Do you think you’d make a good goblin? Strange question, I know, but you have a definitive way to find out with the two free demos for Trash Goblin - an upcoming shopkeeping sim from Spilt Milk Studios which sees players uncover and upcycle old trinkets to sell to quirky customers.
First revealed back in September, Trash Goblin is currently set to release in early access in 2024, before its full launch on PC in 2025 (and apparently “everything else” in the future). Its Kickstarter was launched earlier this month, and of its funding goal, which is roughly $88,660 (£70,000), it’s already over halfway there, with over $48,000 (£38,598, to be exact) raised at the time of writing. It has until January 10, 2024 to hit its target.
The loop of upcycling and selling sounds super satisfying - after uncovering the trinkets by digging through the dirt they’re buried in and giving them a good wash, you’re able to customize them by adding paint or even combining them with other things. By learning the preferences of your customers, you’ll be able to turn a tidy profit, which can then be invested into new tools to use on your trinkets, as well as the shop itself which can eventually be expanded into new districts.
If you want to give it a go, one demo is available to play on Steam, while the other is on Itch.io. Both have been given a seasonal coat of paint for the holidays, and a press release hints that there’s “a unique hidden present in each one.” In the Steam version, this apparently takes the form of a new trinket that is hidden somewhere in the workshop, so be sure to keep an eye out for that.
For more games like Trash Goblin, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best indie games, as well as the best cozy Switch games to snuggle up with this holiday season.
