New airline simulator Dear Passengers takes Steam by storm with half a million wishlists

Imagine the worst budget holiday flight of your life, then dial the chaos up to one hundred. That is the premise of Dear Passengers, a wild new physics-based co-operative game arriving on PCs later this year. The twist? You are not the suffering flyers. Instead, you and your friends team up as the crew of the world's worst airline, desperately managing chaotic cabins, angry passengers and mid-air disasters.

The rise of the 'friendslop' phenomenon

Following its official announcement on July 14, 2026, the game has generated massive buzz online. Semyon Kozyura, co-founder of the Kyiv-based studio Flexus, revealed that the project logged more than 500,000 Steam wishlists within hours of going live. The viral announcement trailer also accumulated over 100,000 likes on social media, signalling an uncommonly strong debut for a studio transitioning from mobile hits to its very first premium PC title.

The game centres on themes common to the 'friendslop' movement—a term used to describe multiplayer games that are vibrant, chaotic and fun to play with a group. "We create a game that is fun. Every element of it is aimed at one goal: that moment when you laugh with your friends," Flexus explained.

Gameplay splits your crew between the cockpit and the cabin. While one person pilots the failing aircraft, others manage proximity voice chat, serve meals, placate irate travellers and balance risky cargo loads—like live crocodiles. Wild ragdoll-style physics send luggage and passengers flying during turbulence. When structural disaster strikes, crew members must step outside mid-flight to repair the hull or grab weapons to fight off incoming pirates.

While Semyon confirmed a playable demo is heading to Gamescom later this year, the game currently has no fixed release date beyond a broad 2026 window.

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