Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon is bringing its questionable economy to Steam

I spend a lot of time browsing through demos on Steam, and I love seeing a game I recognize finally have something playable. However, nothing makes me happier than seeing a game I've already tried and loved elsewhere find a new home on Steam, and that's exactly what's happening with Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon. 

For those who have been around since the beginning (thanks, I appreciate you!), you may recognize the name of this game, and that's because I found and wrote about the itch.io version last year. I spent hours enjoying that version of the game, my daughter fell in love with it too, and it's been on my mind (and my computer screen a few times) since. Now it's coming to Steam with an expanded demo as part of Steam Next Fest, and that makes me very happy.  

A questionable economy

The main loop of Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon is digging through the trash and selling what you find to various British woodland critters for cold hard cash. The more you rummage, the more money you make, allowing you to unlock new areas filled with trash that sells for higher prices. It's a simple loop, but an incredibly satisfying one, and the journey from poor raccoon to Trash King is paved with strange purchases and an economy that makes no sense. 

Why does the pigeon want three sticks, a grenade, a half-empty jar of paprika, and a baggie of rainbow glitter? Couldn’t tell you, and frankly, it’s not my place to judge the needs or wants of the critters visiting my back alley storefront in this capitalist society. Maybe he’s joining forces with the squirrel, who is apparently dual-wielding Swiss Army Knives, to rise against The Man™, and who am I to stop them? I’m on their side. 

I have to question the pricing strategy of this particular raccoon entrepreneur, though. I mean, I know we have to start from the ground up and offer bargains, but I wish I could live in a world where a wallet containing $50 costs just $15. Meanwhile, a stick costs $3, and an already cracked and dying glowstick costs $250. And that’s just trash from the first two areas. Clearly, the economy in this animal-filled town is beyond my understanding.

Something old, something new

What I particularly love about the new Steam demo of Reduce, Reuse Raccoon is that it retains absolutely everything I loved about the itch.io version (the chaos, the ability to come up with absurd storylines based on the animals' buying habits, and the lovely hand-drawn art), but there's enough new content to make the experience feel fresh, even to someone like me who's already poured hours into the game.  

There's a whole new first area for a start: the pond. This is where you can rummage around in the water to find low-value items to get your venture started. You can pull things from the water one by one, which is slow but blissfully free, or once you've started bringing in some money, you can open bags that have three items in them for $10 a pop. 

As well as the pond itself, there's also a not-so-sparkly but very new fishing hut inhabited by the gloriously named Duck Norris, who, if I'm not mistaken, is actually a white goose. We won't hold that against him, though, because he's our ticket to a cozy game staple: fishing. 

Fishing in Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon works a little differently to the way you're used to in other games. While the end goal is definitely to catch a fish, each cast costs between $100 and $750. To make a profit, you need to gather as much trash from the water as possible before you reel one in. It's easier said than done; these fish are quick! They're also wonderfully bizarre. My favorite is the Card Shark. 

Fulfilling the prophecy

I consider Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon to be something of a ‘palate cleanser’ game because it’s so relaxing and doesn’t offer too much of a challenge. Of course, you need to make money to grow the business, which means constantly digging through the trash, but you’re not fighting 100 different systems to get the job done, and there’s nobody trying to stop you. 

Considering the new additions to the Steam demo, and the prophecy that we have yet to fulfil, Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon still has plenty of surprises hidden up its furry little sleeves. That may include new systems and minigames, like the fishing one that’s already been added, but from everything I’ve seen so far, I don't think any of that will take away from the cozy, simple fun that the game has to offer. 

Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon is being developed by Crab Bucket Games and there isn't a release date just yet, but I’m super happy to see it making its way to Steam, and it’ll be going straight into my library as soon as it releases. Until then, the demo is available to play, and you absolutely should!