Variety. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
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