Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon is single-handedly fueling my trash panda obsession

I pride myself on being pretty knowledgeable when it comes to games that have raccoons in them. I have a list. So consider me shocked to discover that there’s a game on Itch.io that not only centers around these adorable and underappreciated critters, but also scratches a shop management sim itch that I didn’t even know I had – Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon. 

It’s a small and indescribably charming little game that was originally created as part of Yogscast’s Jingle Game Jam 2024 by Crab Bucket Games. In Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon, you play the role of an entrepreneurial trash panda with big aspirations as he turns his junk-digging hobby into a money-making roadside pop-up shop. It’s adorable, and I have played it three times already. 

What are these critters planning? 

In Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon, you dig through the trash or otherwise pay to open up trash bags filled with goodies that epitomize the saying ‘one man’s trash is another raccoon’s treasure’, and yes, that’s paraphrased. These items can then be sold for raccoon bucks in your roadside store, which seems to be based within a skip. That’s the basic premise of the entire game, but what steals the show is the stories you can make up for yourself as you play. 

Once you’ve set up shop, there are four types of customers: a pigeon, a hedgehog, a badger, and a squirrel. Now, there could of course be a long queue of these animals lining the street waiting to purchase your wares, but in my head, it’s just the same four animals circling the skip to stock up on goodies. If that is the case, it begs the question: what on earth are these four planning? 

I can’t help but imagine that I’m arming the characters of The Wind in the Willows, especially when they’re buying endless darts and super soakers. The badger, at one point, purchased every single potentially alcoholic beverage I had on stock, so I think I might need to sleep a leaflet for alcoholics anonymous in with his next purchase. All of them have a hefty stack of illicit magazines stashed away somewhere, and the pigeon has enough dynamite to recreate the end scene from V for Vendetta. 

Now, I try to be a judgement-free establishment. My skip-based trash store is a safe space for these stockpiling woodland animals. However, when a single photo of a woman sells for 69 raccoon bucks (nice) and the badger followed up his binge drinking with a round of three burgers and half a chocolate bar, I can’t help but worry that I might be doing more harm than good. 

See what I mean about the joy of making up stories as you play? 

Never trust a raccoon with your finances 

Raccoons have a bit of a reputation for being a little dodgy, not helped by their burglar-esque mask markings, but the Raccoon in Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon seems to need a lesson or two in financial planning. He tries his best, bless him, but his prices are all over the place, and he’s clearly just making it up as he goes along. Someone should recommend a good accountant. 

Take, for instance, a wallet filled with cash that’s available to find in the initial trash can that you can rummage around in for free. This wallet has 50 bucks in it. To be precise, it has two 20s and a 10 poking out of it for all to see. You would think that would be easy money, but this Raccoon doesn’t work like that. Instead, he takes the wallet, cash included, and sells it for a single Raccoon dollar. 

Maybe I’m looking at this all wrong. Maybe there’s a seriously impressive conversion rate from dollars to Raccoon bucks, and one Raccoon dollar is simply worth 50 bucks. If that’s the case, I would like a re-roll on my species, please. 

The wallet isn’t the only bizarrely priced item. The most expensive item that is currently possible to find is one that comes from the Carnival bags. It’s a chunk of rainbow rock with a worm sticking out of it, and it sells for 10,000 Raccoon bucks. Which does bring that conversion rate into question somewhat, unless this rock is made up of solid diamond and if that’s the case, why on earth was it in the Trash to begin with? 

Treasure, not trash

Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon grabbed my attention with its title, but it won my heart with simple gameplay and the endless possibility for wacky, made-up backstories. It made me laugh in a way that few games possibly can, had my daughter joining in with my narration, and even provided a math lesson or two as we played together. 

I love finding game jam games that go on to be updated once the jam is over, and Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon is one of those games. There are still two blurred-out locations on the map that I’m assuming will arrive at some point in a future update, and until then, it’s just so much fun to rummage for junk and then sell it to the animals of Farthing Wood. 

Reduce, Reuse, Raccoon is available to play in-browser through the Crab Bucket Games Itch.io page. There is no telling how far it will be taken with future updates, but it’s an absolute pleasure to play in its current state, and you won’t be able to avoid being charmed by the gameplay loop.