Waste Of Life is a third-person co-op survival RPG adventure game built around a trash-covered planet called Garb'aaj. Players control a debt-ridden cyborg whose ship has crashed on this world formed from discarded waste, much like an enormous garbage patch. The core loop revolves around scavenging parts, modifying a cyborg body in granular detail, digging through piles of refuse, operating machinery by hand, and gradually constructing a functional planet while fending off corporate drones.
Gameplay
The body modification system treats every finger, toe, eye, ear, and joint as an individual slot. A lost limb can be replaced on the spot by bolting on a new piece pulled from the trash heap. Chrome limbs deliver stronger hits but consume battery power, and the head and torso remain organic at all times. Limb-mounted weapons follow an Inspector Gadget approach, such as a fingertip gun that fires actual bullets. Parts can be swapped between the player and teammates, though installation carries a small risk of mishaps. Worn components jam over time and require repair kits. Death sends the character back to the med-pod stripped of all limbs, forcing a crawl to safety.
Digging and excavation form another central activity. Holding the interaction key excavates trash piles at a speed determined by the hands equipped, with specialized attachments like claws, shovels, or buzzsaws accelerating the process. Players can also operate drivable excavators that cut into solid ground with realistic resistance, filling the bucket according to the actual volume removed. Two-player excavators allow a larger scoop. Raw trash is then hauled to a sorter for recycling, fuel production, or construction use. Every machine receives material by hand rather than through automated conveyors, and a power grid must be maintained against interference from drones.
Progression centers on feeding trash into the Planet Works facility to build the planet layer by layer, beginning with the core and advancing through the mantle, crust, and atmosphere. Each completed layer unlocks additional machines while gradually clearing the sky. Battery and food paste resources require constant management to avoid over-reliance on mechanical upgrades. Company drones constructed from trash raid unsecured areas, and larger threats such as the Salvantula walking processing plant send out Weavers when damaged. Further harm after the core is complete summons swarms of Effluvium Wasps.
Game Modes
Waste Of Life supports solo play, hosting sessions for friends, or running a dedicated server. The default player limit stands at four. Friendly fire remains active by default, allowing accidental or intentional removal of a teammate's finger or other parts, though servers can disable it. The seamless world allows free movement across the trash-built planet without loading screens between activities.
Is It Worth Playing?
The game appeals most to players who enjoy granular customization systems and hands-on co-op survival mechanics combined with dry, dark comedy about debt and corporate waste. Its body-slot system and realistic voxel digging stand out as distinctive features that reward experimentation and teamwork. Those seeking straightforward action or automated progression may find the manual feeding of machines and constant resource juggling less appealing. The title remains available on PC with no announced seasonal content or major updates beyond the core experience described in its design.
Co-op sessions highlight the tension between shared limb swapping and the risk of friendly fire, creating memorable moments during fights or excavation tasks. Solo runs emphasize careful part management and strategic digging to advance planet construction without assistance. The overall loop ties scavenging, combat, and long-term building into a single cohesive loop on a world that literally grows through player effort.
