Possibly next in the growing line-up of successful, smaller, faster-paced co-op games is Yapyap, developed and published by Maison Bap. Similar to titles like R.E.P.O. and Lethal Company, Yapyap has some omniscient being throw you and your squad into a creepy locale infested with monsters and poor building safety regulations, and threatens you to meet the quota they set… or else. In the case of Yapyap, you take the role of a wizard apprentice, and must utilize various havoc wreaking spells and potions to destroy a required amount of valuables in your bosses’ rival’s castle. This iteration of the zany “friendslop” formula seems to have resonated once again with players, as despite only releasing last week on February 3rd, the developers have announced that Yapyap has accrued over 500k copies sold.

What sets the game apart from its competitors and perhaps what has led to its high sales is its take on spellcasting. Magic in most titles is a means to an end. Press a button or a hotkey, and your character will go through the motions of tapping into the arcane. And usually the only input you have in this process is mana management, but that doesn’t amount to much in terms of gameplay. Yapyap, however, adds a layer of skill to magic, and requires you to use your voice to utilize the spells within the game’s various wands. For example, clearly speak the words “Up Dog” and you’ll be launched skyward if you have the wand of winds equipped. But the value of this mechanic spans far beyond its novelty. It has the capacity to turn stressful situations where you and your friends are attempting to get away from a hostile entity into instant hilarity as you all scream over each other to send as many air spells as possible towards it. Layering that on top of the already very charming low-fidelity vertex-snapping graphics–which also tend to be hallmark of the genre–and the propensity for the internet to enjoy watching people play panic-inducing games, it’s not a big wonder why Yapyap seems to be off to a good start.

Developers Maison Bap confirmed in the player milestone announcement that more updates for the game are on their way, but that they’re focusing on optimization and bug squashing first. Last August, the devs had success in launching their debut title on Steam, Bapbap, a free to play top-down PvP roguelike, but Yapyap is the studio’s first venture into a paid title.