Garbage

About

"Garbage is a single-player fantasy strategy game with a humorous twist, following the struggle of a homeless man. Experience primitive life challenges in a grim city environment, presented through hand-drawn comics and unique character voices. While the gameplay, graphics, and music are solid, be prepared for some bugs and heavy grinding."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 297 reviews

story11 positive mentions

grinding16 negative mentions

The game features a unique and humorous premise that effectively portrays the struggles of homelessness while maintaining a lighthearted tone.
Gameplay includes a blend of survival management and autobattler mechanics, allowing for various builds and strategies.
The art style and soundtrack are well-received, contributing to an engaging atmosphere.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, including long loading times and unresponsive controls.
Gameplay can feel repetitive and grindy, with a steep difficulty curve that may frustrate players, especially in the early stages.
The tutorial is lacking, leaving players to figure out mechanics and controls on their own, which can lead to confusion and frustration.

story
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
76%
8%
The game's story is often described as shallow and incomplete, with many players feeling that it lacks depth and coherence, relying heavily on random quests and vague objectives. While some appreciate the humor and quirky elements interwoven into the narrative, others criticize the lack of meaningful progression and the repetitive nature of quests, leading to a sense of frustration. Overall, the storytelling is seen as an afterthought, overshadowed by gameplay mechanics that prioritize grinding over narrative development.
- “The humor is cleverly interwoven into the storyline, making it impossible not to chuckle at the protagonist's antics.”
- “Its unique blend of humor, simulation, and storytelling is a breath of fresh air in the gaming world.”
- “The story is amusing, and although a bit random, I did find myself wanting to press on to the next chapter to see what they could hit me with next.”
- “The game itself is incomplete since there are many quests that require some items, but there are no more other quests or activities that give the item to you.”
- “There's some kind of story, but it feels like it was added as an afterthought.”
- “The world exploration has a quest discovery system with ways to break up the pacing for unlocking areas and grinding your minions.”
gameplay
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players appreciating the depth and mechanics, while others criticize it for being repetitive, buggy, and lacking engaging elements. Many find the auto-mechanic and grinding aspects unappealing, leading to frustration, though a few enjoy the strategic elements and addictive nature once they grasp the mechanics. Overall, while there are enjoyable components, significant issues with stability and clarity hinder the experience for many players.
- “The gameplay experience is much better than before.”
- “After about 2 hours of gameplay, I can say that the game is enjoyable!”
- “Must try for everyone, chilled fighting mechanics, good looking graphics, big skill tree, and quite challenging and interesting gameplay.”
- “While its humor and style stand out, repetitive gameplay and limited depth leave it feeling underwhelming.”
- “It is made up of mobile game-styled grind and auto-mechanic gameplay that is simply not fun.”
- “However, the lack of consequences for battles, obtuse gameplay mechanics, and questionable AI instead turn the game into an exercise in frustrating grind.”
humor
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
5%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its clever references and satirical take on sensitive topics, while others find it reliant on lowbrow jokes and pop culture references. Some reviews highlight the game's ability to provoke laughter through its absurd scenarios and character interactions, though a few critics argue that the humor often misses the mark or feels awkward. Overall, the game's comedic elements are seen as a standout feature, contributing to its unique charm despite some inconsistencies in execution.
- “The humor is cleverly interwoven into the storyline, making it impossible not to chuckle at the protagonist's antics.”
- “Garbage is a humorous game where you micro-manage a hobo fight club to save the world.”
- “Each interaction is as unexpected as the last, and I found myself either gasping at the ridiculousness of it all or laughing and questioning who the heck wrote this.”
- “In addition to being hideous to look at, the game is deeply unfunny, constantly relying on low-hanging fruit pop culture references and mean-spirited edgelord humor that I'm sure must appeal to someone, but was very much not my thing.”
- “Painfully unfunny but fun.”
graphics
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
48%
11%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the art style and overall aesthetic as beautiful and fitting for the game's theme, while others criticize them as simple, messy, or lacking depth. Many players appreciate the visual presentation, noting it enhances the atmosphere, but some find it underwhelming compared to modern standards. Overall, the graphics are generally considered decent to good, though opinions vary widely based on personal taste.
- “Graphics are way better than I thought they'd be, even from looking at the screenshots.”
- “The game has a great pace, RNG provides a constant challenge, the story is amusing, and the graphics/audio are better than expected.”
- “Awesome indie game, especially graphics and music!”
- “Buggy, graphics are messy, controls are awkward, dialogues are... nonsense.”
- “But I don't really like the graphics... maybe it's a matter of taste, but I personally find them too boring.”
- “An interesting homeless simulator with average graphics, average music.”
music
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
30%
13%
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many players praising the soundtrack as catchy and well-composed, enhancing the overall atmosphere. While some noted issues with volume levels and sound quality, the majority found the music to be a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the best aspects, with players recommending it for an immersive experience.
- “The soundtrack is composed of 'chill beats to study to' we're all familiar with and it's ear-catching.”
- “Art style and music blend together very well to create the atmosphere.”
- “Great graphics and music that will take your breath away during a fight.”
- “The overall art style, music, and environment I do very much like; however, this seems like a rushed title that should have been in the beta stage for now. I can unfortunately not recommend it at its current state.”
- “It does have some flaws; I wouldn't really call it perfectly polished - it's prone to bug out from time to time and the UX could be better, but the soundtrack and overall feel of the game are worth it.”
- “An interesting homeless simulator with average graphics and average music.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while some players find it tedious and frustrating due to bugs and poor balancing, others appreciate the challenge it presents as part of the gameplay experience. Many agree that the early and late game can feel particularly grindy, with a lack of helpful tutorials exacerbating the issue. Overall, while some players enjoy the grind as a means of progression, others feel it detracts from the fun and recommend alternatives.
- “After spending many hours grinding to get around several bugs, it screams unfinished.”
- “Barely any explanations, controls are awful, characters keep going on autopilot with zero explanation, so grindy for barely any payout... just not fun or worth the time.”
- “It is fun for a few hours, but quickly gets tedious.”
stability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
The game is widely criticized for its instability, with numerous users reporting significant bugs, awkward controls, and frequent freezes, particularly on harder difficulty settings. While some players experienced fewer issues, the overall consensus indicates that the game suffers from poor optimization and a lack of polish, reminiscent of early access titles.
- “The game is super buggy.”
- “Super buggy for a finished game.”
- “Very buggy with not so great saving system.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive qualities, blending humor, detailed scenarios, and a cohesive art style with music. Players feel a strong connection to the world, experiencing a light-hearted yet engaging urban survival theme that enhances the overall enjoyment.
- “The art style and music blend together very well to create the atmosphere.”
- “If you manage the first hour, there's a light-hearted urban survival experience to be found here with a great atmosphere to it.”
- “Another interesting thing is the humor; after all, you are a beggar fighting for your space in society, and this is shown in a caricatured way. The challenges are diverse, the jokes are funny, and the atmosphere of the game, thanks to the details of the scenarios, is very immersive, leading the player to believe that they really are part of that world!”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game is criticized for its poor optimization, with players experiencing significant performance issues, including freezes even on high-end systems. Many reviewers express a strong need for balancing and optimization patches to improve the overall gameplay experience.
- “I had no issues playing the game, but I imagine there may be performance issues on other systems (but that's just a guess!).”
- “This is pretty poorly optimized.”
- “I was so ready to look past the graphics for a really fun version of Punch Club, but instead I found a game that is severely in need of a major balancing patch, severely in need of an optimization patch, and severely in need of being a better game.”
- “The main cons: the game needs better optimization. Developers, please take care of this because I, a person who has a new GTX PC, experience freezes.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Garbage" is highlighted by its unique and heartwarming portrayal of a homeless man's life, blending absurdity with poignant social commentary. Players express gratitude and a deeper understanding of the struggles faced by the homeless, making the experience both impactful and reflective of modern social justice themes.
- “Garbage is a brilliantly unique and surprisingly heartwarming game that takes you on an unforgettable journey through the unconventional life of a homeless man.”
- “These comics provide a delightful backdrop to the silliness of the garbage world, immersing you in a tale that is as heartwarming as it is absurd.”
- “This game made me feel grateful after I noticed what all homeless people need to go through and how rejected they feel in this cruel world.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Players generally perceive the game as having some replay value, particularly due to its RPG elements, which suggest potential for varied experiences. However, some users express uncertainty about the extent of replayability, indicating that it may not be fully realized yet.
- “For me, this game has great replay value!”
- “I can't speak on the replayability yet, but with the RPG elements, I imagine there is some potential for it.”
- “The replayability aspect is definitely intriguing!”
- “I can't speak on the replayability yet, but with the RPG elements, I imagine there is a small bit in there.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers appreciate the character development in the game, noting that it is well-integrated with the story and enhances the overall gameplay experience, particularly in relation to the combat mechanics.
- “I like the story, I like the combat mechanics, and I appreciate the character development branch.”