Sludge Life

Release Date: June 2, 2021

Developer: Terri Vellmann, Doseone

Publisher: Devolver Digital

Price: $14.99

my playtime: 5.3 hours

One of two games I’ve played on the Steam Deck that made me want to write, talk, express about games. This game helped me rediscover just how awesome video games can be. The experience was eye opening like when I played Accounting Plus on PSVR and realized the potential creative worlds that could be explored virtually.

Sludge Life is a game built on vibes, with a burnt out convenience store aesthetic. This game, without explicitly saying everything, told me to take a chill, slow paced approach. You could rush through as quickly as possible, tag the spots, speak to a few key NPCs and move on. But you would be missing the point.

This world is a lived in one, filled with stand-in druggie experiences, men smoking in the shower next to their pile of empty beer cans, a man whose concerned for his friend whose been spinning on his head for an exorbitant amount of time as a result of a bet, an uncaring fast food worker, corporate greed, collectible cigarettes, and yes, sludge.

Take it easy when you play this game. Soak in the experience. Relax to the music of in-lore rapper Big Mud, IRL Doseone. I have many Big Mud tracks on playlists in Apple Music. There are also a few puzzles but nothing too demanding. I have since played the teaser Big Mud Sessions, but am saving Sludge Life 2 for a special occasion. I love this game, the aesthetic, world building, and “vibes”!

10/10

CM 3/29/25

Links:

https://www.devolverdigital.com/games/sludge-life

https://devolverdigital.itch.io/sludgelife

(addendum)

I primarily listened to music on Soundcloud from 2015 to 2019 because I refused to pay money for music streaming. At that time Soundcloud was grimy, full of teenagers and adults experimenting with making music from their parent’s basement of community housing. Every song was musical roulette ranging from unlistenable ear buzzing to some truly creative works of art from unfound talent.

Music that captured the lost demographics not glamorized by the major labels. Kay P Baby Shiva, Ghostmane, Slug Christ, Lil Peep, Lil Tracey, why everybody hating on us lately, huh?

Takes me back to working at the theatre, getting off work to hang out with friends in a parking lot (either the theatres or Walmart). Late nights driving around with literally nowhere to go. Blasting music with the bass turned all the way up (until Limp Bizkit blew the speakers out in my silver Pontiac Grand Am).

Now switch Limp Bizkit for some lofi hip-hop, mix that into the movie Gummo and you have a rough proximation of living that Sludge Life.

CM 4/7/25