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Trash Goblin
Trash Goblin has the basics of a cosy experience, offering a casual, low-stakes loop with charming characters and accessible mechanics. It’s pleasant, undemanding, and occasionally fun, but it rarely stretches beyond those foundations. The lack of failing mechanics keeps things relaxing but also dulls any sense of progression or challenge. As the systems begin to fade and repetition sets in, even the new patch content struggles to reignite that initial enthusiasm, it begins to lose its appeal. There’s enjoyment here, for sure, especially in short bursts, but it’s the kind of game you put down once the novelty wears off or the story wraps up. A fun little distraction, but not a noteworthy one.
Trash Goblin is a very interesting game, I am not exactly into shopkeeping games, but it piqued my interest early on. I like the game’s cartoony style, the character design, along with the gameplay loop they created here. On top of that, uncovering gifts and trying to repair stuff feels like Christmas morning over and over. Is Trash Goblin a game for everyone? Realistically, we all like a cozy, fun game that helps us unwind and relax. I feel that Trash Goblin does that very well, and it feels very satisfying to unearth and clean items in this game. Yes, it can get repetitive, and that’s the pet-peeve for this game. Yet thanks to randomly generated items and customers, you can get dozens of hours of fun from the game and even uncover new stuff often.
Split Milk Studios Ltd has chosen to greatly simplify the mechanics of Trash Goblin in order to appeal to a casual audience. The game offers a cozy atmosphere and a satisfying sense of progression, even without the usual pressure found in management-focused titles. On the other hand, these design choices can lead to a gameplay experience that becomes repetitive and, at times, monotonous. Nevertheless, the overall result is positive, and Trash Goblin stands out as a solid option for those seeking a light and laid-back pastime.
9
mrsachmo
I'm a huge fan of this game and have a hard time ending my sessions because the entire flow is very relaxing for me. The premise of the game is quite simple; you are a goblin who is promoted from menial helper to trinket shop owner. You have access to 4 areas in your area. The first is your sales counter where you will present objects to customer. The second is your bed, where you end the day and eventually do other things. Other things being moving to different locations and not perhaps what you were thinking. It's not that kind of game and who would want to see a goblin do that anyway? What am I saying? Of course someone would want to see that. But let's get back to my point. The third area is your upgrade area and the fourth is your work table. The day is split up into actions, and the actions are burned at the work table. The work table is the meat of the game. It works thusly; your trash-picking purple aunt sends down a bag filled with an item she has discovered in her trash runs. You can open the sack with your chisel, and you are then moved into a mini-game where you have to chisel blocks off of the "item" to reveal what the actual treasure is. Once the item is revealed, you then can clean it with a sponge. Cleaning the items results in a higher sale value, and some customers won't even buy a dirty item. The chipping game and the cleaning game each use an action, and that is how the day passes. The customers will come to the shop throughout the day and will ask for specific items or items in a category like weapons or containers. Then you move back to your workshop or your stash and find the item if you have it, plop it on the table and make the deal. Every deal gives you the option to take what is offered or refuse. There is no haggling, but you can pick between the normal price or a lower price later in the game. Offering a lower price increases your relationship with that faction much more than a regular sale, but you obviously take about a 25% hit on profit for that item. And I really don't remember what the goodwill does, but since I am often a numbers go up person by default, I do it from time to time. Later you get another tool that allows you to combine trinkets. Doing this is necessary for some of the customers asks, and even if they don't ask for a combined item you get a higher price for the combined item if they do buy it. That's pretty much it. Chip away blocks, clean items, sell to customers, and upgrade and customize your area. Sounds pretty basic, right? For me, that is more than enough. The game has no time pressure. There is no clock for a customer sales. As far as I know, you can stay at the work table all day and then go sell to your one customer if you wish. Later on you can take orders from customers and they will eventually come back once you have the item(s) they are looking for, but I've left them at the counter overnight with no ill effect. It doesn't really matter what order you do things and for me, when I need that kind of slow pace, it hits home. The block puzzles are not difficult, but some blocks will only break if you hit a certain side, and some you have to chip off by removing their connection to the item. Some take longer to break than others. But this is what you do over and over and for whatever reason I really enjoy doing that. I think maybe it's because the game has many items in it and I enjoy seeing what pops out. Maybe I'm a gatcha fanatic? The cleaning is just rubbing your sponge over the dark splotches on the trinkets, but for me that is also satisfying for some reason. Many of the characters in the game have humorous little stories and plotlines, and there are a lot of characters in the game. Most of it is tongue in cheek, but you won't find them reciting Shakespeare or commenting on global warming. It's fluff, it's amusing, and it's cozy. To sum up, this game is basically a cozy shop/puzzle game. That's what you are signing up for. There is really no difficulty curve to speak of. For me, during this season of my life, it hits the spot and keeps me coming back. If you are stressed out building an entirely new reporting platform at work, dealing with a substance abusing spouse and two adult children who have not yet found their own way, you might just come to cherish this little "timewaster". Thanks for reading and take care of yourself.
5
MrRaincoatMan
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Trash Goblin

Released On: 
May 28, 2025
Metascore
71
User score
Mixed or Average
5.3
My Score
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Metascore
71
60% Positive
3 Reviews
40% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
Jul 7, 2025
80
Softpedia
Trash Goblin is a very interesting game, I am not exactly into shopkeeping games, but it piqued my interest early on. I like the game’s cartoony style, the character design, along with the gameplay loop they created here. On top of that, uncovering gifts and trying to repair stuff feels like Christmas morning over and over. Is Trash Goblin a game for everyone? Realistically, we all like a cozy, fun game that helps us unwind and relax. I feel that Trash Goblin does that very well, and it feels very satisfying to unearth and clean items in this game. Yes, it can get repetitive, and that’s the pet-peeve for this game. Yet thanks to randomly generated items and customers, you can get dozens of hours of fun from the game and even uncover new stuff often.
May 29, 2025
75
GameBlast
Split Milk Studios Ltd has chosen to greatly simplify the mechanics of Trash Goblin in order to appeal to a casual audience. The game offers a cozy atmosphere and a satisfying sense of progression, even without the usual pressure found in management-focused titles. On the other hand, these design choices can lead to a gameplay experience that becomes repetitive and, at times, monotonous. Nevertheless, the overall result is positive, and Trash Goblin stands out as a solid option for those seeking a light and laid-back pastime.
May 28, 2025
75
GameGrin
Trash Goblin makes you play like a goblin in a nice, quirky world, with simple yet addictive gameplay. However, I really would recommend changing the settings to save your hands from cramps.
May 28, 2025
65
CGMagazine
Trash Goblin has the foundation for a genuine cozy game, but implements half-hearted sim elements for an experience that never feels as satisfying as it could.
Aug 8, 2025
60
DarkZero
Trash Goblin has the basics of a cosy experience, offering a casual, low-stakes loop with charming characters and accessible mechanics. It’s pleasant, undemanding, and occasionally fun, but it rarely stretches beyond those foundations. The lack of failing mechanics keeps things relaxing but also dulls any sense of progression or challenge. As the systems begin to fade and repetition sets in, even the new patch content struggles to reignite that initial enthusiasm, it begins to lose its appeal. There’s enjoyment here, for sure, especially in short bursts, but it’s the kind of game you put down once the novelty wears off or the story wraps up. A fun little distraction, but not a noteworthy one.
User score
Mixed or Average
5.3
11% Positive
1 Rating
56% Mixed
5 Ratings
33% Negative
3 Ratings
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
May 14, 2026
9
mrsachmo
I'm a huge fan of this game and have a hard time ending my sessions because the entire flow is very relaxing for me. The premise of the game is quite simple; you are a goblin who is promoted from menial helper to trinket shop owner. You have access to 4 areas in your area. The first is your sales counter where you will present objects to customer. The second is your bed, where you end the day and eventually do other things. Other things being moving to different locations and not perhaps what you were thinking. It's not that kind of game and who would want to see a goblin do that anyway? What am I saying? Of course someone would want to see that. But let's get back to my point. The third area is your upgrade area and the fourth is your work table. The day is split up into actions, and the actions are burned at the work table. The work table is the meat of the game. It works thusly; your trash-picking purple aunt sends down a bag filled with an item she has discovered in her trash runs. You can open the sack with your chisel, and you are then moved into a mini-game where you have to chisel blocks off of the "item" to reveal what the actual treasure is. Once the item is revealed, you then can clean it with a sponge. Cleaning the items results in a higher sale value, and some customers won't even buy a dirty item. The chipping game and the cleaning game each use an action, and that is how the day passes. The customers will come to the shop throughout the day and will ask for specific items or items in a category like weapons or containers. Then you move back to your workshop or your stash and find the item if you have it, plop it on the table and make the deal. Every deal gives you the option to take what is offered or refuse. There is no haggling, but you can pick between the normal price or a lower price later in the game. Offering a lower price increases your relationship with that faction much more than a regular sale, but you obviously take about a 25% hit on profit for that item. And I really don't remember what the goodwill does, but since I am often a numbers go up person by default, I do it from time to time. Later you get another tool that allows you to combine trinkets. Doing this is necessary for some of the customers asks, and even if they don't ask for a combined item you get a higher price for the combined item if they do buy it. That's pretty much it. Chip away blocks, clean items, sell to customers, and upgrade and customize your area. Sounds pretty basic, right? For me, that is more than enough. The game has no time pressure. There is no clock for a customer sales. As far as I know, you can stay at the work table all day and then go sell to your one customer if you wish. Later on you can take orders from customers and they will eventually come back once you have the item(s) they are looking for, but I've left them at the counter overnight with no ill effect. It doesn't really matter what order you do things and for me, when I need that kind of slow pace, it hits home. The block puzzles are not difficult, but some blocks will only break if you hit a certain side, and some you have to chip off by removing their connection to the item. Some take longer to break than others. But this is what you do over and over and for whatever reason I really enjoy doing that. I think maybe it's because the game has many items in it and I enjoy seeing what pops out. Maybe I'm a gatcha fanatic? The cleaning is just rubbing your sponge over the dark splotches on the trinkets, but for me that is also satisfying for some reason. Many of the characters in the game have humorous little stories and plotlines, and there are a lot of characters in the game. Most of it is tongue in cheek, but you won't find them reciting Shakespeare or commenting on global warming. It's fluff, it's amusing, and it's cozy. To sum up, this game is basically a cozy shop/puzzle game. That's what you are signing up for. There is really no difficulty curve to speak of. For me, during this season of my life, it hits the spot and keeps me coming back. If you are stressed out building an entirely new reporting platform at work, dealing with a substance abusing spouse and two adult children who have not yet found their own way, you might just come to cherish this little "timewaster". Thanks for reading and take care of yourself.
Jun 1, 2025
5
MrRaincoatMan
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
See All 9 User Reviews
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SummaryA wholesome, cosy shopkeeping game where you 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.
  • PC
  • Xbox Series X
  • PlayStation 5
  • Nintendo Switch
May 28, 2025
  • Spilt Milk Studios
Spilt Milk Studios
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