Trash Goblin Preview

When you work a nine-to-five job with strict hour-logging rules and brain-melting problems, you may sometimes find yourself dreaming of a job where you can go at your own pace, work with your hands, and do what you love. While it’s not always possible, we do always have videogames to pretend with, which is where the Steam Next Fest demo for Trash Goblin comes in!

In this short demo, we are put into the shoes of the titular Goblin. Working as a salvager and upcycler of trinkets for a small shop in ye olde fantasyville. Setting a very lighthearted and colourful tone from the get-go with some wholesome characters and dialogue, the game takes place in a small space divided into quadrants wherein you work. One quadrant is the storefront where your customers will pop in, requesting a certain item in a specific condition. Another is your workbench where you can work on uncovering and cleaning your trinkets, and the last two are reserved for chatting with your landlord/friend and sleeping.

You have a set amount of time for each day, with work done on the workbench itself being the only action that uses up your daily time, so you’re free to talk with your customer or stare off into the distance as you please! However, a shop without products is a poor store indeed, so to get trinkets, you have Trinket Bags! In the demo, these are unlimited and free, but I assume they’ll have to be bought in the full release? In any case, whenever you open up a Trinket Bag, you’ll be given a pile of dirt and mess, which has your promised treasure within! To uncover it, you’ll have to use your trusty chisel to pick apart the different blocks of dirt.

There is no time limit or click count, meaning you are free to pick away at the bundle at your leisure, though there are ways to optimise your strikes, as some types of squares are easier to break than others. While you’re clicking away at the layers of soil, you may hit the actual Trinket within, but in these cases, the square is simply marked with chalk. Once all squares are marked, your prize is uncovered and you’ll have a new item to add to your collection! Since it's been covered in all kinds of nasty stuff, it is a bit dirty, so you may need to clean it with your trusty sponge, depending on the client's needs.

The day-to-day loop of Trash Goblin is very pleasant, as you deal with customers, uncover new items, and get into a relaxed rhythm. As you progress, the game does add a bit of complexity and opportunity to make some money, but it's never too much at once. As for what you can use your money for, you can buy some lovely decorations for your little space! I imagine the full release will have more things to buy, some economy management — like haggling with customers— and maybe a “story” of some sort, but the demo itself is very relaxing and provides what it says on the tin.

Trash Goblin captures the joy of working with your hands in a calming rhythm while also being pretty wholesome and upbeat. While the simple gameplay may not be enough for some, I think it’s a great game to sit back with and while away for a few hours. I very much look forward to the complete release!

Trash Goblin is set to be released 6th November 2024.