The PixelJunk name is largely associated with games that are simple in nature yet compelling and charming or a little innovative. PixelJunk Monsters applied its cute aesthetic to tower defense. PixelJunk Shooter adds a temperature gauge where water is necessary to prevent your ship from blowing up. Nom Nom Galaxy has a mix of different genres in the name of making soup. No matter the platform, the announcement of a new game in the series is usually met with some curiosity. Such is the case with PixelJunk Scrappers, a game that debuted on Apple Arcade in April 2020 and is finally making its way to multiple platforms and bringing the Deluxe moniker with it.

It is the future, and the garbage situation on Earth is out of control. In an effort to clean up things, the people of Earth constructed a rocket filled with garbage and sent it to space. The plan could have worked, but the trash rocket plummeted back to Earth, wiping out all life. Robots are now the dominant life form on the planet, and the same garbage that was once a nuisance has become a prized commodity. Four of the big robot gangs possess the lion's share of it. You're the latest member of the Scrappers, a small ragtag group of robots dedicated to cleaning up the place while taking down the other gangs in the process.

The core gameplay loop can be split into two distinct mechanics. The first is what the developers dub a "trash-'em-up." Your main role is that of a trash collector, so it makes sense that you try to pick up as much trash as possible to throw into the back of the garbage truck and score points. The trash you pick up varies by type and weight, so trying to carry a vending machine will cause you to move slower compared to carrying a bunch of bottles and traffic cones. Trash also obeys the laws of physics, so you can pile the garbage as high as possible, but there is a good chance that it will tip over because you're moving too fast or a gust of wind knocks it down. While you can walk to the truck to dump the trash, you can also throw it into the truck or to a partner that can catch it and deposit it for you. If you're playing solo, you automatically get a robot partner.

There's a good amount of challenge that makes the trash collection segments fun. While one will lament that there's no visible timer when the truck is parked, the knowledge that it can move at any moment does encourage one to take risks, such as trying to make a tall stack and get it to the truck in time or go for something smaller to guarantee cash. It's hilarious to craft situations where you toss piles of trash like the shopkeepers throw around fish in Seattle's Pike Place Market. The same can be said for trying to defy physics and creating the tallest garbage tower possible.

At the same time, some aspects of trash collection are less enjoyable than they should be. The area in which the game registers that garbage can be placed in the truck can be inconsistent when the garbage is thrown. Sometimes you can throw the stack directly to the back, and it collapses instead of getting into the truck. A small indicator appears when you throw trash, so it's a little difficult to see where it's being thrown. Just like the truck, there are moments when thrown trash isn't caught by a player, so it falls to the ground in a heap. The truck can also hide trash in the background, so there are moments when the game seems to be artificially tougher.

The second distinct mechanic to PixelJunk Scrappers Deluxe is brawling, and this plays out somewhat like you'd expect. The game is set in an angled side view, so you move up and down the screen and bash away at enemies, clearing the scene before accompanying the truck to the next location. Thankfully, you don't need to protect the truck, so you can concentrate on beating down other robots. Aside from beating up different robot types, you can pick up different arms that act as weapons like a shotgun, chainsaw, or propane tank launcher. Unlike in most beat-'em-ups, your weapons never get knocked away, and you only lose them when you reach the end of the stage or die.

Compared to the trash collecting portion, the beat-'em-up part reveals its flaws more quickly. Your attacks are limited to punching or using weapons, so don't expect to perform kicks or throws. You can't leap or run, so you're limited to walking at a decent speed. You also can't block or do anything more advanced, which may make it fine for those who want to button-mash but a little boring for those who have become accustomed to modern beat-'em-ups.

Despite some of the aforementioned issues, the combination of the two gameplay mechanics creates something that seems quirky but works well after a few moments. The levels are short enough that none of them feel like a slog to get through, but they're all challenging due to the enemy variety and natural obstacles, like falling platforms and bosses. Each stage comes with different goals, like trying to get through a section unscathed or trying to get trash away from a rickety platform. However, the goals only account for a fraction of what you'll need to reach the next area. The score-based goals are more important, and the other, more varied tasks are only necessary if you've stumbled upon them by chance.

The cash you gain from gathering trash can also be used to buy new characters and customization parts for your garbage truck, but you're better off spending it on different arms that you can use to start the stage. The cash is also important for resurrecting after death, as the cost increases every time you come back; you can mitigate that by having friends bring your head to the truck to return for free.

The good news about the multiplayer is that it covers all of the bases. There's local multiplayer for four players, which is expected for the genre — and a godsend for those who want to see this gameplay for the PC. Online multiplayer is also available for up to four players, and while you have to accept the presence of the Epic Games Store, it does allow for cross-play between all platforms. The good news is that online play is smooth, so there's no need to worry about lag messing up throws or letting you walk into a pit. The bad news is that you can't combine local and online player bases into one session.

The presentation is quite nice. The signature PixelJunk art style is in full force, with a distinct color scheme for the backgrounds and no black ink lines bordering each bespoke piece. It looks nice, but you will wish that the camera was a touch closer or that the characters were bigger, so you can see more of the details. The game does a great job of handling lots of objects on-screen, and the frame rate never drops to the point of slowing down. The music is also very nice to listen to, and the effects are good enough to make up for a distinct lack of voices.

Steam Deck users will find that the game is very well optimized for the device. Despite only having the most basic options for graphics, the game performs very well on the device with a 60fps lock and no drops. All text is readable, and nothing looks like it has been compromised by the lower resolution and screen size. The battery life for the game from a full charge is a little over five hours, a fantastic feat considering that most indie titles nowadays seem to hover around three to four hours on the Deck. Unless you want to try to squeeze six hours out of the Deck, there's no need to try to optimize the system settings further.

The concept behind PixelJunk Scrappers Deluxe is good. Mixing a beat-'em-up with garbage collection seems like a strange concept, but it all works thanks to the pacing of each segment and the simplicity of the mechanics. It's the little things — the paltry move set, the small opening for successful garbage collection, the need to repeat levels, the ease with which one can lose track of where they are — that pile up to drag down the experience a peg. It is still worth checking out for the semi-distinct nature of it all, but be sure to temper your expectations.

Score: 7.0/10