Dead Trash

About

Dead Trash is a single player survival shooter game with horror and violence themes. It was developed by Crowhill Studios and was released on March 11, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

In a city ravaged by a deadly outbreak and strict quarantine, you play as Sam, a former urban planner navigating ruined streets and dangerous underground tunnels. Avoid infected, hostile survivors, and relentless government hazmat teams as you uncover a hidden threat within the decaying urban landscape. Survival depends on your knowledge and wits amid chaos.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 227 reviews

graphics13 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game captures a nostalgic boomer shooter vibe with its gritty atmosphere and engaging art style.
Weapons feel satisfying and balanced, with a particular emphasis on the punchy shotgun and enjoyable gunplay.
The game offers a fun, short experience with a charming presentation, including comic-style cutscenes and a unique visual flair.

Level design can be confusing, with similar-looking doors and walls that make navigation difficult, leading to frustration.
The game suffers from technical issues, such as hit-scan enemies that can shoot from off-screen and inconsistent hit detection.
The final boss fights are often seen as tedious and poorly designed, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.

graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
63%
7%
The graphics of "Dead Trash" are characterized by a unique, grungy aesthetic that blends retro pixel art with a punk-horror vibe, evoking the feel of 80s B-movies and VHS-era horror films. While the visuals are intentionally crude and simplistic, they effectively contribute to the game's oppressive atmosphere and charm, despite some jarring elements that may disrupt immersion. Overall, the art style is praised for its cohesion and ability to create a memorable experience, making it appealing to fans of retro shooters.
- “Rather than chasing graphical fidelity, Dead Trash opts for atmosphere, and in that regard, it excels.”
- “The art style of this game is really impressive; I like this grainy look.”
- “The game features somewhat lazy, simplistic 'retro' looking 3D graphics, and it's hard to say if this is a deliberate attempt for the game to look bad/retro on purpose, or if the assets are just, well, terrible looking.”
- “While its aesthetic choices are cohesive, they sometimes cross into the absurd, with jarring elements like odd cartoonish enemies or misplaced humor breaking the immersion.”
- “The visuals are deliberately crude in a way that suits the game’s tone, with pixelated textures and digitized sprite enemies giving it a grainy, VHS-era horror film feel.”
music
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
44%
9%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its excellent soundtrack, which evokes a nostalgic 1980s horror movie vibe with its synth-heavy, atmospheric compositions. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to enhance the game's dark and gritty atmosphere, making it a standout feature that complements the gameplay. Overall, the music is described as addictive, immersive, and a significant draw for players, with many considering it a worthy purchase on its own.
- “No kidding, the excellent soundtrack, which seems to have been created for a dark old-school action movie, deserves a separate listen.”
- “It has a 70's-80's midnight cult horror movie vibe, where every element from the story, most of the visuals, and especially the music hammers that feeling home in a very satisfying way.”
- “While nothing too special gameplay wise, the atmosphere and music feel as if playing through a B-movie, and a decent one at that.”
- “Footsteps echo in tight spaces, distant screams pierce the silence, and the soundtrack hums with low, droning dread.”
- “The music is dripping with Carpenter synths, doom beats, and crunchy ambiance that radiates apocalyptic urban decay.”
gameplay
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
55%
10%
The gameplay of Dead Trash is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its retro-inspired mechanics and solid weapon feel, while others criticize it for being clunky, unpolished, and lacking depth. Although the atmosphere and visual design are praised, many reviews highlight issues such as poor level design, frustrating mechanics, and a lack of challenge, leading to an overall experience that feels uninspired despite its charm. Players seeking a more refined gameplay experience may find it lacking, but those who embrace its janky nature might enjoy the chaotic journey it offers.
- “The gameplay is good enough, with some weapon feel, lots of variety, and smart enemy placement that keeps you moving (and occasionally lost).”
- “This game has awesome gameplay with a shotgun that will blow you apart and other cool weapons with some fun to be had!”
- “A well-made, bite-sized boomer shooter with punchy gameplay that's absolutely oozing with style from the visuals to the music.”
- “Dead Trash features a very frustrating gameplay experience.”
- “While the game's visual and audio design are incredible, the gameplay itself tends to feel lackluster throughout many portions of the game due to some questionable decisions.”
- “Some of the enemy behavior and environmental interactions feel half-finished, and it’s clear that the game’s budget limitations impacted aspects of polish and gameplay fluidity.”
atmosphere
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
47%
10%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its gritty, dark, and immersive qualities, often evoking a campy, B-movie feel. Players appreciate the lo-fi visuals, unsettling sound design, and the game's ability to create a deeply engaging and oppressive environment, despite its unpolished mechanics. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a standout feature that enhances the experience, making it memorable and compelling for those who embrace its unique charm.
- “What unfolds is a gritty and claustrophobic experience that thrives on its oppressive atmosphere, lo-fi visuals, and brutal melee-focused combat.”
- “The atmosphere is brutal and 'dirty', the level design is simple but intriguing enough to keep you going, and the shooting feels very good, very 'crunchy'.”
- “The dirt cheap price helps sell the extremely low-rent atmosphere.”
- “While it is going for a campy, nostalgic, literally trashy atmosphere, it easily could've been better with some clearer level design and quality of life improvements.”
- “For players willing to dive into the filth, embrace its janky charm, and appreciate the atmosphere over mechanics, Dead Trash offers a deeply unsettling and strangely compelling journey through the ruins of a world left to rot.”
story
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
The game's story is a straightforward, B-grade horror narrative presented through entertaining comic book-style cutscenes, featuring digitized sprites that enhance its grungy aesthetic. While the plot is simple and serves primarily as a vehicle for gameplay, it effectively captures a cult horror vibe reminiscent of 70s-80s films, making it enjoyable and fitting for the game's overall tone. Players appreciate the humor and charm in the delivery, despite its lack of complexity.
- “The gloomy and frankly disturbing environment really creates the feeling of a pixelated urban dump, where you could tell a very complex story, like in a horror game.”
- “The best aspect of the game is the Max Payne comic panels to tell the story.”
- “It has a 70's-80's midnight cult horror movie vibe, where every element from the story, most of the visuals, and especially the music hammers that feeling home in a very satisfying way.”
- “The story unfolds like a digitized pulp comic.”
- “Game is very direct and to the point; there is no complicated narrative, the story is just a vehicle to take the player from point A to point B.”
- “A simple action movie story presented in a dirty, almost claustrophobic feeling manner.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is a standout feature, blending funny moments, comic-style visuals, and a playful absurdity reminiscent of 90s games. Players appreciate the mix of charm and immaturity, with humorous voice acting and Easter eggs adding to the fun, though some elements may disrupt immersion. Overall, the humor contributes significantly to the game's enjoyable and unpredictable experience.
- “I was laughing at times while playing due to some funny moments, and you are presented with a decent challenge in some areas.”
- “The videos, designed in the form of comics, give the game a humorous touch, which was typical for games of the 90s, especially 2.5D shooters, where the heroes and villains are played by the developers themselves.”
- “The humor, the easter eggs, the voice actors... pure fun.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while it rarely crashes and is generally bug-free, players report occasional glitches and inconsistent hit detection that can disrupt gameplay. Despite these issues, many find it to be a fun distraction, albeit with a few frustrating moments.
- “It's nothing fancy, but it's stable, bug-free, and a fun distraction.”
- “Hit detection can be inconsistent, and occasional glitches—like delayed reloads or weapons behaving erratically—can disrupt the flow of otherwise intense encounters.”
- “It's got this nasty vibe to it, which the glitches and sloppiness add to.”
- “I want to shoot down another helicopter before it glitches my game into obsolescence again.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unnecessary, particularly due to the repetitive actions required, such as manually saving and navigating menus, as well as breaking open numerous trash bags for ammo. The lack of challenge early on further exacerbates the feeling of monotony, and the cumbersome weapon-switching mechanics contribute to the overall frustration.
- “You have to save manually and then navigate the menu to load the game, which is unnecessary and tedious.”
- “For one thing, having to constantly hit trash bags to find ammo early on was incredibly tedious.”
- “I know I'm still super early in the game, but so far I have faced no challenge whatsoever, and there are loads of trash bags to tediously break open.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight the engaging character design and enjoyable boss fights, suggesting that these elements contribute positively to the overall character development experience in the game.
- “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their journeys feel personal and impactful.”
- “The backstories and growth of each character add layers to the gameplay, making every decision feel meaningful.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it enjoyable enough to revisit due to its engaging mechanics, others criticize the lack of difficulty options and short length, which limits the incentive to replay.
- “The game is short but highly replayable; the guns feel punchy and sound great.”
- “Each playthrough offers new challenges and experiences, making me want to dive back in.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps the game fresh, encouraging multiple runs.”
- “For a budget title, it's fine, but there's no replayability; not even to play on hard because there's only one difficulty: easy.”
- “Once you finish the game, there's little incentive to go back. The lack of different modes or challenges really limits replayability.”
- “The game feels like a one-and-done experience. After completing it, I had no desire to replay it, as there are no alternate paths or endings.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is largely negative, with players expressing feelings of discomfort and disgust, both in terms of the game's content and its visual presentation.