
Playtest report preview
Echo MatesWhat streamers ran into on Twitch
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Co-op horror where your voice reveals the darkness and attracts creatures for 1 to 4 players.
We listened to 8 Twitch streams of Echo Mates (7h 12m in total). The problem that came up most: basic controls and settings are never taught in game, in 5 of 8 streams.
8 Twitch streams · 7h 12m analysed · Russian, Portuguese, English · analysed in the week of 19 Oct 2026 · Steam page
- Problems
- 70
- Ideas
- 3
- Highlights
- 6
Each problem, idea and highlight counts once, however often it came up. The timeline counts every moment: 171 in all.
Where the moments happened
Grey bars show when the streamer was talking. Each mark is one reported moment; select a type below to hide or show it.
- Stream 1, 45 min analysed: 12 problems, 2 suggestions or comparisons.
- Stream 2, 53 min analysed: 15 problems, 2 suggestions or comparisons.
- Stream 3, 1h analysed: 11 problems, 1 highlight.
- Stream 4, 1h analysed: 28 problems, 5 highlights.
- Stream 5, 43 min analysed: 23 problems, 3 suggestions or comparisons.
- Stream 6, 51 min analysed: 15 problems, 2 highlights.
- Stream 7, 1h analysed: 23 problems, 2 highlights.
- Stream 8, 1h analysed: 25 problems, 1 suggestion or comparison, 1 highlight.
Problems (70)
Bugs, confusion, frustration and the moments players gave up. The ones most streams ran into come first.
- #8Confusion
basic controls and settings are never taught in game
5 of 8 streams · 16 moments
16 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #37Frustration
early runs feel too hard and contracts keep failing
3 of 8 streams · 6 moments
6 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #38Frustration
early economy too tight, one purchase drains starting funds
3 of 8 streams · 5 moments
5 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #39Frustration
ambush monsters from vents and hatches kill instantly with no warning
3 of 8 streams · 5 moments
5 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #9Confusion
first contract goal and delivery are not explained
2 of 8 streams · 5 moments
5 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #10Confusion
deaths and attacks give no feedback on their cause
2 of 8 streams · 4 moments
4 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #11Confusion
friend invite option missing from match creation
2 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #40Frustration
missing portuguese and poor spanish text make tutorial hard to follow
2 of 8 streams · 6 moments
6 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #41Frustration
push to talk appears in controls but has no enable option
2 of 8 streams · 5 moments
5 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #42Frustration
too many monsters crowd players with no way to escape
2 of 8 streams · 4 moments
4 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #43Frustration
hazardous cargo explodes or freezes players without clear warning
2 of 8 streams · 4 moments
4 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #44Frustration
interacting with a column makes it fall on the player
2 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #45Frustration
shop button buys item outright instead of adding to cart
2 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #12Confusion
store purpose and shared wallet are never explained
2 of 8 streams · 4 moments
4 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #13Confusion
inventory storage and capacity are not explained
2 of 8 streams · 3 moments
3 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #14Confusion
shop items lack descriptions of use and single use consumption
2 of 8 streams · 3 moments
3 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #15Confusion
dead ends and looping corridors make navigation confusing
2 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #46Frustration
failed runs leave the team with no money for the shop
2 of 8 streams · 4 moments
4 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #1Bug
disconnect right after returning to main menu
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #2Bug
game froze when the tutorial started
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #3Bug
tutorial can end instantly before any steps are shown
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #4Bug
carried core left behind when the player is moved up
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #5Bug
crewmate bodies cannot be picked up inside the level
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #16Confusion
tutorial steps leave goals for orbs, cores and shop unclear
1 of 8 streams · 5 moments
5 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #17Confusion
survey progress unclear and sonar must be held to count
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #18Confusion
cryo flask freezing kills without a clear warning
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #19Confusion
player health is not shown anywhere
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #20Confusion
photo and video objectives fail without clear reason
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #47Frustration
grabbing monster makes players drop held items
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #48Frustration
turret activation and shutoff are hard to read
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #49Frustration
own crew bodies do not count toward body task
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #50Frustration
no proper tutorial before monsters kill the team
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #51Frustration
died within minutes of the first mission
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #52Frustration
rail stage is disliked
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #53Frustration
trap kills when passing along its edge
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #54Frustration
friends on different builds cannot play together
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #55Frustration
turret attracts monsters to the player
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #56Frustration
melee friendly fire hits teammates mixed in with creatures
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #6Bug
kicked barrel breaks lobby fence and leaves the map
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #7Bug
tone lock opens with random noises
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #21Confusion
voice mimicking enemy goes unrecognised until a teammate explains
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #22Confusion
teammate clones are mistaken for real players
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #23Confusion
tablet sections and shop entry not obvious after tutorial
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #24Confusion
unclear whether bodies must be recovered and where to deliver them
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #25Confusion
unclear whether shop items are shared by the team
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #26Confusion
zombie conversion attack feels inconsistent between encounters
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #27Confusion
unclear which note to sing in the voice puzzle
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #28Confusion
gas cylinders explode when thrown without prior warning
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #29Confusion
hiding spots are found only by accident
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #30Confusion
end of run grade is not explained
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #31Confusion
in game voice echo mistaken for a mic problem
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #32Confusion
purpose of the creature chasing players is unclear
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #33Confusion
unclear how a downed player gets knocked down again
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #34Confusion
main menu has no audio so players think sound is broken
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #35Confusion
quick slot turns red without explanation
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #36Confusion
map markers and rats have unclear purpose
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #57Frustration
game feels poorly optimized
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #58Frustration
truck steering is digital and turns poorly
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #59Frustration
placed items and dropped gear disappear from the map
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #60Frustration
being carried by teammates is awkward and knockdowns unclear
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #61Frustration
child enemies throwing objects are annoying
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #62Frustration
truck engine breaks during the drive
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #63Frustration
dropped core loses value on every fall
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #64Frustration
in-game voice chat quality worse than external apps
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #65Frustration
walkie talkie lost after an accident
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #66Frustration
tool lost mid mission forces backtracking
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #67Frustration
own body cannot be picked up after death
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #68Frustration
too dark to see anything at the start
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #69Frustration
overall game audio feels too loud
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #70Frustration
water keeps rising after fixing a pipe leak
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report
Suggestions and comparisons (3)
What players asked for, and which games they compared yours to.
- #73Comparison
likened to existing co-op scavenging horror games
3 of 8 streams · 6 moments
6 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #71Suggestion
core idea might fit a different setting better
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #72Suggestion
remaining descent time not visible on the hud
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report
What landed (6)
Moments players clearly enjoyed.
- #74Highlight
using sound to reveal surroundings is a well liked mechanic
3 of 8 streams · 3 moments
3 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #75Highlight
lobby basketball dribbles and can be taken along
2 of 8 streams · 3 moments
3 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #76Highlight
physics mishaps with barrels and puddles are entertaining
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #77Highlight
photographing several monsters at once feels rewarding
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #78Highlight
dark noisy areas feel genuinely scary
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #79Highlight
sound lit visual style is appreciated
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report
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