Steam has become many gamers’ go-to platform for great indie games. Whether it’s a fun game inspired by GTA to hold one over until GTA 6‘s launch or a hidden gem that is easy to sink hours into, Steam has built a reputation for being one of the best places to host unique indie projects. One of the biggest niches that Steam is great for is co-op games. Whether it’s survival, horror, action, farming sims, or a wild mix of these genres, there are tons of great co-op games to check out on Steam.
One of the newest co-op titles that is set to hit Steam soon is called Funnel Runners. What makes this indie game so intriguing is that it tasks a group of players with surviving a tornado that is headed straight for town. For gamers who love natural disaster movies like Twister, The Day After Tomorrow, and Geostorm, Funnel Runners may be the perfect game to add to your wish list.
Taking a Quick Look at Funnel Runner’s Confirmed Features
- First-person perspective
- Co-op that supports up to seven players
- Data collection
- Hunting for information
- Dynamic tornado and storm system
- Environmental destruction
- Resource and tool collection
Steam is Being Investigated by the FBI
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation launches an investigation into several games confirmed to contain malware on Steam.
Funnel Runners Pits Seven Players Against the Forces of Nature in a Small Town That Doesn’t Stand a Chance
Players are sent on a job by in-game company APEX Storm Monitoring Services to help gather data on oncoming storms. This proves to be far easier said than done, though. An extremely powerful tornado is headed for town, and there is no way the area will still be standing by the time the tornado tears its way through the map. It’s specifically an F-5 tornado, too. That’s the highest rating a tornado can get, so players only have a small window to get the information they need and get out. Games with good weather mechanics can really bring an extra level of immersion, and Funnel Runners promises a realistic and harrowing take on natural disaster survival gameplay.
Balance the critic averages
Balance the critic averages
Easy (6)Medium (8)Hard (10)
Fix the Van, and Get the Heck Out of Town
Since this is a Twister-like disaster scenario, there have to be extra obstacles in the way before the team can make it to safety. The van has broken down, so players need to work together to search the town for supplies and tools. It’s truly a race against time, because items that could save the team will be lost if the tornado destroys the building that they are sitting in. Some of the best survival games make sure time is of the essence, and Funnel Runners is definitely taking that to heart through the limited timeframe players will have to get the van back up and running.
Chaotic Environmental Destruction Makes Funnel Runner’s Survival Even More Challenging
One of the most exciting aspects of Funnel Runners is the game’s environmental destruction. Games with good environmental destruction mechanics can really make the world feel more alive. Titles like Battlefield 6 and The Finals have been some of the best in recent years, but it’s going to be really fun to see how Funnel Runners‘ take on the mechanic holds up. Tornadoes are some of the most unpredictable weather phenomena, and Funnel Runners promises that its mechanics will match that chaos.
The weather is your worst enemy here. Tornadoes and storms will spawn randomly, grow stronger over time, and tear the whole map apart.
For a game like Funnel Runners to really nail that intense survival feeling, environmental destruction has to present plenty of challenge without being overbearing. That’s a hard balance to achieve, but the game’s trailer looks promising. There are plenty of realistic survival games out there, but Funnel Runners is tapping into a source that hasn’t really seen its full potential. Games like Just Cause 4 have made natural disasters a part of the main experience, but this kind of in-game danger definitely has more room to shine.
Funnel Runners Might Have What It Takes to Be One of the Best Co-Op Indies of 2026
Over the years, co-op indie games have continued to be a popular way for friends to spend time together. There always seems to be one or two that end up being the go-to options for the year, though. Last year saw games like Peak and R.E.P.O. reign over the indie co-op space. Some of the other biggest indie co-ops to become major hits on Steam and other platforms have been Phasmophobia, Among Us, Lethal Company, and Content Warning. Since Funnel Runners hasn’t been released yet, it’s really too early to say if it can live up to the high standards that these games have created. It definitely has a unique enough premise to potentially attract a lot of attention from gamers, though.
Right now, Funnel Runners‘ Steam page claims that the game is going to be ready sometime around Q2 of this year. It hopefully doesn’t get delayed, but only time will tell. Funnel Runners is a compelling premise that seems to have taken some notes from past popular co-op games. Based on the gameplay, it has enough Phasmophobia inspiration to feel familiar to a lot of co-op indie fans. The focus on extreme weather and environmental hazards really helps it stand on its own, though. That blend of familiarity and uniqueness could really prove to work in its favor at launch.
Funnel Runners may not have a release date set in stone yet, but interested gamers can go ahead and wishlist it on Steam.
Face the Unstoppable Forces of Nature With Friends
Natural disasters are terrifying. What makes them so sweat-inducing to think about is the fact that there’s nothing that can be done to stop them. Getting to experience these situations in first person is definitely going to get the heart pounding, but it could also prove to be a great time with friends. The best co-op games on Steam usually have a special niche that they embrace, and Funnel Runners definitely has that going for it.
