Drew Swanson is a News Article Editor from the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Being a gamer all his life and enjoying everything from ARPGs like Diablo to JRPGs like Pokemon and Persona, his love of digging into game lore and history naturally led to a passion for sharing these ideas with others through writing. He has been writing about games professionally for over 4 years, with bylines as a Contributing Writer at High Ground Gaming for 2 years before joining GameRant. He also has a background in video game studies with a degree from Washington State University, where he also won the Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Award in 2021 for his writing and design work on the game Quest for Arete.
Steam‘s latest co-op horror game is off to a strong start after launching to an impressive 89% very positive user review score. Machine Party is a new Steam game from Buckshot Roulette developer Mike Klubnika in collaboration with GDeavid that pits players against each other in brutally violent mini-games. Over 800 users have left Steam reviews for Machine Party in the days since it released on July 30, making it a clear contender for the next breakout indie co-op hit.
The indie co-op horror game scene on Steam has included some massive hits in 2026, with games like Shift at Midnight recently going viral. While not necessarily horror-themed, other Steam co-op games like Meccha Chameleon and Funnel Runners have become massively popular as well. Machine Party may have some big shoes to fill after the viral success of Buckshot Roulette, but its very positive debut already puts it in a great position to repeat that acclaim.
Machine Party Launches to Very Positive Steam Reviews
Check out Machine Party on Steam
- Release Date: July 30, 2026
- Developer: Mike Klubnika, GDeavid
- Genre: Multiplayer, Co-Op, Party, Horror
- Price: $7.99 (15% launch discount until August 13)
- Platforms: PC (Steam)
Like a bizarre mash-up of Mario Party and Saw, Machine Party has a simple premise that is built upon with each mini-game thrown at players. Groups of 2-4 players can hop into Machine Party where they must endure unique, extreme mini-games with lethal consequences for failure. One mini-game has players solving puzzles or risk getting shot by a machine gun that descends from the ceiling, while another has them eating peas from a plate at gunpoint. It’s a wacky but violent mixture that has already captured the attention of nearly 6,000 concurrent players at its peak.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Machine Party Gameplay Features
- A collection of uniquely violent party games
- Support for 2 – 4 players
- An industrial soundtrack by Alex Peipman
- Customize your test subject
- Multiple devious ways of screwing your friends over
Currently, Machine Party only includes online co-op, with plans in place for a local co-op update coming later in August. However, this missing feature still hasn’t deterred Steam users from showering the game with praise, with many reviewers highlighting how hilarious the Steam game is to play with friends while maintaining a biting edge of violence.
Machine Party‘s launch discount gives players15% off if they purchase the game before August 13 ($7.99 –> $6.79).
Despite the generally very positive reviews on Steam, there are still some features that Machine Party players want to see in future updates. One of the most requested features for Machine Party is a mini-game rotation or randomization option rather than being in the same order every time. Other players simply want more mini-games to keep the Machine Party fun going for even longer. While developers Mike Klubnika and GDeavid have not confirmed if these features will be added in the future, the fact that local co-op is planned for the future is a good sign that the developers will continue to take fan feedback into consideration with updates.
