For years I waited for someone to make it. It never came.
So I am building it myself. Layback is a realistic surfing game — real physics, waves that keep changing, and controls that feel natural.
It's been quietly in development for over a year — and from here on, I'll be sharing the journey as it happens.
Speed, momentum and rail pressure behave like they do in the water. You work the wave for everything you get — and the board goes where physics takes it.
Easy to pick up, all feel. A few intuitive inputs put you in control of your line — the challenge is what you do on the wave, not on the controller.
Beach breaks, reef breaks and point breaks — from fast hollow barrels to slow carving sections. Wind and conditions shape every wave, so no two are ever the same.
A twin fin doesn't ride like a thruster or a quad. Boards and fins feed straight into the physics — shape and size change how you turn and carry speed.
Bottom turns, carves, cutbacks, snaps, floaters, airs, air grabs, tube rides — and the list keeps growing.
I am Sandro Haag and I am the person making Layback: A Surfer Experience.
I have been making games for over 20 years, at studios across Brazil, the United States, and Australia. Surfing has been my passion for just as long.
I have been thinking about this game for a very long time, and I am very happy to say it is now well into development. My vision is to do for surfing what the original EA Skate series did for skateboarding — giving surfers a place to be when they are out of the water.
Key art by Hoa Han — hoahan.com
The art in Layback is made by real artists. Hoa Han is the artist bringing it all to life.
Some parts of the game use licensed assets — those also come from real artists. No AI-generated art anywhere.
Somewhere in between. The physics are real, so it feels like actual surfing — but it's built to be fun to play, not homework. If you surf, it will feel familiar. If you don't, it's easy to pick up.
Simple by design. A few intuitive inputs control your line and your timing — the depth comes from the wave, not from memorizing combos. A controller is strongly recommended: Layback is built around analog control, and without an analog stick it just doesn't feel the same.
Bottom turns, carves, cutbacks, snaps, floaters, airs, air grabs, tube rides — and the list is still growing as development goes on.
I am starting with Steam for PC and Mac. The plan is to bring Layback to PlayStation and Xbox after that.
The current target is 2027. It's still too early for an exact date, but the game is in active production — sign up above and you'll be the first to know when it's locked in.
