Game: Junkyard Universe
Genre: Action, Indie, Casual, Adventure
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer | Publisher: Sarah Dressel
Controller Support: None
Price: US $8.99 | UK £7.49 | EU € 8,79
Release Date: October 30, 2025
Review code provided, with many thanks to Sarah Dressel.
Junkyard Universe is a pretty unique arcade-style game about picking up trash in space. You play as a pilot of a space trashcan on her first day.
The Gameplay of Junkyard Universe
Junkyard Universe is a very simple game. You spin your ship clockwise to recharge your weapon, and you spin the other way to shoot down dangerous trash floating in space. Once the trash is dissolved, you earn points and ship flying through that part of space won’t run into them and get damaged.
You have a shield, and your ship has health. You only get a couple of slots for items, and you have to balance having enough shields and recharges while still leaving room to pick up items that can be sold for a lot of money.
The way you get high-ticket items to sell to make your millions is by repairing space trash with your secondary weapon; you can sell these items to your tugboat pilot or at the space stations in between rounds.
There is a surprising amount of story in Junkyard Universe, including lore behind your pilot, previous pilots, and even several possible endings you can get. There are a variety of conversations that require you to choose different responses, which most likely have something to do with which ending you will end up with.
The Pros and Cons of Junkyard Universe
Junkyard Universe is a very simple game. It appears to be mostly polished with only a few small hiccups here and there. For example, there is a “skip” button for the opening employee onboarding video, but it doesn’t work. Also, if you turn the three volume nobs all the way down, it still plays some sounds. There is no autosave while playing, either, which is odd for a game made recently.
But for the most part, Junkyard Universe appears to play as intended. It’s an Asteroid-type game in spite of the lore hidden inside, but it is still very basic in its gameplay when you break it down. To be frank, these are not really my style of games. I think they are amusing for brief periods of time, but I don’t play them very often.
That being said, Junkyard Universe held my attention. It’s a fairly clean game with easy action, a great tutorial, and interesting characters. I liked floating through space and picking up items, and I liked the spit-fire attitude of the main character. And the music is amazing.
I liked the art a lot, and I think with a little bit more tuning, this could be a great game. It felt unique and fun while still feeling familiar, and I was rather invested in this weird little story.
Conclusion
Junkyard Universe is a very odd arcade game that feels new and different from the others. The premise is simple, but the gameplay is fun. I encountered very few bugs, and those I did weren’t too offensive. I can tell this is a one-person dev team with a lot of heart. I enjoyed my time overall with Junkyard Universe in spite of not being a huge fan of the genre.
If you are looking for an interesting arcade game that is easy to pick up but challenging to master, you should check this little game out. Junkyard Universe is proof that the arcade genre is not completely played out just yet.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot
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