Garbage Country is a singleplayer exploration and survival game slated for release in 2026 for both PC and consoles, developed by Noio Games, which is led by Thomas van den Berg known for his acclaimed indie titles Kingdom: New Lands and Cloud Gardens.
With a distinct blend of MetroidVania progression, physics-driven vehicle platforming, and unique tower defense boss battles, Garbage Country invites players road trip through a haunting post-industrial wasteland.
Features
Road Trip Across the Wasteland: Venture through a handcrafted landscape dotted with abandoned landmarks, mysterious ruins, and charming strangers, searching for remnants and stories from the past.
Fun Vehicle Physics: Master the quirky physics of your upgradable truck. Light vehicle platforming lets players reach distant corners and hidden regions, uncovering secrets and resources along the journey.
MetroidVania Elements: Gain new abilities and upgrades, gradually unlocking new regions and returning to previously inaccessible areas, reminiscent of classic MetroidVania progression.
Tower Defense Boss Fights: Prepare for intense encounters as swarms of rogue bots attack. Construct turrets and fortifications using scavenged materials to defend your vehicle in strategic, grid-based tower defense battles.
Quiet Moments: Take the road less traveled to soak in the atmospheric world, relishing moments of calm amid the dust, silence, and melancholic beauty of a decaying landscape.
Setting and Gameplay Overview
Set in a vast, decaying world reclaimed by nature, Garbage Country puts players behind the wheel of a customizable truck to uncover abandoned landmarks, lost technology, and secrets from a forgotten era. The open world is filled with memorable locations and mysterious characters. Players explore at their own pace, facing light vehicle platforming challenges and gradually unlocking new regions and abilities—a nod to classic MetroidVania games.
Drive across a vast, post-industrial wilderness and discover what was left behind in Garbage Country. The game revolves around exploration, upgrading your vehicle, and expanding your map—each journey deeper into the wastes unveils new secrets and dangers.
Players will meet memorable characters, navigate haunting landmarks, and face off against hostile bots—machines driven to attack humans after something mysterious changed in their world. Using found materials, players must construct defensive structures in tense tower defense scenarios and ensure their survival in the harsh landscape.
Above all, Garbage Country emphasizes atmosphere: the dust, the ruins, the silence, and the haunting remnants of a long-forgotten past. With its innovative blend of genres and the signature style of its creator, this indie title stands out as one of 2026’s most intriguing adventures.
Final Impressions from Gamescom 2025
We had the Chance to play a session from the early game and were really catched from its mechanics. One of the games all of us were eager to play and wanted to play the whole game right now.
It was also possible to have a look into the Steamdeck Version, whoch runs pretty well already, too.
Garbage Country blends exploration, creative gameplay mechanics, and a deeply atmospheric world in a manner that stands out in the indie scene. By combining open-world driving, strategic defense, MetroidVania-inspired progression, and quiet moments of reflection, it promises a memorable journey for fans of thoughtful, immersive adventures. A typical Playtrough should take 20 hours so we are looking forward to these 20 hours next year.
Release & Platforms:
Garbe Countrys early Access might arrive in late 2025, or at least early 2026 for PC, with final and console versions to follow.
