Trash Goblin - Early Access Impressions
Cozy trinket shop game Trash Goblin shows promise in Early Access.
Trash Goblin. Credit: Spilt Milk Studios
Last month, Spilt Milk Studios released a new update for their game, Trash Goblin, which is currently available on Steam Early Access. I finally had the opportunity to try out this wholesome game. Although I feel there isn’t enough content yet, it is already highly polished. I’m excited to see what the final 1.0 release will look like.
From Steam:
A wholesome, cosy shopkeeping game with no time pressure! Uncover & clean trinkets then upcycle them to sell to endless colourful & quirky customers. Spend your savings to upgrade your shop, buy better tools, plus expand and customise your space.
Trash Goblin. Credit: Spilt Milk Studios
As the titular goblin, your role involves taking customer orders and preparing trinkets for sale. Each task you undertake to work with the trinkets—cleaning, chiseling, and upcycling—is a hands-on process.
To clean a trinket, you drag a sponge over its surface while rotating it to remove dirt. Chiseling involves solving a puzzle where you chip away at blocks from a shape to reveal a hidden trinket. Finally, upcycling involves combining two trinkets together to create a new one.
The cleaning and chiseling processes are quite satisfying, primarily due to the intuitive controls and engaging sound design that enhance the tactile experience. However, these tasks can become repetitive quite quickly.
The version I played does not have a story yet, but that will be included in a future update. As it currently stands, the game feels very repetitive since you play the same three minigames repeatedly, using the same items each time. There isn’t much in terms of progression at the moment, aside from expanding or decorating your shop. This lack of variety didn’t keep my interest for long.
Trash Goblin. Credit: Spilt Milk Studios
Trash Goblin is a stunning game, even in its early development stage. The colorful, cartoonish 3D art enhances the experience of manipulating various trinkets and rearranging them in your shop. Even through the shop’s window, the world feels vibrant and lived-in. The other characters, including the customers, are illustrated with beautiful 2D art that exudes personality. I especially liked the design of the non-human characters.
Currently, Trash Goblin appears to be quite promising, but I suggest waiting for further updates before diving in. I really enjoy the game’s world and its personality, but it still feels too incomplete as an experience. I'm hopeful that the 1.0 version will introduce more gameplay variety and a story that keeps me engaged. Based on the quality I've seen so far, I believe Spilt Milk Studios will deliver.
Trash Goblin is available now on Steam Early Access. A demo is available as well.
Played on: Steam Deck
