The Gunk
A third-person action-adventure about restoring an alien planet.
The Gunk is a story-driven action-adventure game from Thunderful Development and Thunderful Publishing, released on December 16, 2021 for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S. Players control Rani, a scavenger who lands on an alien planet with her partner Becks. The planet’s biomes—canyons, jungles, and caves—are covered in a black, slime-like parasite called the Gunk, which harms the environment and wildlife. Rani uses a power glove to suck up the gunk, restoring the terrain and allowing flora and fauna to flourish. She can also scan the environment to learn about the world, with findings recorded in a logbook. Combat against corrupted monsters is sometimes required.
In the story, Rani and Becks detect a strong power source on an uncharted planet and land to investigate. While Becks stays with the ship, Rani explores, using her glove, Pumpkin, to collect resources. She discovers the gunk has polluted the planet, but removing it revives the landscape. Rani finds ruins of an alien civilization; Becks discourages her from investigating, but Rani persists. She learns the aliens fled when the gunk appeared, and frees a survivor named Hari from a pod. Hari explains that a being called the Gardener caused the gunk, forcing the aliens off-world. Becks argues with Rani’s decision to confront the Gardener and eventually stops speaking to her. At the Garden, the Gardener accuses humans of being destructive and expels Rani. Stranded in a wasteland, her mask broken, Rani’s health declines from gunk exposure, but Becks and Hari rescue her—Becks having realized she prioritized finances over friendship. With their help, Rani re-enters the Garden, defeats the Gardener, and shuts down the gunk-creating systems. After saying goodbye to Hari, Rani and Becks return to populated space, unsure what story to tell authorities.
Development began with Image & Form, the studio behind the SteamWorld series, after the release of SteamWorld Dig 2 in 2017. The team wanted a larger-scale game with 3D graphics, their first such project, and used Unreal Engine 4 for a smooth transition.
Quick Facts
- Title
- The Gunk
- Developer
- Thunderful Development
- Publisher
- Thunderful Publishing
- Director
- Ulf Hartelius, Tobias Nilsson
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Platforms
- Windows · Xbox One · Xbox Series X/S
- Genre
- Action-adventure
- Released
- December 16, 2021
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Gunk is played from a third-person perspective, with the player controlling Rani, a scavenger who arrives on an alien planet with her partner Becks. The planet features biomes such as canyons, jungles, and caves, but these terrains have been corrupted by a black slime-like parasite called the Gunk. Rani uses a power glove to suck in the gunk, restoring the environment, and may fight corrupted monsters. Removing gunk allows wildlife to thrive, and Rani can scan the environment to learn about the world, with findings documented in a logbook. The plot follows Rani and Becks discovering a power source on an uncharted planet. While Becks stays with the ship, Rani explores and collects resources with her glove, Pumpkin. She finds ruins of an alien civilization and learns that the aliens fled when the gunk appeared. Rani frees an alien named Hari, who explains that an entity called the Gardener caused the gunk. Becks initially argues with Rani but later has a change of heart and helps her defeat the Gardener, ending the gunk's creation. The game was developed by Image & Form, the studio behind the SteamWorld series, after the release of SteamWorld Dig 2 (2017). The team wanted a larger-scale 3D game and used Unreal Engine 4. The first prototype was created by director Ulf Hartelius, featuring vacuuming gunk and watching plants grow. The team partnered with Microsoft for an exclusive release on Windows and Xbox platforms. The game was announced on July 24, 2020, and delayed from September 2021 to December 16, 2021.
Reader's Guide
The Gunk received 'mixed or average' reviews on Metacritic. Critics noted its art direction and the gratifying feel of sucking gunk, but many found the gameplay loop lacking iteration over its five-hour campaign. IGN praised the satisfying loop and engaging world-building but cited limited movement mechanics. Eurogamer recommended the game, highlighting the developers' attention to detail and the joy of removing gunk. GamesRadar+ found the story and characters intriguing but criticized the limited challenges and basic gameplay loop. Game Informer deemed the game evocative of others without reaching their heights, with the story conflict being the main draw. GameSpot called it 'unambitious' due to simplistic design, while praising character relationships and its relaxing nature. The game is significant as a first 3D outing for the SteamWorld developers, showcasing their transition to a larger scale and new hardware, though its reception suggests it did not fully realize its potential.
Did You Know?
- The game was originally conceptualized by Image & Form, the studio behind the SteamWorld series, before merging into Thunderful Development.
- The first prototype was created by director Ulf Hartelius and featured vacuuming slimy gunk off the ground and watching plants grow back.
- The game was delayed from its initial September 2021 release date to December 16, 2021.
- The alien named Hari was kept alive in a pod and freed by Rani during the story.
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