Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,009 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor Game Cover
An interesting exploration of blue-collar monotony with a macabre twist, Diaries Of A Spaceport Janitor begs to be explored and understood
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In Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor, play as a janitor with dreams of leaving Xabran's Rock. Your daily routine consists of picking up trash, finding food, and testing your luck at lotto shrines. Explore the spaceport's maze-like alleyways and mysterious sewerdungeons while trying to better understand the urban waste management system and the world around you.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,009 reviews
gameplay45 positive mentions
grinding57 negative mentions
  • The game features a vibrant and colorful world that feels alive, with unique characters and a charming atmosphere.
  • The soundtrack is delightful, especially during festival days, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The game successfully captures the feeling of mundane life and the struggles of poverty, making it a thought-provoking experience.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive and grindy, with little sense of progression or reward for the player's efforts.
  • Navigation is confusing due to the lack of a map, making it easy to get lost in the sprawling spaceport.
  • There are several bugs and technical issues that can disrupt gameplay, including game-breaking bugs that prevent quest completion.
  • gameplay334 mentions

    The gameplay of this game is characterized by a repetitive loop focused on collecting and incinerating trash, which some players find tedious and unengaging, while others appreciate its unique charm and immersive atmosphere. Many mechanics, such as luck and gender-shifting, are poorly explained and can feel frustrating, contributing to a sense of confusion and lack of direction. Overall, while the game offers a creative world and intriguing themes, its gameplay may not appeal to those seeking a more dynamic or structured experience.

    • “The gameplay itself is very intuitive and easy to grasp, and there's a quiet joy to wandering about the city and talking to strangers offering all sorts of dodgy deals, funny stories, or out-of-reach bargains of a lifetime!”
    • “Even though the central mechanic is incinerating trash you find on the ground so you can afford food while barely scraping by every day, the game doesn't feel boring - hell, I found it to be one of the most immersive games I've played in a long, long time.”
    • “There's something sooo oddly soothing and endearing about it... every little aspect from the design and sound to the gameplay and story scratches that sweet spot in my brain.”
    • “The gameplay is repetitive and grindy, but the loop of picking up trash and looking for items to sell while managing your inventory and trying to remember who is selling what and on what day can become tedious.”
    • “The actual gameplay loop mostly revolves around collecting pittances for resold trash to cure yourself of a cursed skull, which can feel monotonous.”
    • “Unfortunately, the gameplay loop is not fun and just feels like a chore, making it hard to stay engaged.”
  • graphics265 mentions

    The graphics of the game are a polarizing aspect, with many praising its unique and charming art style that combines low-fi pixel art with vibrant colors, creating an immersive atmosphere. However, some players report issues such as motion sickness, poor camera controls, and unoptimized performance, which detract from the overall experience. While the visuals are often described as stunning and distinctive, they can also be overwhelming and difficult to navigate, leading to mixed feelings among players.

    • “The art style is stunning and so distinctive, it really looks like no other game I've ever played.”
    • “Graphics are amazing, the spaceport is beautiful and your life is cursed.”
    • “The graphics are vivid and colorful, the city is vibrant and actually feels like one and not just the usual bunch of bland buildings and static NPCs.”
    • “Unfortunately, there was just something about the combined efforts of the art style, camera controls, and screen distortions in this game that made me feel extremely motion sick, so I simply cannot recommend it.”
    • “Pretty standard walking simulator with rough pixel graphics and so many filters that it's actually hard to look at without getting motion sick.”
    • “The graphics settings are 'bad' and 'worse.' The ugly graphics make the sprawling spaceport hard to navigate and hard to differentiate.”
  • story227 mentions

    The story in "Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor" is characterized by its charming yet frustrating narrative, revolving around a janitor's quest to rid themselves of a skull curse while navigating a quirky alien world. Players appreciate the unique art and humor, but many find the quest structure vague and grindy, often leading to confusion and a sense of aimlessness. Additionally, game-breaking bugs hinder progression, detracting from the overall impact of the story, which some feel could have been more engaging with clearer direction and mechanics.

    • “It has a charming sense of humor and a surprisingly engaging story, likely specifically because the character you play lives such a simple life and gets plagued by various things every day.”
    • “The story is, much like many of my favorite games, the kind you have to find or make yourself; but it starts off with a quest to rid yourself of a rather unwelcome follower.”
    • “The quest to break the curse is the game's only escape from the routine of your janitorial duties and offers a glimmer of hope that if you can just break it, maybe then you'll have a chance to escape the rock you've been born on.”
    • “The story is lost, and by the time you get to the ending, it's not nearly as impactful as it should be.”
    • “There are serious game-breaking bugs that will make you unable to complete the main story.”
    • “Even when the story kicks off with something that should, according to the typical conventions of fiction, spark a series of memorable events in your character's life, nothing really changes.”
  • music193 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy and evocative quality, with many players highlighting the festival day tunes as particularly memorable and uplifting. Reviewers describe the soundtrack as a delightful blend of extraterrestrial indie electro folk that enhances the vibrant atmosphere of the spaceport, making it a standout feature despite some criticisms of the gameplay. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's charm, immersing players in its unique world and leaving them with songs stuck in their heads long after playing.

    • “The music is beautiful, and probably the best part of the game.”
    • “Music is amazing and evocative, especially during theday festival.”
    • “The music is just amazing, pure ear bliss.”
    • “The music is grating.”
    • “After all the toiling around in this game, the milling, the confused castaways, the annoying trumpet song from theday that will haunt my dreams forever, the ending was just too paltry to feel any sort of satisfaction from the uphill battle that was playing this game.”
    • “When I first loaded up this game, I was instantly assaulted by wild colors, flashing lights, weird aliens, and strange music.”
  • atmosphere89 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique, immersive qualities, combining vibrant visuals, quirky characters, and an engaging soundtrack that evokes a sense of wonder and nostalgia. Players appreciate the charming, bustling environment reminiscent of classic sci-fi settings, making it a captivating experience despite its limited gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a delightful blend of happiness and melancholy, drawing players into a richly detailed world that feels both foreign and familiar.

    • “This game is somehow one of the most unique, atmospheric, and immersive games I've ever played.”
    • “Best atmosphere of any game I have ever played, feels exactly how a sci-fi spaceport should.”
    • “I absolutely adored the visuals and music and thought they really created an interesting and unique atmosphere across the entire game.”
    • “This is marginally more fun than Papers, Please or 21 Days, but the atmosphere is the same kind of hopelessness.”
    • “While this mirrors a big city atmosphere, so it works thematically, it isn't fun to play in nor is it challenging.”
    • “The atmosphere they were going for was 'low-class, almost childlike soul just trying to get by in a bizarre and uncomfortable setting' and they captured it perfectly.”
  • grinding57 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely described as tedious and repetitive, focusing primarily on mundane tasks like picking up trash, which some players find immersive and relaxing, while others see it as a frustrating time sink. Many reviews highlight that progression relies heavily on RNG, leading to a sense of futility in the grind, especially towards the end. Overall, the game seems to cater to those who appreciate its thematic exploration of cycles and poverty, but may alienate players who prefer more dynamic gameplay or rewards for their efforts.

    • “Earning money becomes too grindy and you soon realize that progression is purely dependent on RNG.”
    • “The main focus of this game is on grinding out days as a janitor picking up trash in this space station... that's the whole game.”
    • “You can agree, or disagree, either way credits roll, you wake up and talking to the skull was just a dream... back to your boring life, and you'll never be allowed to escape this space port... after grinding out 9 hours with 0 fun or interesting things happening, feels like a big slap in the face for the ending to not be interesting.”
  • humor44 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as charming, quirky, and often absurd, effectively complementing its unique art style and engaging story. Players appreciate the witty writing, funny item descriptions, and the overall lightheartedness, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics and depth. The blend of surreal humor and relatable character experiences creates a delightful atmosphere, making the game enjoyable for those who appreciate its comedic elements.

    • “A world that is both hilarious and absurd, but feels genuinely lived in and grounded within its own realities.”
    • “It has a charming sense of humor and a surprisingly engaging story, likely specifically because the character you play lives such a simple life and gets plagued by various things every day.”
    • “The writing is hilarious and quirky in a way that perfectly matches the colorful visuals.”
  • emotional31 mentions

    The game evokes a strong emotional response through its immersive world, sound design, and heartfelt moments, with players expressing feelings of loneliness, hope, and nostalgia. While some found the experience uplifting and touching, others struggled with motion sickness that detracted from their enjoyment. Overall, the game is noted for its emotional depth and ability to resonate with players on a personal level.

    • “The ending is fitting, heartwarming, and uplifting.”
    • “Reading the manual again after casually playing it over the past few years made me cry.”
    • “Never thought that scraping away day by day as a miserable and utterly clueless human on a spot on a weird alien world could be so touching, engaging, and compassionate.”
    • “heartbreaking”
    • “heartbreaking”
  • stability30 mentions

    The game is plagued by numerous bugs and visual glitches that significantly hinder gameplay, with some players reporting motion sickness and frustration over unresponsive achievements. While the visual style is praised, it often obscures the glitches, making it difficult to distinguish between intentional effects and errors. Overall, many reviewers feel the game should not have been released in its current unstable state, despite its intriguing elements.

    • “It's still intriguing, but I stopped playing for a couple of reasons: lots of visual glitches add to the style and ambiance of the game, but also make it almost unplayable at times or gave me motion sickness.”
    • “It wasn't that the game was bad in terms of gameplay; I actually really liked just wandering around the world and seeing everything, but that it's currently a buggy and literally painful mess.”
    • “This game is a bug-filled mess and even games that cost 10 cents are less buggy than this.”
  • optimization12 mentions

    The game initially faced significant optimization issues, with performance dropping from a smooth 60fps to the 30s and low 20s during intense scenes, leading to a perception of incompleteness. However, the addition of graphics settings by the developers has notably improved performance, prompting some reviewers to revise their ratings positively. Overall, while the game still shows signs of being unoptimized, recent updates have made strides in addressing these concerns.

    • “People were upset with an originally negative review, but it's not too much to ask for some graphics settings. Luckily, the devs did add graphics settings and drastically improved the performance, which is why I updated this review and changed the rating from negative to positive.”
    • “The game runs smoothly at 60fps until there are a lot of things on the screen, and then it will dip into the 30s and low 20s.”
    • “(Update: apparently the save file bug has been fixed since this review was posted) In addition, this game seems really unoptimized despite the simple graphics.”
    • “It has performance issues and feels incomplete.”
    • “(update: apparently the save file bug has been fixed since this review was posted) in addition, this game seems really unoptimized despite the simple graphics.”
    • “Poorly optimized, pretentious, and shallow.”
  • character development12 mentions

    Overall, the character development in the game is praised for its adorable and interesting designs that complement the cyberpunk/sci-fi theme. However, some players have reported experiencing motion sickness, which affects their ability to fully engage with the game. The world and sound design also receive positive mentions, enhancing the overall aesthetic experience.

    • “The character design is adorable and the world design is just aces.”
    • “Great world design, sound design, and character designs.”
    • “Great character design to add to the cyberpunk/sci-fi theme.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The reviews highlight that the game offers high replayability, with various choices and outcomes that encourage players to experience different scenarios. Additionally, the presence of unlockable content and challenges further enhances the incentive to revisit the game. Overall, players find that each playthrough can feel fresh and engaging.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

78% average critic score

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Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
2-3hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 12 analyzed playthroughs

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