Spilled!

I grabbed this during the Steam Oceanfest or whatever sale last week. Started it up before going to bed Sunday night and completed it at 100% in about an hour.

I don't think it's totally unfair to think the controls might potentially be trash when a game is so inexpensive and short, but they're honestly really solid. Steering the boat is smooth, and you don't ever really get caught on anything or HAVE to back up because there's no other way out of a narrow space or anything. There are a few other little gimmicks, like blasting water at oil on cliffs and using a giant magnet to get oil barrels off the ocean floor, and these could be a little finicky, but really nothing to get frustrated over.

I loved seeing all the sea critters swimming about, jumping, etc. as I cleared an area. The art is really charming and pretty.

Def recommend in general, but especially if you're looking for a short and sweet palate cleanser between more involved games.

Woo! Spilled! released today! That's a lot of exclamation marks.

Loved the demo and mention in the Patch magazine, the story behind the development is great. Really reasonable price for an indie game too, go show it some love if you enjoy indie titles and eco stuffs!

Playing a few games from the Steam Next Fest and this has been on my wishlist for a while now! It's developed by a solo dev, Lente, who lives on a small boat and develops this game full time now, thanks to a successful kickstarter!

For me at least, Spilled is one of those cases where a game is more than just a game, its a vision about change and raising awareness for the state of our environment. If you feel the outlook for humankind is bleak, then this is a game that will lift your spirits and inspire. The game is simple as you slowly drive around sucking up oil spills, but everything from the solar panels on your boat, collecting plastic waste, and the environment around you which is decorated with wind turbines and other sustainable structures, celebrates a vision of a better tomorrow. For me this is what Next Fest is all about, showcasing games that highlight the problems of today with an idea and conversation that can spark change for the future.

I really hope this game gets all the success it deserves and continues to generate conversation around the issues of pollution, ecological devastation, and how we can change society so that the health of the environment and all its inhabitants are made a priority by all.

Spilled is a cozy game about ocean cleanup. The mechanics are simple, as is the game play loop, but it can be meditative fun. You clean up pollution, save animals and then upgrade your boat to increase it's cleanup potential. There is not much beyond the core mechanic of the game, but I'm kind of inclined to support this when it's out because of its themes and the fact that this is the dev's first game, which they are making between part time jobs.