Junk Jack
- November 30, 2016
- Pixbits
- 15h median play time
Get on Steam"Junk Jack" is a sandbox game that lets you build and customize your home in procedurally generated planets filled with monsters, loot, and resources. Collect and breed creatures, cook foods, farm exotic plants, and play with friends in online multiplayer. The game features 12 unique planets, a fully featured equip system, electronics system for creating contraptions, and a creative mode for unleashing your creativity.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Steam Deck
Windows
Linux
Mobile Platform
Reviews
- Junk Jack offers a charming and cute art style with a nostalgic feel, reminiscent of classic 2D games.
- The game features a vast amount of content, including over 1000 items to craft, multiple themed worlds to explore, and a variety of treasures and collectibles.
- The gameplay encourages creativity and exploration, allowing players to build, farm, and experiment with crafting in a relaxed environment.
- The combat mechanics are considered clunky and simplistic, leading to a less engaging experience compared to other games in the genre.
- Players have reported issues with inventory management and crafting, as the game requires finding blueprints for recipes, which can be tedious.
- The game has been criticized for its lack of direction and goals, making it feel repetitive and aimless after extended play.
- music44 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its catchy, charming chiptune style and likening it to classic 16-bit soundtracks, while others find it repetitive or even grating over time. Many users express a desire for a buyable soundtrack, highlighting the quality of the compositions, but also note issues with the music's infrequent play and occasional awkward silences. Overall, while the soundtrack is celebrated by some, it has also faced significant criticism from others, leading to a polarized reception.
“Yes, the game has its flaws, the controls aren’t the best and it does feel repetitive, but all of that gets washed away in the soundtrack.”
“The music for this game was produced by James Primate, the same guy who produced tracks for Gnomoria and Rain World, and for a chiptune ensemble, it is phenomenal.”
“The soundtrack is amazing, the art style is perfect, and there are plenty of unique and interesting planets to discover.”
“Also, while we are talking about annoyances, the soundtrack is awful.”
“Hands down the worst music I have ever heard in any game.”
“The music is cute at first but starts to grate over time.”
- gameplay40 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Junk Jack is often compared to classic sandbox games like Minecraft and Terraria, offering a relaxing building experience with a mix of exploration and crafting. However, many players criticize its clunky mechanics, slow progression, and grindy resource gathering, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While the game features a variety of unique mechanics and a charming aesthetic, it suffers from poor balance and execution, leaving some players feeling that it lacks depth and polish.
“The music and the graphics are nice, and the gameplay feels like a nice mix of Terraria and Minecraft.”
“Junk Jack is a great 2D sandbox game, it's really similar to Terraria in concept as well as gameplay, it's similar to Minecraft with its quirky art style and its extremely similar way of crafting items.”
“Great graphics, great controls, great gameplay.”
“If gameplay could be remade to be exactly like Terraria or Starbound, now that'd be something.”
“Gameplay is clunky; it feels weird to walk, and it feels especially weird to jump and fight.”
“This game tries to be a 'relaxing sandbox experience focused on building and improving your home,' but when I play it, I just feel the empty gameplay and poor design.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are predominantly described as cute and charming, featuring a retro pixel art style reminiscent of classic games like Super Mario Bros. While many players appreciate the unique and polished visuals, some critiques highlight a lack of depth and occasional dullness in the art. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's nostalgic and fun atmosphere, aligning well with its sandbox gameplay.
“The graphics are really cute, pixellated retro-style.”
“Super cute pixel graphics, what more could you ask for in a game like this?”
“Its relaxing, fun, has excellent (and charming) graphics, an awesome soundtrack and it has loads of things to find, build and create.”
“This feels a lot like if the Blockheads (RIP) had Terraria's graphics and a far worse GUI.”
“Shit graphics, shit physics, shit looking 2D Minecraft.”
“Visually the game is dull and not pretty, and as simple as it is graphically there's still a periodic stutter if you walk in the same direction for a set distance.”
- grinding16 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly in combat, mining, and achieving certain milestones, with many feeling that significant playtime is spent idling for achievements. While the game offers a variety of activities like farming and crafting, the early game can be challenging due to limited resources and guides, leading to a perception that some elements are overly grindy or frustrating. Overall, while the game has unique features and a nostalgic feel, the grind can detract from the enjoyment of its sandbox elements.
“The core game is there, just the combat and mining are very tedious.”
“Achievements are super grindy (most of my 'playtime' was idling for the 250-hour achievement).”
“There are hundreds of different armors, but they are unfortunately either too hard to find or too grindy to attain, compared to the ore armors, so you’ll probably skip them in normal gameplay.”
- story5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional narrative or guided progression, offering instead a sandbox experience focused on exploration and crafting. Players can collect portal pieces to move between planets, but those seeking a deep story or challenging gameplay may find it lacking. Overall, it caters to a more relaxed gaming style rather than a structured storyline.
“This game may not be for everybody (especially if you are looking for a deep story, or tough boss fights) but if you are looking to just relax, and enjoy some basic crafting, experimenting and exploring, then you will enjoy the game for what it is, a sandbox.”
“There is no point to the game; there are no bosses, and there is no story.”
“The game is a 2D exploration/building sandbox game, with no story except 'get portal pieces, go to the next planet, repeat until all planets are done.'”
“There is no story nor guided progression.”
- stability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game runs smoothly on most systems, particularly on iMac with Big Sur, with noticeable improvements since its previous version. However, the multiplayer mode has some stability issues, including crashes when objects are thrown, though developers are actively addressing these bugs with regular updates.
“Runs great on my iMac with Big Sur.”
“Used to love playing this game on my iPad ages ago. Glad to see it is on PC and happy to pay. Runs great, and I can already see loads of improvements and gameplay additions since I last played.”
“Multiplayer is a little buggy; it currently crashes when anything is thrown, but the developers are working on it, releasing a new update every week or two.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The monetization model of Junk Jack is praised for its absence of in-game purchases and microtransactions, which users appreciate as a refreshing change compared to other games. Players express a desire to spend money on the game, indicating a willingness to support it financially despite the lack of monetization options.
“Yes, you heard that right, it's an iOS port, without microtransactions or ginormous UIs.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's world atmosphere is generally praised for its immersive quality; however, some users feel that the sound effects detract from this experience, as they do not blend well with the overall ambiance.
“The atmosphere of the world is great.”
“The sound effects enhance the immersive atmosphere of the game.”
“The sound effects feel out of place; their quality doesn't blend well with the overall atmosphere of the game.”
“The atmosphere lacks depth, making it hard to immerse myself in the game world.”
“The lighting is inconsistent, which detracts from the intended mood and ambiance.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers generally appreciate the developers' sense of humor, indicating that it adds a positive and enjoyable element to the game.
“I appreciate the sense of humor the developers have.”
“The witty dialogue and clever puns kept me laughing throughout the game.”
“The absurd situations and quirky characters add a delightful layer of humor to the gameplay.”
