$24.99The Gunk Clean a planet, find a mystery
Vacuum up the black parasite choking an alien world and watch life bloom back where you cleared it.
Is The Gunk worth it?
The Gunk is worth it if…
- you want a short, calm adventure to unwind with over an evening or two
- you find vacuuming up corruption weirdly satisfying and love watching a world bloom back
- you enjoy exploring colorful alien worlds at your own pace, with no pressure or timers
- you like a light story carried by banter between two characters
- you prefer gentle puzzles over tough combat or demanding platforming
Screenshots
Cleaning as the whole game
The Power Glove is part vacuum, part tool, and it carries everything. Point it at a patch of gunk and the black sludge peels away; flowers open, animals return, and a gray corner of the map turns bright again. It is a simple loop, and a deeply satisfying one: clear a patch, see it come alive, move on.
Cleaning is not just cosmetic. Cleared ground opens new paths, and revived plant life becomes part of the puzzle. Scanning plants and ruins unlocks upgrades for the glove, so curiosity pays off in reach and new abilities.
Fair warning: the puzzles stay gentle and the combat stays light. This is a game about tidying an ecosystem, not testing your reflexes.
Two haulers, one planet, a growing rift
Rani and Becks are broke space haulers chasing resources to pay their debts. The radio chatter between them carries the story: as Rani grows attached to the dying planet, Becks just wants to grab what pays and leave before things go wrong. The tension between them builds as you dig deeper.
The planet itself holds the rest. A civilization lived here once, and its ruins, along with the gunk strangling the land, hint at what went wrong. Exploration and story are tied together: every cleansed area reveals another fragment of what happened, and the game keeps you wondering what role Rani will end up playing in the planet's fate.
Fiona Nova voices Rani, and the banter between the two gives the journey its personality. It is a compact tale, told in a handful of hours, and it lands more charming than heavy.
How long does it take to finish?
How long does it take to finish?
A full run takes roughly five to seven hours, and a relaxed completionist pass fits comfortably in a weekend. There is no new game mode after the credits, so it is built as one clean trip: arrive, cleanse, uncover the mystery, leave. That brevity is part of the appeal for many, though players who want a long haul or reasons to replay should set expectations accordingly.
Is there any combat or danger?
There is combat, but it stays light. A few creature types appear, from small leaping varmints to big beasts that charge, and you deal with them using the glove's abilities. None of them are likely to give you much trouble, and falling costs you little. The game is built to be low pressure rather than tense, so it suits unwinding more than it suits a challenge seeker.
Can you explore freely or is it linear?
The route is mostly linear, with side paths holding resources and things to scan. It is hard to get properly lost, and the game marks the way forward clearly. Wandering off the main trail is still worth it: scanning enough plants and structures unlocks glove upgrades, and resources gathered along the way fund them. Think guided tour with rewarding detours, not open world.
Do you need to be good at platformers?
No. The platforming is deliberate and forgiving, with responsive jumps and no punishing failure states. The real skill involved is spotting where the gunk hides and figuring out which tool, plant or explosive gets it clean. If you can steer a character and aim a vacuum, you have the full skill set this game asks for.
