Spilled! is a short but relaxing endeavour. If you love to save the world and clean up toxic messes, this will be the game for you. The slow-paced gameplay and lack of danger won’t impress everyone. However, I enjoyed the change of pace and the comfortable world.
Lente developed and published this nautical environmental adventure. Moreover, it is a single-player game that uses an isometric viewpoint. This was a great choice as it helps you to find every last bit of plastic and oil. Additionally, navigating some of the tight areas can be challenging, and the camera alleviates some of the pain.
Spilled! allows the action to do the talking.
The game doesn’t focus on a central plot. Instead, the linear action allows you to do as you wish. There are fires to extinguish and snow to form. What’s more, some animals need your help. As you sail across each of the 8 areas, you will find stranded animals in the oil. Your task is to suck up that mess and rescue that beast.
Alongside this, you must take plastic waste to the recycling centre. Now, this may seem like a big ask, but you get paid for every item you collect. This money can be invested in your ship to help you hold more oil, speed up your rig, or increase the catchment size of your hoover.
Simple gameplay.
Whatever improvements you make will not alter Spilled’s! core gameplay loop. Each stage has a set amount of oil and plastic to collect. Furthermore, there are a few side quests where you must push an item to a certain area. None of these tasks will test you, and that improves the relaxed experience.
Spilled! has a pleasant pixelated look.
Spilled! may be a simple game, but visually, it has some nice tricks up its sleeve. This pixelated game has a pleasant colour palette, and the ocean changes from a murky brown to a crisp blue once you’ve completed your cleanup. This was great to look at, and I liked the clear visual markers.
The calm soundtrack enhances the relaxed and laid-back nature of the game. The gentle piano music adds a sense of magic as you move through each toxic arena. Moreover, the simple sound effects do not overpower the pleasant music, and this was a great design choice.
Simple controls.
I played Spilled! with a gamepad, and this made it really easy to master. Additionally, every new element was well explained, and the visual clues ensured that you never struggled. Though the boat steering was a little strange at first, you quickly get used to its quirky ways.
1 hour of gameplay wasn’t enough! I wanted Spilled! to keep going, but it didn’t. This was unfortunate, but I loved every minute that I played. I’m hoping that the solo developer adds more content to enhance replay value and longevity.
Spilled! is a great indie game.
Despite its short playtime, I think that Spilled! is a great indie title. It sets out its stall very early and doesn’t change its course. The simple gameplay and relaxed aesthetic will not please everyone, but I adored its approach. Accordingly, I think this should be in your library, and I recommend buying it here! Can you clean every drop of oil? Help the animals, suck up the oil, and get rid of the recycling.
