legalzinho
experiencia curta e divertida ate
experiencia curta e divertida ate
Some interesting ideas here! Really liked the length, the focus on a small-scale narrative and the central mechanic of the hoover arm. Game was absolutely gorgeous throughout - didn't love the character models but the environments were fantastic, felt bright and full of life.
My thing is, it felt boring to play. I know it wasn't going for ultimate excitement. I know this. But I just felt bored going through the motions: hoover up the gunk in an area, pull some switches, open a new area and do the same. Movement didn't feel great at any point (especially when using the useless sprint) and rarely did the gameplay feel super exciting or engaging. And rarely did I feel a real pull to continue playing and discovering more (beyond wanting to see the story through). Thought the upgrades were a real waste of time. Mostly useless (apart from the odd mandatory upgrade), I never felt like I needed them or that I needed to harvest materials for the sole purpose of getting them. I liked the idea that scanning more objects unlocked more upgrades, which would encourage me to explore more and harvest more along the way. But idk man, I just felt no pull at all towards doing that. If the upgrades meaningfully changed traversal, or added some dimension to the very flat combat, then maybe I'd have cared. Also makes me chuckle that there's a whole fast travel system between each of the areas here, as if I ever want to backtrack anywhere lol. The levels felt very setup for linear traversal only.
I will say, looking at the credits at the end and seeing how tiny the team was made me appreciate the hard work a lot more. I think I've softened since becoming an employed gamedev and seeing the process from behind the scenes. It's a miracle that anything gets released - even when it's mid.
Oh wait I forgot to mention - whenever you look up there's an effect where the FOV increases, which really makes you feel the scale of whatever you're looking up at. Those graphics really were phenomenal, and super strong art direction too.
My thing is, it felt boring to play. I know it wasn't going for ultimate excitement. I know this. But I just felt bored going through the motions: hoover up the gunk in an area, pull some switches, open a new area and do the same. Movement didn't feel great at any point (especially when using the useless sprint) and rarely did the gameplay feel super exciting or engaging. And rarely did I feel a real pull to continue playing and discovering more (beyond wanting to see the story through). Thought the upgrades were a real waste of time. Mostly useless (apart from the odd mandatory upgrade), I never felt like I needed them or that I needed to harvest materials for the sole purpose of getting them. I liked the idea that scanning more objects unlocked more upgrades, which would encourage me to explore more and harvest more along the way. But idk man, I just felt no pull at all towards doing that. If the upgrades meaningfully changed traversal, or added some dimension to the very flat combat, then maybe I'd have cared. Also makes me chuckle that there's a whole fast travel system between each of the areas here, as if I ever want to backtrack anywhere lol. The levels felt very setup for linear traversal only.
I will say, looking at the credits at the end and seeing how tiny the team was made me appreciate the hard work a lot more. I think I've softened since becoming an employed gamedev and seeing the process from behind the scenes. It's a miracle that anything gets released - even when it's mid.
Oh wait I forgot to mention - whenever you look up there's an effect where the FOV increases, which really makes you feel the scale of whatever you're looking up at. Those graphics really were phenomenal, and super strong art direction too.
An underrated Xbox exclusive. The gameplay is simple but engaging, the game has a good pacing and introduces new mechanics exactly when the player feels that he has already seen everything.
The characters are well written and, even if the plot is not original in the context of science-fiction, I feel that The Gunk has a lot of humanity into itself. Everytime I wake up in the morning to go to work, I feel like the two main protagonists.
Simple, but solid. Truly recommended.
The characters are well written and, even if the plot is not original in the context of science-fiction, I feel that The Gunk has a lot of humanity into itself. Everytime I wake up in the morning to go to work, I feel like the two main protagonists.
Simple, but solid. Truly recommended.
Juego olvidable.
It was quite cathartic hoovering up all the gunk. The story told was nice, the level design was good, and the game ramped up in difficulty for the third and final act.
Before that, it was too easy. No incentive to upgrade or use the upgrades you got, and when you got some of the later combat-specific ones, mostly all the combat parts were over.
One of the characters got a bit annoying too.
Before that, it was too easy. No incentive to upgrade or use the upgrades you got, and when you got some of the later combat-specific ones, mostly all the combat parts were over.
One of the characters got a bit annoying too.
The cutest game with simple mechanics, a wonderful atmosphere and music throughout the entire playthrough.
In my opinion, it’s a great meditative pastime for a couple of hours, where you need to explore a small planet and clean it of “dirt.” The message is simple, the world is beautiful, what else do you need?
The game doesn't get boring, doesn't drag out the gameplay and doesn't try to seem like something else.
In my opinion, it’s a great meditative pastime for a couple of hours, where you need to explore a small planet and clean it of “dirt.” The message is simple, the world is beautiful, what else do you need?
The game doesn't get boring, doesn't drag out the gameplay and doesn't try to seem like something else.
While I enjoyed the atmosphere quite a bit in this one I felt like it was very bare bones. It’s simple and to the point but I think it could’ve been expanded on a lot more and make cleaning up the gunk more rewarding. It’s short and if it were for gamepass I probably wouldn’t have touched it. I’d like to see this idea expanded on in a grander scale.
The Gunk opta como tantos por un apartado visual precioso que luego cae debido a sus mecánicas. Bueno, la única que tiene: Absorber cosas para resolver puzzles, abrir caminos y eliminar a los 3 tipos de enemigos.
Nota final: 5,5.
Nota final: 5,5.
Jogo bom, curto, mecanica simples e historia mais ainda, pouca variação de inimigos, perto do fim do jogo voce começa a se arrastar um pouco pela repetição das mesmas mecanicas
Sights & Sounds
- The visual design was unexpectedly good. For a dev that I knew exclusively from the Steamworld franchise, I was pleasantly surprised by the often very scenic 3D environments
- The lighting effects are also quite good, which is very apparent given the huge variation in terms of light to dark environments
- I'm a little less positive when it comes to the character designs. There's not many characters in the game, but they're all very cartoony. That's not inherently negative. It just feels inconsistent with the numerous serious narrative moments
- The music is passable but maybe not memorable. The voice acting is pretty good all around, though. Both leads are able to make all the melodrama pretty convincing
Story & Vibes
- And man, is there quite a bit of melodrama. As another entry into the pantheon of lesbian sci-fi romances (of which Steam has many), it's more on the serious side. It's not that there aren't comedic attempts, but the humor misses more often than it hits. The space/soap opera drama lands a bit better
- As far as plot points go, you play as a down-on-your-luck spacefarer with a robot arm who lands on a mysterious planet that is being ravaged by the titular "gunk". Your romantic partner pilots the ship around while you handle the exploration and resource gathering
- Eventually, you learn a bit more about the relationship of the gunk to the planet as well as its origins. However, your character's obsession with the mystery begins to cause friction with your partner and her more pragmatic financial concerns. The narrative conflict you're up against is twofold--you find your goals of saving the planet and saving your relationship at odds
Playability & Replayability
- The gameplay is fairly standard 3D platforming fare with the occasional dash of Powerwash Simulator thrown in
- As you traverse the game's colorful environments, keep an eye out for upgrade materials that can be located with your scanner. With these resources, you'll be able to enhance standard things like the movement speed, health, and damage as well as more mechanically specific skills like the efficiency with which your arm vacuums up gunk
- There are some platforming puzzles, but nothing that'll surprise or excite you if you've so much as sniffed a puzzle platformer in the past
- The platforming is also pretty quotidian. Run. Jump. Grab a ledge. Maybe swing from a branch. I feel like the main character's robot arm is really underutilized in the context of movement and navigation
- Combat is mostly fine. It's satisfying to vacuum up an enemy and blast his buddy with him. Your MegaMan blaster doesn't offer much beyond a stun setting, unfortunately. Like the platforming, I felt like combat could have used a little more variety. The robot arm is certainly used in combat, but the lack of melee really makes it feel like they could have gotten more mileage out of it. I get that it's a design choice. It's just one that makes little sense
- The level design is actually pretty good. In addition to distinct visual designs, many of the areas (especially the architecture of the alien structures you explore) are really imaginative and a pleasure to navigate
- I missed some achievements, upgrades, and collectibles in the course of beating the game, but I'm not feeling a replay is on the horizon. It's a fine game, but there aren't any branching paths or alternate endings to draw me back
Overall Impressions & Performance
- I was pleased by the optimization and performance. My setup is only mid-tier, but this game ran extremely well with minimal tweaking.
- Not much to report as far as bugs go. I experienced some "spaghettification" when graphics and collision physics disagreed about what I should be looking at, but that's not all that remarkable and certainly not game-breaking
- In retrospect, I realize you could paint my critiques about movement and combat as a pointless wish that the game were more like one of the 3D Metroids (which is valid). I'm just saying that if you give a character a multitool robot arm that shoots lasers, there may be some preconceived notions
Final Verdict
- 6.5/10. It's a nice little dramatic story with cool that you can experience in 5-8 hours. The level design, lighting, and overall setting were pretty good too. Just wish the gameplay had a touch more to offer; both platforming and combat manage to feel stale despite how compact the game is. Feels like the existing pieces could have been explored a little further without adding fluff
- The visual design was unexpectedly good. For a dev that I knew exclusively from the Steamworld franchise, I was pleasantly surprised by the often very scenic 3D environments
- The lighting effects are also quite good, which is very apparent given the huge variation in terms of light to dark environments
- I'm a little less positive when it comes to the character designs. There's not many characters in the game, but they're all very cartoony. That's not inherently negative. It just feels inconsistent with the numerous serious narrative moments
- The music is passable but maybe not memorable. The voice acting is pretty good all around, though. Both leads are able to make all the melodrama pretty convincing
Story & Vibes
- And man, is there quite a bit of melodrama. As another entry into the pantheon of lesbian sci-fi romances (of which Steam has many), it's more on the serious side. It's not that there aren't comedic attempts, but the humor misses more often than it hits. The space/soap opera drama lands a bit better
- As far as plot points go, you play as a down-on-your-luck spacefarer with a robot arm who lands on a mysterious planet that is being ravaged by the titular "gunk". Your romantic partner pilots the ship around while you handle the exploration and resource gathering
- Eventually, you learn a bit more about the relationship of the gunk to the planet as well as its origins. However, your character's obsession with the mystery begins to cause friction with your partner and her more pragmatic financial concerns. The narrative conflict you're up against is twofold--you find your goals of saving the planet and saving your relationship at odds
Playability & Replayability
- The gameplay is fairly standard 3D platforming fare with the occasional dash of Powerwash Simulator thrown in
- As you traverse the game's colorful environments, keep an eye out for upgrade materials that can be located with your scanner. With these resources, you'll be able to enhance standard things like the movement speed, health, and damage as well as more mechanically specific skills like the efficiency with which your arm vacuums up gunk
- There are some platforming puzzles, but nothing that'll surprise or excite you if you've so much as sniffed a puzzle platformer in the past
- The platforming is also pretty quotidian. Run. Jump. Grab a ledge. Maybe swing from a branch. I feel like the main character's robot arm is really underutilized in the context of movement and navigation
- Combat is mostly fine. It's satisfying to vacuum up an enemy and blast his buddy with him. Your MegaMan blaster doesn't offer much beyond a stun setting, unfortunately. Like the platforming, I felt like combat could have used a little more variety. The robot arm is certainly used in combat, but the lack of melee really makes it feel like they could have gotten more mileage out of it. I get that it's a design choice. It's just one that makes little sense
- The level design is actually pretty good. In addition to distinct visual designs, many of the areas (especially the architecture of the alien structures you explore) are really imaginative and a pleasure to navigate
- I missed some achievements, upgrades, and collectibles in the course of beating the game, but I'm not feeling a replay is on the horizon. It's a fine game, but there aren't any branching paths or alternate endings to draw me back
Overall Impressions & Performance
- I was pleased by the optimization and performance. My setup is only mid-tier, but this game ran extremely well with minimal tweaking.
- Not much to report as far as bugs go. I experienced some "spaghettification" when graphics and collision physics disagreed about what I should be looking at, but that's not all that remarkable and certainly not game-breaking
- In retrospect, I realize you could paint my critiques about movement and combat as a pointless wish that the game were more like one of the 3D Metroids (which is valid). I'm just saying that if you give a character a multitool robot arm that shoots lasers, there may be some preconceived notions
Final Verdict
- 6.5/10. It's a nice little dramatic story with cool that you can experience in 5-8 hours. The level design, lighting, and overall setting were pretty good too. Just wish the gameplay had a touch more to offer; both platforming and combat manage to feel stale despite how compact the game is. Feels like the existing pieces could have been explored a little further without adding fluff
A Humble Choice game for Dec. 2023. The Gunk is a very okay little puzzle platformer that's somewhat like Super Mario Sunshine or Okami: vacuum up toxic goo and restore the land. Movement and combat is much less sophisticated than in either of those games, but it works well enough.
For most of the game, exploration is straightforward enough that it's not really a puzzle platformer. Things gradually ramp up and by the end of the game, progression requires multiple steps over several rooms.
It has a vaguely environmentalist message, but unless I missed something, the story is too vibes-based to really make much of a point.
It's mostly a very pretty game, but the limits of its time/budget are apparent in face-to-face cutscenes between the MC and her parter. Their mouths move with their words, but their faces are otherwise still.
For most of the game, exploration is straightforward enough that it's not really a puzzle platformer. Things gradually ramp up and by the end of the game, progression requires multiple steps over several rooms.
It has a vaguely environmentalist message, but unless I missed something, the story is too vibes-based to really make much of a point.
It's mostly a very pretty game, but the limits of its time/budget are apparent in face-to-face cutscenes between the MC and her parter. Their mouths move with their words, but their faces are otherwise still.
More games like this in general, please. Love when a game doesn't outstay its welcome and just tells a solid emotionally-resonant story about two gal pals and some alien gunk. The traversal is good, the graphics are eye-catching and easy on them. Not much more to say, it was just refreshingly chill.
The Gunk is a pretty chill adventure game in which you land on a foreign planet and discover its secrets. Nothing that it does is particularly special in any way, but it just felt like a good package overall that doesn't overstay its welcome. It just tries to tell a nice short story while giving me some satisfying gameplay in absorbing the gunk, sprinkled with some platforming or puzzling here and there. The visuals are also quite nice to look at, giving this ecosystem its own identity. The characters look a bit bland in comparison, and the flora can be a bit repetitive, but since it's a short game so it wasn't too big of an issue.
Curto, mas traz sua mensagem de uma forma exaltada e sempre presente na obra, assim como a natureza tem o dom de criar vida ela tem o dom de tira-la quando destruída. Uma ficção que mais fala dos dias atuais do que outra coisa. Um jogo de exploração, que eu realmente me senti explorando e descobrindo as coisas, mesmo que o jogo se constrói linearmente, deixando algumas coisas meio ruins. Em termos artisticos, esse jogo é lindo pqp, além de uma trilha sonora boa. Um bom jogo.
Chill game, it ran a little long in the tooth.
Me lo he vuelto a pasar porque jugué hace poco a los dos SteamWorld Dig y necesitaba dosis de Image&Form. Es un juego sencillo, facil muy lineal e igual algo olvidable pero que es entretenido de jugar y la experiencia en general es positiva.
👾 The Gunk (🇸🇪 2021)
Lovely queer sci-fi puzzle platformer with good art direction. Overall is too simple and straightforward which might be appreciated by busy people. The story is not very original being the relationship between the main character and her partner the highlight of the game.
🎮 Played on Steam Deck
Rating: 🪻🪻🪻👽▫️
Lovely queer sci-fi puzzle platformer with good art direction. Overall is too simple and straightforward which might be appreciated by busy people. The story is not very original being the relationship between the main character and her partner the highlight of the game.
🎮 Played on Steam Deck
Rating: 🪻🪻🪻👽▫️
Eis que o Level Design carrega a qualidade do game nas costas
Aventurinha bastante linear, nenhum desafio de plataforma ou puzzle que te empacam, bem bonito e polido.
Bem curtinho, sabe a hora de acabar antes que fique enjoativo.
Bem curtinho, sabe a hora de acabar antes que fique enjoativo.
Weak mechanical premise, but the rest left me pleasantly surprised! Voice performances are really good and fun, and the soundtrack's strong at setting the mood throughout. Really good looking too, I almost get a clay or tilt shift vibe from it, something about it just really looks impressive in motion. I simply am not immune to having a good time on a fourish hour adventure
- Gunk -
Fue un juego rapido de terminar, es de esos juegos que son sencillos en todo, sus puzzles son faciles, el mapa es corto y lineal, no tiene demasiados movimientos o combates complejos.
No esperaba mucho de el juego, pero me quedo un punto de vista decente de él. Su historia se llega a poner buena apenas logres avanzar algo y tengas que descubrir más de ese planeta cubierto por Gunk.
Artisticamente se me hizo lindo tanto que me hizo recordar peliculas infantiles que son medio crudas por como se empieza volver la atmosfera.
Fue un juego rapido de terminar, es de esos juegos que son sencillos en todo, sus puzzles son faciles, el mapa es corto y lineal, no tiene demasiados movimientos o combates complejos.
No esperaba mucho de el juego, pero me quedo un punto de vista decente de él. Su historia se llega a poner buena apenas logres avanzar algo y tengas que descubrir más de ese planeta cubierto por Gunk.
Artisticamente se me hizo lindo tanto que me hizo recordar peliculas infantiles que son medio crudas por como se empieza volver la atmosfera.
um jogo que poderia facilmente ser encontrado no ps2. Um bom jogo para crianças
Um dos melhores indies que já joguei!
Ele é simples, o que brilha é o carisma, a trilha sonora casando com a ambientação e o sentimento que o jogo quer transportar ao jogador!
A melhor forma de jogar é sabendo o mínimo possível, aproveita que é baratinho!
De defeito eu acho que as mecânicas tinham potencial pra serem mais intelectualmente exploradas, em outras palavras, os puzzles/Resoluções são simples demais e poderiam sim engajar mais o jogador!
Isso não tira o brilho do jogo só foi algo que senti falta para mim!
The Gunk nota 9
Ele é simples, o que brilha é o carisma, a trilha sonora casando com a ambientação e o sentimento que o jogo quer transportar ao jogador!
A melhor forma de jogar é sabendo o mínimo possível, aproveita que é baratinho!
De defeito eu acho que as mecânicas tinham potencial pra serem mais intelectualmente exploradas, em outras palavras, os puzzles/Resoluções são simples demais e poderiam sim engajar mais o jogador!
Isso não tira o brilho do jogo só foi algo que senti falta para mim!
The Gunk nota 9
This is a shorter game that succeeds in what it aims to do. Exploring a new planet, cleaning up 'the gunk', and progressing area to area to progress the short narrative is what this game is all about. The game is visually impressive and doesn't overstay it's welcome.
Exploring a strange energy spike on what seems to be a desolate rock, The Gunk has you encounter a strange substance that seems to be suppressing life on the planet.
The game is filled with a sense of wonder as you remove this gunk and restore the life it had “killed”, resulting in some beautiful looking areas. The gameplay is simple, but enjoyable: you hoover up gunk (and sometimes enemies) to restore plantlife, then throw plants around to make new platforms or remove obstructions.
The Gunk never gets difficult, and the development the characters go through is predictable, but with a short length and some enjoyable dialogue, The Gunk is a pleasant and charming ride. I’d love to see more of this, perhaps another adventure with these characters or just another short but sweet game.
The game is filled with a sense of wonder as you remove this gunk and restore the life it had “killed”, resulting in some beautiful looking areas. The gameplay is simple, but enjoyable: you hoover up gunk (and sometimes enemies) to restore plantlife, then throw plants around to make new platforms or remove obstructions.
The Gunk never gets difficult, and the development the characters go through is predictable, but with a short length and some enjoyable dialogue, The Gunk is a pleasant and charming ride. I’d love to see more of this, perhaps another adventure with these characters or just another short but sweet game.
Really cute and enjoyable little platformer. Has 90s vibes and some really pretty visuals.
Bastante simplón, descafeinado y repetitivo. Aun así, al tener una duración justita, no se hace pesado. Entretenido, sin más. Hace algunas cosas bien, pero le falta ambición y el propio diseño juega en su contra.
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for December 2023, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before January 2nd, 2023, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
Creating a lush beautiful world out of slime pools.
The Gunk has a beautiful moment where the player removes the last of the Gunk in an area and the player flashes a green sphere and the world’s flora comes back into view. That moment plays again and again about every five minutes or so, and each one feels uplifting. The beauty being restored is never really lost on the player as they explore the massive world that surrounds them even if it’s a guided path. While there is combat, this is almost a casual game, with a great story and interesting locations to discover.
At the same time, there’s just enough combat to make this more active than most casual games, as well as some platforming. Only a few moments have a real challenge, but it’s in a weird position. The idea of cleaning up a world while investigating what caused the calamity might not appeal to everyone, but this is a unique title in that respect.
Pick this up if you like what you’re seeing. This is just an odd game to gauge but I enjoyed myself and fully played through this title on Game Pass. It took me 6 hours and while 5 of them were great, the last hour dragged just a bit, but it still has an interesting tale, and I will applaud there’s a lot said in the story without being shoved in the player's face
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/FzxvEceV60k
Creating a lush beautiful world out of slime pools.
The Gunk has a beautiful moment where the player removes the last of the Gunk in an area and the player flashes a green sphere and the world’s flora comes back into view. That moment plays again and again about every five minutes or so, and each one feels uplifting. The beauty being restored is never really lost on the player as they explore the massive world that surrounds them even if it’s a guided path. While there is combat, this is almost a casual game, with a great story and interesting locations to discover.
At the same time, there’s just enough combat to make this more active than most casual games, as well as some platforming. Only a few moments have a real challenge, but it’s in a weird position. The idea of cleaning up a world while investigating what caused the calamity might not appeal to everyone, but this is a unique title in that respect.
Pick this up if you like what you’re seeing. This is just an odd game to gauge but I enjoyed myself and fully played through this title on Game Pass. It took me 6 hours and while 5 of them were great, the last hour dragged just a bit, but it still has an interesting tale, and I will applaud there’s a lot said in the story without being shoved in the player's face
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/FzxvEceV60k
The Gunk es un juego de acción y aventura sencillito pero entretenido.
No puedo negar que he querido dejar el planeta bien limpio, porque había chapapote hasta debajo de las piedras.
Directo, sin grandes pretensiones y con una duración ajustada. Ta bien 😎
No puedo negar que he querido dejar el planeta bien limpio, porque había chapapote hasta debajo de las piedras.
Directo, sin grandes pretensiones y con una duración ajustada. Ta bien 😎
The SUCC game. Yoy SUCC during 99% of the time. I would SUCC again. SUCC/10