Roadside Research
by Cybernetic Walrus · 12 Feb, 2026
597 downloads
About the Game
Aliens have landed on Earth… to run a gas station. Play solo or up to 4 players and do human tasks to blend in. People depend on you, it’s your job to make sure that the shelves have the correct items, refuel customers passing by, and provide food for travelers. But most importantly, you must conduct your research.
Stay Undetected
Your mission is simple. Gather all data you can from humans without their knowledge. Scan, steal, and test various methods on customers while they stop by the gas station. Be careful not to raise the “suspicion meter” too high, as that will trigger the visit of government officials.
Be Normal, Be Human
During the day, take care of the gas station as an ordinary employee. Restock the shelves, order wares for the shop, refuel passersby, and exchange goods for cash. At night you will be able to gather your thoughts, and plan for the next day.
Upgrade and Customize
Balance between two missions, upgrading the gas station to attract more customers and upgrading your alien tech to process data and gather information more efficiently. To blend in, draw a very normal human expression on your state-of-the-art disguise.
During closing hours, you can also upgrade the station, inside and outside to make sure everything is going according to plan.
Features
Chaotic solo or co-op fun: Gather friends or play alone to manage the gas station while pursuing your alien mission.
Dual Upgrade Path: Manage upgrades for your gas station and for your alien technology at the same time
Satisfying Simulation: Clean, cook, and stock your workplace with all necessary supplies and items to make sure every customer leaves satisfied.
Alien Deception: Make sure to stay disguised and don’t get caught by human government officials. If you are too suspicious, they will turn you into goo.
Screenshots
10 images
Version Information
Steam Patch Notes
Official update history
Alien HQ thanks you for your stellar feedback on the latest update! Your kind words and detailed anomaly reports helped us identify and fix a number of issues.
Here is a list of all the fixes:
Box-Box transfer is back babyyyyyyy
Boxes fall under the floor less often. This is not a perfect solution but it should make it better. We are working on a proper fix.
Added an icon on the Data Analyzer to make it clear the DNA sample needs to be attached for the symbol puzzle.
Fixed several placement issues in the storage room
Tool reset icon is now disabled correctly
Made it possible to go under the stairs once the last storage update is unlocked.
Fixed wrong suspicion values for the probing toilet
Brought back old cat sound
Fixed the issue where it was impossible to go to page 21 on the How to Play with a controller.
If a product is losing money, it should now be indicated with a negative sign and in red.
Fixed the Storage Rack having bad colliders preventing from being placed next to each other.
Fixed a bug that allowed DNA samples to be put through the hatch during the Data Analyzer's final step.
Fixed Vegan Steak market and stock price
Your field reports really help us resolve anomalies faster and keep the undercover business running smoothly.
Ready to goop? Beam up to our official Discord to find players, discuss new features, and enjoy the latest Roadside Research update together!
We fixed an issue where the client was unable to attach the pump to the car
Happy Goopin'!
Welcome to next level gas station chaos! Alien HQ has upgraded its invasion protocols with everything being slightly more alien, slightly more sim-heavy, and significantly more fun!
With over 730K copies sold so far, this mission has been a great success already! And it would not be possible without all of you fantastic undercover operators! Thanks to your support, Roadside Research is being played, streamed and used worldwide by friends and families to come together and have a good laugh gooping on the floor.
Here are the biggest upgrades:
Open your receptors as a new transmission of highly requested upgrades has entered your systems: a storage upgrade, extra alien stuff, and lots more! Amp up your operations because Alien HQ is watching... and expects results!
Here are the highlights:
An upgraded Alien Room now features the Data Analyzer minigame to boost alien tech...[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45643699/b6c411e69414a00b1e37543df1396bb79f7a2f53.png"]
... and your loyal pet Greg! Isn't it just adorable?
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45643699/6ccdd014abe4c7e9d612139ad784505bb9a94b56.png"]
9 new, finger-licking products including the famous Boneless Bananas, your favorite Chonken and the nutritious Single Pea (Family Size)!
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45643699/37d35d89f5ddc64c8b2f4cf8cac7d70f8c75af5c.png"]
A bunch of new decorations make your gas station scream "totally human"!
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45643699/a2f7a00055f2d24812c0df1b4899c43ace28677a.png"]
Patch notes for the 2nd major update – May 19th
These are the biggest additions:
NEW Data Analyzer minigame – Complete the Data Analyzer sequence and reap the rewards! In exchange for your hard-earned Research Points, you can temporarily boost the alien tech of your choice: H.I.P., W.E.E., or P.P.C.
NEW Alien Room – As we prepare for the invasion, the mothership superstructed your own alien room, which is very well disguised, as always!
NEW Storage Expansion – By popular demand, you now have the option to expand the storage room to run operations more smoothly!
NEW Maglocks - Maglocks allow you to place tools anywhere! No more running around to get your trusty prober from the Alien Room. In case you lose your tools, worry not! You can click on the hooks in the Alien Room to reset them!
NEW Products - 9 new “ready meal” products, optimized for the strange nutritional preferences of humans, based on your field research!
NEW Decor – More decorations and placeables to put up in your gas station while pretending you understand the nebulous concept of “interior design.”
NEW Placeable variant system – Decorating just got easier: You can now cycle through variants for placeables that are very similar to each other, making the Construction Menu less cluttered!
NEW Outfits – 3 new incredibly comfy and super cool outfits! “Peak fashion”, as we overheard customers admire them...
NEW Anti- Motion Sickness setting – Some operators reported that manually moving products into shopping baskets was a main cause of nausea, so we added a Click-to-Bag accessibility setting for the cash register. You can find it in the General tab in the Options menu. (Still feeling sick? Let us know on Discord!)
Gameplay, Balance and other improvements:
Added a little notification icon to the upgrades to show if something is purchasable.
Unlocking new products will now always increase revenue. Before this update, in some cases, revenue went down after unlocking new products.
Improved multiplayer handling for objects.
Added multiple save retry attempts to help prevent corrupted save files.
Promo Sign minigame now ends automatically. It also shows how long its effect lasts on the HUD now.
Improved loading timeout behavior and disconnect handling.
Connection timeout is now 15 seconds instead of 100. If a host loses connection to the Photon Cloud, the host gets shut down.
Added animated feedback for currency, research, satisfaction, and suspicion changes.
Added interaction locking to prevent accidental actions while in menus. For example, vacuuming while changing the price.
Made scrolling easier in the Construction Menu.
Added a 5th shark... can you find it?
Updated credits with clickable hyperlinks.
Updated the How to Play Section with new content.
Other bug fixes:
Players now correctly start loaded games with 0 suspicion at the beginning of the day, preventing an instant hunt.
Attempting to join a game that no longer exists should now show a Game Not Found error.
Fixed several late-join synchronization issues for cars, hooks, UI, and interactions.
Fixed the values for the H.I.P, so it corresponds to the description.
Fixed dirt piles and stains being difficult or impossible to clean.
Fixed emote camera rotation issues.
Fixed issues with not being able to put the cleaning boot properly on the hook.
Fixed baguette getting stuck in the self-scan (what is up with these baguettes? Sometimes they linger, sometimes they get stuck...)
Fixed an issue where players would not be able to click anything if they assigned LMB movement.
Fixed a crash that would happen if the player were probed during a minigame.
Fixed multiple hook, socket, object dragging, and trash bag interaction bugs.
Fixed softlocks related to alien screen, loading, probes, and suspicion loops.
Fixed several UI duplication, overlap, clipping, and navigation issues.
Fixed NPC spawning, car despawning, and customer synchronization issues.
Fixed voice chat audio settings not muting other players.
Fixed multiple lighting, collider, decal, terrain, and clipping problems.
Fixed wrong description for beer six packs.
Fixed Client not being able to grab objects from sockets after the host.
And maaaaany other bug fixes...
What will the next update bring you?
The next update is scheduled for the Northern Hemisphere’s annual overheating event: Summer. It will include the long-awaited abductions no alien can live without, additional automation systems, and several big yet still classified enhancements designed to boost the fun of being an undercover gas station operative.
For more info, consult the freshly synthesized roadmap!
Share your thoughts with Alien HQ!
How are you enjoying the latest update? And on a biological cuteness scale from 1–10, how do you rate Greg?
Transmit your feedback directly to Alien HQ using our official Discord, we’d love to hear from you!
Happy Wester... Easter, fellow undercover operators!
Based on recently decrypted signals, we understand that humans enjoy being exposed to colorful ovum units (“Easter eggs”) and cranial appendages resembling bipedal mammals (“bunny ears”) during this time of the year. However, we still wonder why these items are used to celebrate cardinal directions...
Either way, the mothership has deployed a fresh batch of festive seasonal decorations for you to better blend in. Caution: excessive exposure to this Earth custom may result in… actually liking it?
The Easter update is live now and includes the following:
10 Easter-themed decoration items
6 new skin colors
10 new hats (including a “bunny ears” and "Frog Sqwad" disguise)
Minor bug fixes
The agents were tweaked:
We received reports that agents react too erratically when it comes to probing. Consequently, we made some adjustments. Please keep in mind that starting to probe while being too close to them still triggers them.
We made these adjustments:
The blind spot behind agents has been made wider (from about 30 degree angle to a 60 degree angle)
The agent investigation time has increased from 8-12 to 14-18 seconds
The following fixes have been added as well:
Fixed an issue with the head slider where it would stay at 0 no matter what
The target on the pump should display the correct value now
Fixed an issue where you would need to move certain objects multiple times before they actually changed location
Starting brush size during mask painting is not massive anymore
Sitting activity animations upgraded
Fixed an issue where the corner shelf was not aligned properly (you need to place it again to align it properly)
Fixed a bunch of grammar and text mistakes
The agent investigation animation is now looping
Various UX fixes
Are you in need of helping hands to skillfully transform your gas station into a convincing Easter attraction? Beam up to our official Discord server to find players!
We know that the previous bug sweep left out a few stragglers. Thanks to your reports, we’ve found the root causes of many and wiped them out.
The eradication efforts of this hotfix include the following:
- Fixed an issue where the shop would be unusable with a controller due to two different actions being assigned to the same button
- Fixed invisible agents
- Decreased memory load of the game
- Fixed an issue where it was impossible to remove some placeables because the game thought a customer is still using them
- Fixed various desync issues
Please continue let us know if you are encountering issues still! This week we will work further to stabilize the game so your reports are very handy!
Beam up to our Discord and tell us if you are encountering any problems!
Your feedback was received, your player logs cherished and your patience deeply appreciated by command.
Here are the bugs that got zapped:
- Fixed an issue where the client has everything highlighted in green and can't interact with the screen - Fixing this issue likely resolved a bunch of other weird bugs as well.
- Fixed an issue where cleaning robot would go on a strike and would stop cleaning.
- Fixed an issue where items would get stuck on the self scan.
Please continue let us know if you are encountering issues still! This week we will work further to stabilize the game so your reports are very handy!
As we will start working on the next big update, we’re also refining our internal processes first to keep future updates far more stable and only the fun kind of chaotic.
Beam up to our Discord and tell us if you are encountering any problems!
- Fixed an issue where it was impossible to drop tools after interacting with the alien screen
Sorry for the troubles!
Unacceptable levels of weirdness in the latest version of the game have been identified and neutralized. Thanks to everyone for staying patient and helping us troubleshoot this!
The following has been corrected with the hotfix:
Fixed an issue where the cleaning robot would spawn on the roof
Fixed an issue where players would not be able to interact with the alien screen
Automation tweaks including the following:
Reduced overfilling when auto pump is on. Pumping speed has slightly decreased to compensate.
The cleaning robot breaks less often
Self-checkout requires assistance less often
Fixed an issue where agents would get stuck
Fixed an issue where customer spawn rates were not functioning as intended resulting in fewer customers
Fixed an issue where customers would not be dropping trash in trashcans.
If any other anomalies manifest, report them to us on Discord for us to hunt them down!
The fix will be available for Xbox and Windows Store as soon as Microsoft approves.
Happy probin’, everyone! 🔫
Small hotfix to make sure NPCs don't get stuck at their cars!
Hope you enjoy!
Your intergalactic espionage mission is kicking into overdrive... And as every lifeform knows, efficiency is key! Let’s buckle up for automation! This means less chores, higher sales, and more time to run extremely invasive human research.
Watching so many of you play Roadside Research has been an absolute blast (especially with over 400,000 copies sold in just the first month of Early Access)! Thanks to your support, we’ve already been able to improve the game so much in such a short time and seeing it featured in this month's Steam Top Releases truly feels out of this world.
What’s new: Summary of the automation update
As promised, the update will include lots of features that you have been asking for! Plus, the new partial automation will pump up the fun especially for solo and duo players (you can turn these upgrades on and off anytime).
Here are the highlights:
The new "Automatic Surface Scrubber” cleaning robot helps you keep your gas station orderly and goop-free!
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45643699/d868be0cb7f5cb5126bf248d855046f9c4170c99.jpg"]Customers can now pay for their groceries at the new self-scan cash register, though assistance from a superior lifeform like you may still be required.
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45643699/8c6c292d181efa62fc735a390995c51c91c26512.jpg"]
A new self-service pump upgrade can now be unlocked. Observe as humans struggle with basic liquid transfer protocols.
[img src="{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45643699/f029502432ba78354bc49aa2431c10659de318b3.jpg"]
Patch notes for the 1st major update – March 19th
New content:
Added a cleaning robot as an automation to keep your gas station tidy. It cleans goop, dirt, toilets, the cash register and the pumps! This little robot might break down from time to time and it's up to you to fix it. Buy it for Research Points and select it in the construction menu!
Added a self-scan cash register placeable as an automation check-out for customers in your store. Occasionally, there will be some low IQ humans that will need help scanning their items.
Added an unlockable, automated gas pump to let the machine tank for the customers. The upgrade is placed automatically on the pumps and services both sides of the pump. You can turn it on and off anytime!
Added 12 new products and 1 new shelf type. Humans desire frozen things! We think they will love these processed food abominations!
Added an extra shop expansion (more storage options coming soon)!
New poster decorations
New plant decorations
Various bug fixes
Improvements and fixes based on community requests:
Made the bounds for the shelves smaller.
Added the functionality to edit prices for all products at once on the alien screen.
Fixed an issue where the lid of the replicator machine did not close for clients.
Fixed an issue where a pump customer would not get out of the car.
Added value ramping to movement with joystick input.
Added the ability to transfer items between boxes.
Fixed some pants and tops having the same name on the customization screen.
The camera can now be rotated while emoting.
Emotes can be cancelled.
Added the option to turn off or change upscalers.
Added the option to change resolution scaling (upscaler quality levels).
Added the option to turn off or change Anti-Aliasing.
Clearer indication when fuel is empty.
Fixed an issue where the store would not open if it was opened by the client.
The agents got a bit of rework too, to make it clearer what they are doing and why they are doing it:
Agents' behavior now always follows the current suspicion level.
If an interrogation is ongoing, it will stop the moment the hunt level is reached, and agents will start hunting you.
No more instant interrogation when something suspicious is discovered (unless the increase in suspicion triggered the interrogation level).
Knocking over an agent increases the suspicion to max instead of just triggering a hunt manually.
Failing an interrogation increases the suspicion to max instead of just making the interrogator hunt the interrogated player.
If an interrogation is successful, the suspicion decrease only applies when they leave.
New notification appears when suspicion increases while agents are visiting, explaining what caused it.
Other fixes:
All fridges now complete the “Goop best served cold” quest, not just the small fridge.
Fixed an issue where agent music would not stop when returning to the main menu.
Added death and respawn musical queue sounds.
NPCs will now get hit by cars as well (haha)!
Added cosmetic delivery boxes to the truck when multiple boxes are ordered.
Dirt is now visible at the pumps.
Added highlights to the selected gas type on the gas pumps both on the screen and the buttons.
Optimized the way custom masks are saved.
Added ambient music to be present in the game.
Added slider to control ambient music separately from the radio.
Agents now spawn with a tool in hand linked to their level of alertness.
Fixed an issue where moving suspicion reducing alien tech immediately affected the suspicion stat.
Fixed an issue where not all clients would hear the bonk SFX when throwing items at NPCs.
Updated alien placeable images in the construction menu to feature a green background.
Fixed an issue where trash would spawn in the air and keep falling through the ground.
Changed the way NPCs move in queues to make them rotate to the cash register, rather than looking at the doorway.
Fixed an issue where the shop basket UI wouldn’t properly reset when the delivery truck left.
Made placeable objects spawn facing the closest cardinal direction.
Fixed an issue where the replication animation of the Replicator machine can only be observed by one user at a time.
Tweaked the satisfaction bubble.
Restructured the layout of the upgrade tree to fit the new unlocks.
Fixed missing triangle in NPCs head.
Fixed the missing sound from notifications, as well as their animation not playing every time.
No more suspicion decreases during agent raids.
Delivery truck doors now open correctly for the client in case of late joining.
...and many more...
Extra: Upgraded connectivity
To decrease lag and connectivity issues, we add more STUN/ NAT servers to our infrastructure. This means perfectly timed agent-stunning and zero excuses.
What’s coming next?
We are carefully monitoring all transmissions about the game as this helps us figure out our next steps in making it even better! Your feedback has been very helpful, and we appreciate every idea, forum post, and review. Based on this, here are some features that are already on our radar and currently being addressed:
Crossplay: as this one is very high in demand, we’re already working on implementing it!
More alien stuff: there’s more to alien life than goopin’ all day and all night! More alien-related actions and items are in the making.
As you can see on the roadmap, we have been able to update the game faster than we initially calculated! Plus, there are still lots of other fun extras are scheduled to further upgrade our totally legitimate gas station into a top-tier human research lab.
How do you like the update and what automation are you going to add first? Let us know on Discord!
Current Release
23347505
Uploaded Jun 23, 2026
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System Requirements
How to Install
Roadside Research.exe to play
Troubleshooting tips
• Run Redist/_CommonRedist installers if game won't start
• Add folder to Windows Defender exclusions
• Run as administrator
Download
Direct link available
970 MB
23347505
886DFBFF
f7a2ffd1251c01b8f5ba2f633e407a51345073645674aac7f805abb4225f2591
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View AllDownload Roadside Research for PC with a direct link or via torrent. Get the full version of Roadside Research for free. Roadside Research is a Casual released by Cybernetic Walrus.