SLUDGE LIFE (2021)

Developer: Terri Vellmann, Doseone
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platforms: Windows
Genres: Adventure, Indie
Rating: 4.5 of 5, 5,504 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 4.1 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More games like this Watch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

You wander a polluted island at a relaxed pace, chatting with weird characters and tagging everything in sight, all while a thick, darkly comic atmosphere seeps into every corner.

first-personopen worldstrollvandalism-centricpsychedelicdarkly funnyexploratorycasual

What players say

Players describe Sludge Life as a short, chill exploration game about graffiti tagging and talking to bizarre NPCs. There is no real goal beyond finding secrets and collecting items, and many finish in 2 to 4 hours. The deliberately ugly art style and surreal atmosphere get consistent praise, while the gameplay stays simple throughout. Some find the price too high for its length.

Screenshots

More games like this

More by doseone

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.