If you want better gameplay mechanics
Choose Order of the Sinking Star. It scores 4.8 vs 3.5 for gameplay mechanics, with a 4.0 overall score.
Truckful Review
Content guidance
Threatening supernatural trucks and a train chase the player through dark woods and tunnels, with ominous fog and vehicle destruction adding tension. Subtle adult innuendos appear within the otherwise cartoonish humor.
Official rating
E
Bottom Line
Choose Truckful for meticulous cargo puzzles, a heartfelt mystery, and enjoyable handheld play. Skip it if you want effortless routes or a consistently relaxing delivery loop; awkward navigation, shifting cameras, and repeated garage trips can test your patience.
Cargo-packing enthusiasts and fans of trucks or isometric Metroidvania adventures have the clearest fit. Handheld players also benefit from readable text, effective controls, and strong tested Steam Deck performance.
Not for
Casual players seeking consistently relaxed deliveries may struggle with the standard difficulty, although Story Mode reduces restrictions. Content-sensitive players should weigh the cozy presentation against tense supernatural vehicle pursuits.
Verdict
Truckful makes loading a pickup surprisingly satisfying: awkward cargo needs a stable arrangement, and every bend tests your preparation. Its colorful countryside hides an engaging supernatural mystery, with memorable townsfolk giving deliveries purpose beyond earning cash. Useful upgrades and hidden shortcuts add reasons to explore, while performance is a notable strength on the tested handhelds and PCs. The tradeoff is convenience. Several reviewers struggled with shifting camera angles, cumbersome map access, and equipment limits that force repeated garage trips. Others found the driving excellent and the whole experience polished, so tolerance for its physics matters. Repetitive jobs and occasional truck-sticking problems can further erode momentum. The result is an appealing, unusual adventure whose story and packing often shine brighter than its navigation.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
75 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.020 (27%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.429 (39%)
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Neutral 2.5-3.414 (19%)
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Negative 1.5-2.412 (16%)
Pros highlights
-
Loading, delivering, and upgrading give ordinary errands an appealing rhythm, especially when the mystery moves forward. Repeated trips and equipment changes can make that rhythm wear thin.
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The verdicts range from wholehearted enthusiasm to stopping because of repeated lost progress. Most find an appealing mystery and delivery concept beneath significant usability frustrations.
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Packing and driving work together to create an engaging physics challenge. Cargo can react disproportionately to small bumps, and several reviewers found the resulting recovery frustrating.
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The village’s dark mystery and surprisingly heartfelt story are recurring strengths. Helping residents reveals enough intrigue to keep several reviewers engaged despite troublesome mechanics.
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Organizing awkward cargo is consistently satisfying, particularly when a load can be tested before departure. Automatic restoration of fallen objects to their packed positions also softens recovery.
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Truck improvements can make a tangible difference to grip, braking, cargo security, and route access. The breadth of useful upgrades is a strength, although one reviewer felt they became affordable too quickly.
Cons highlights
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Navigation is a recurring weak point, with inconvenient map access and a navigator that competes for a tool slot. Learning routes can help, but missing labels and obstacle information make planning harder.
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The arcade handling can feel weighty, excellent, and satisfying. Other reviewers struggled with sudden swerves, terrain penalties, and cargo flying off after modest mistakes.
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Noticeable upgrades and new traversal tools provide clear reasons to keep delivering. Opinions diverge on the pace, with inexpensive early improvements and tedious later scrap requirements both drawing criticism.
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Map access, cargo pickup feedback, and upgrade information can be awkward to use. The handheld interface earns praise for large elements and readable text.
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Steering often becomes confusing when the camera changes direction, with some mistakes feeling outside the player’s control. Steam Deck controls earned enthusiastic praise, while mobile controls were described as simple.
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Changing fixed viewpoints can confuse steering and cause crashes during pursuits. Foreground scenery can also obscure the road.
Use Cases
Best for
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Carefully arranging awkward loads is an especially good fit for players who enjoy meticulous spatial organization. Keeping that arrangement intact gives the packing a practical purpose.
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Steam Deck play is strongly recommended for portable use, with readable text, effective controls, and a practical 60 FPS target.
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Players who like trucks, isometric exploration, and a story-driven adventure receive an enthusiastic recommendation. Noticeable upgrades and unlockable routes are central to that appeal.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Video Games, this product is above average in dialogue quality, inventory management, marketing accuracy, near average in graphics quality, horror tension, below average in replay value, endgame content, fast travel convenience.
Comparison summary
73 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher22 (30%)
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Same as average within 0.3 pts24 (33%)
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Below average 0.4+ pts lower27 (37%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| replay value | 2.0 | 4.0 | -2.0 |
| endgame content | 1.5 | 3.5 | -2.0 |
| fast travel convenience | 2.0 | 3.8 | -1.8 |
| dialogue quality | 5.0 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
| inventory management | 4.4 | 3.1 | +1.3 |
| marketing accuracy | 4.3 | 2.8 | +1.4 |
| monetization fairness | 4.5 | 3.1 | +1.4 |
| content variety | 2.5 | 3.9 | -1.4 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better endgame content
Choose SPRAWL zero. It scores 5.0 vs 1.5 for endgame content, with a 4.0 overall score.
If you want better bug frequency
Choose Onimusha: Way of the Sword. It scores 5.0 vs 1.8 for bug frequency, with a 4.1 overall score.
If you want better replay value
Choose CONTROL Resonant. It scores 5.0 vs 2.0 for replay value, with a 4.0 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
- Compared: Horror intensity Truckful is described as less terrifying and closer to cozy horror.
Dredge
- Similar: Cozy work and creeping dread The contrast between pleasant errands and supernatural unease recalls Dredge.
- Better: Gameplay loop The reviewer prefers Dredge’s loop and moment-to-moment play while recognizing it as a high benchmark.
- Similar: Practical work and unsettling community Both connect routine work with discovery of an unsettling community.
Resident Evil 4
- Similar: Cargo arrangement Cargo packing offers a familiar pleasure for players who enjoy organizing Resident Evil 4’s inventory.
- Similar: Spatial inventory organization Cargo packing resembles the careful organization of the attache case inventory.
FAQ
What do you do in Truckful?
Arrange cargo in your pickup, deliver it to villagers, and use rewards to upgrade the truck. Helping residents gradually reveals a mystery in the surrounding forest.
Is Truckful frightening?
Supernatural trucks, a hostile train, and ominous fog create tense pursuits. Its cartoonish, cozy presentation keeps the horror relatively restrained, and one reviewer explicitly reports no jump scares.
How long is the adventure?
The supplied estimates put the main story around six to eight hours. Collectibles and side activities can substantially extend that, although one reviewer stopped after roughly ten hours because of repeated setbacks.
Does it work well on Steam Deck?
The tested Steam Deck experiences were strongly positive, with readable text and effective controls. One reviewer found High settings held 60 FPS, while the default Very High settings had a small dip and Ultra required a lower target in forests.
Can you make deliveries easier?
Story Mode removes some delivery restrictions. Better tires, suspension, cargo beds, and tools also help, but they do not eliminate every physics or navigation problem.
Is the map one seamless open world?
The region has connected routes, secrets, and equipment-gated paths, but loading screens separate areas. Those frequent transitions bothered several reviewers even when the waits were short.
Can you finish side activities after the ending?
One reviewer reported no free roaming after the final delivery, with Continue returning to the final cutscene. That reviewer was unsure whether this was a bug or an oversight, so completing desired activities beforehand is the safer approach.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - elManuPlay
- Review score
- 4.0
Article Reviews
gazettely.com
The pleasure of rotating cargo into a crowded truck bed will be familiar to anyone who enjoys arranging Resident Evil 4’s attaché case...
- Review score
- 3.4
duuro.net
Truckful pairs wonderful driving and a creepy small-town mystery with gorgeous scenery, but restrictive equipment slots and progress-losing...
- Review score
- 3.0
useapotion.com
Truckful is a delightful delivery experience that’ll offer plenty of fun across its blend of cozy and creepy driving.
- Review score
- 3.9
gamereviewrank.com
Truckful scores 76/100 on GameReviewRank — Metacritic, OpenCritic, GameRankings, Steam and IMDb blended into one rating.
- Review score
- 3.8
steamdeckhq.com
Truckful is an intriguing new game about uncovering a mystery while delivering goods, and it runs wonderfully on the Steam Deck.
- Review score
- 4.7
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