generally, i did enjoy this game a lot. i just feel like the money paid for it does not equal the time spent playing. i finished this in about an hour, which i think is a lot for $5. i think if they just added a few more levels, it would have been perfect and totally worth it. but for me personally i did not find it worth it. the game is very well made and is a perfect cozy game though, so if you don't mind the lower playtime then i would absolutely recommend this game to you!

Short or small games can often receive a bad rap due to the misconception that their lack of length equals a lack of content. Spilled! is a game that proves the contrary, as while it is a game you can reasonably finish in a single sitting, its lovely visuals, soothing audio, and greatly satisfying gameplay of cleaning up bodies of water hit all the right points for me. It stumbles with its finale and finicky gathering up of floating bottles, but those are small hitches in an otherwise pleasant experience.

Spilled! has you in the role of a cleanup boat that cleans local waters from the byproducts and oils left behind by a polluting industry, going from area to area after cleaning up most of the mess. Initially, this is done by steering the boat's brush to soak up spilled oil, and once full, dropping it off at a recycling vessel. This earns you money that can be cashed in for upgrades: speed upgrades let you maneuver the boat faster, brush size increases the area you can clean at once, and capacity upgrades allow you to collect more waste before having to return to unload. Later mechanics and cleaning up more than just oil (plastic bottles and discarded barrels) are introduced over time, along with side objectives for additional money.

If Spilled! sounds simple and straightforward, that's because it is. The only real nuance to the game is controlling the boat effectively to clean up messes with as few laps as possible. That said, it's an optional nuance to learn: Since there's no time limit, it doesn't matter if you're a cleaning whiz or need to make multiple passes. It's beneficial to clean 100% of each region for two reasons: Firstly, the upgrades you can buy are very beneficial for efficiency's sake, while secondly, Spilled!'s artwork is an absolute dream to look at. Steadily turning the sullied, messy waters and being able to see the sea life underneath until it's back to its crystal-clear blue vibrance is very satisfying. The surroundings as well, with cliffsides, mesas and grassy fields when combined with the natural ambiance, make for an ASMR-like auditory-visual experience. The soundtrack, subdued and sporadic as it is, helps to lend to the pleasantries with plucking piano/synths and other instrumentation depending on the area.

On starting the game, it’s going to take a hot minute before you start feeling effective. The boat controls are simple and can be played with one hand (if on keyboard), with the only real active challenge coming from the aforementioned plastic bottles. They’re scooped up with the brush, but the floatiness of, well, floating on water can often bump bottles away and into awkward positions around or against corners. As mentioned, the lack of a time limit doesn’t mean this is the end of the world, but if you’re like me and want to clean up every spec? It can get a bit irksome. Naturally, the later upgrades to speed and brush size make coralling bottles and performing other goals easier and more efficient.

*Spoilers ahead for the finale*

The only places Spilled! truly stumbles is with its finale, being a 'boss battle' that feels out of place and counterintuitive to the game’s theme. You’re tasked with battling a large, polluting ship which boils down to chasing it (with enough speed upgrades) or waiting for it to pass and ladening it with water enough until it becomes too heavy and sinks. Considering the whole premise of the game is to get garbage out of the waters instead of adding to it, the boss feels like it’s ticking off a checkmark of gaming requisites rather than being a natural way to end the game.

*End of spoilers*

I finished my playthrough of Spilled in just under fifty minutes, which for the price tag of $7.79 (CAD) feels just right. The game’s pleasing visuals, audio and loop of cleaning up bodies of water meant I finished it in one sitting, with it feeling like more time had passed. The lack of post-game (excluding an area select option) left me wanting for other ways to play, with the only real replay value coming in the form of trying out different upgrade combinations or speedrunning. I didn’t encounter any performance issues or glitches, except for very brief loading pauses when transitioning from one area to another. For such a small game that itched my brain in the right spots, Spilled! gets a recommendation.

While very short, this was a very relaxing game. It was incredible cute!

I liked that the part that gathers oil goes through things, which meant that I didn't get stuck anywhere with my terrible bad driving. I could simply turn around anywhere without issue.

It did also kind of give me Thomas the Tank Engine vibes. There were no humans, and there were even other boats that desires specific things so you had mini quests of delivering a ball for example. I would def play a longer version of this game.

My only real complaint is that it was sad I couldn't get all the upgrades?