Independent development studio, Skylab, has announced that it will release a new IP in 2026. It’ll take the form of an arcade racer/party game called Couch Planes, and aims to be a lot of fun for solo players and friends/families alike.
Described as “a fast-paced joyride where the craftiest pilot wins,” Couch Planes places a major emphasis on its multiplayer experience. Although folks can fly solo, and complete events and challenges, they can also squad up with a team or turn it into a way to settle scores in competitive multiplayer fashion. As such, it’ll support four player split screen and up to twelve players in online multiplayer.
“We designed Couch Planes to be the ultimate airborne party game, a title that’s easy to pick up but has the depth to keep players coming back for more,” said Ruben Gerlach, Studio Head at Skylab Interactive. “We can’t wait for players to experience the thrill of dodging missiles, collecting power-ups, and outsmarting their friends, all in a game that’s built for shared fun.”
Couch Planes Key Features:
- Power-Up Pandemonium: Smash mid-air balloons to grab game-changing power-ups like homing rockets, speed boosts, and exploding mines. Items are cleverly balanced by position, ensuring every race remains competitive and unpredictable.
- Tracks that Fight Back: Navigate 15 handcrafted maps filled with environmental hazards and beneficial surprises, from swirling tornadoes and crumbling cliffs to power-up windmills and treasure-hauling steam trains.
- Easy to Fly. Hard to Ace: With simple, arcade-style controls, anyone can jump in and fly, but mastering advanced maneuvers like barrel rolls, drifts, and flips is the key to becoming a true stunt master of the skies.
- Full Throttle Style Progress: Earn a wide range of cosmetics as you play, including unique skins, trails, decals, and effects. All cosmetics are purely aesthetic and do not affect performance, ensuring a fair, skill-based competition for everyone.
- The Skies are Always Calling: Couch Planes features seasonal events, a rotating shop, ranked ladders, and continuously evolving content, providing endless reasons to jump back into the cockpit.
There will be traditional races, as well as other modes that have yet to be revealed.
Couch Planes is coming to consoles and PC.