Truckful Review: Cozy Delivery Meets Vehicular Horror

MythicOwl and Pocketpair Publishing have delivered an unusual blend of genres in Truckful. On the surface, it resembles a relaxing countryside courier simulation where you load odd parcels into an aging pickup truck. Once you venture past the tree line, however, the experience swerves directly into vehicular survival horror and light Metroidvania exploration.

Taking clear inspiration from the precarious cargo logistics of Death Stranding and the eerie maritime isolation of Dredge, Truckful delivers a memorable six to eight-hour journey. While sudden camera shifts, floaty vehicle handling, and the absence of a proper unstuck command occasionally stall momentum, its eccentric writing and satisfying upgrade curve keep the engine running.

Truckful Overview and Specifications

Before heading into the valley, here is a snapshot of the release details, system specifications, and core facts confirmed via the game's official Steam listing.

The Story: Small-Town Bureaucracy and a Cursed Forest

You step behind the wheel as a faceless, silent courier who somehow crosses the threshold into an isolated valley. The surrounding ancient forest harbors an aggressive supernatural presence that swallows outside vehicles, leaving the local townsfolk cut off from the rest of the world. Because no operational cars remain in the settlement, your humble pickup truck becomes the valley's sole lifeline.

Early on, you rescue Rutti, a local delivery driver whose van fell victim to the dark woods. Rutti effectively acts as your co-pilot and voice, speaking on your behalf during interactions with the town's eccentric cast. The dialogue leans into clever, dry comedy packed with subtle adult references while remaining family-friendly.

The narrative progresses by unraveling local political friction and odd lore. You interact with figures like Mick, the strict village head running a tea bar and enforcing acts against irritating weeds; Baron Shusk, an aristocrat desperately hauling toxic weedkillers to protect his estate; and Teresa, an eager garage mechanic nostalgic for the days when motors roamed the roads. While the primary storyline concludes after roughly eight hours, piecing together the true origin of the forest's corruption requires tracking down hidden collectibles and lore scraps scattered across forgotten roads.

Packing and Driving: Grid Puzzles Meet Unforgiving Physics

Delivery runs in Truckful are split into two distinct gameplay loops: staging the cargo and braving the route.

The preparation phase functions like a spatial inventory puzzle. Cargo comes in asymmetrical shapes and delicate weights, ranging from fragile vases and floral arrangements to inflatable palm trees and toxic barrels. Even living passengers—including Rutti and local road workers—must be piled directly into the open flatbed. The interface allows you to rotate and stack items, testing how securely they sit before you hit the gas.

Once on the road, physics dictate your success:

• Momentum Sensitivity: Accelerating too aggressively or slamming the brakes sends loose items tumbling over the tailgate.
• Environmental Hazards: Hitting speed bumps, rock outcroppings, or herds of sheep can launch cargo into the air or snap fragile deliveries.
• Cargo Recovery: If goods bounce onto the roadside, you must stop, reverse into range, and reload them. Failing condition parameters or losing fragile items forces a checkpoint reload.
• Utility Tools: Devices like Sticky Cargo provide a temporary adhesive effect, locking items to the bed so you can speed through rough terrain without spilling your haul.

For players seeking a purely narrative journey without cargo loss penalties, Truckful includes an optional Story Mode that relaxes failure conditions.

Metroidvania Progression: Upgrades and Gear Slots

Progress across the valley's interconnected map follows a clear Metroidvania design. While wide paved highways connect primary hubs early on, direct routes to outlying landmarks are obstructed by environmental roadblocks.

Completing deliveries rewards standard currency, which is spent at garages on foundational vehicular improvements:

• Engine Tuning: Increases horsepower and torque, preventing the truck from bogging down on steep hill climbs under heavy loads.
• Suspension and Tires: Swapping standard rubber for off-road or mud tires prevents wheel spin in deep mire.
• Braking Systems: Higher-tier brakes significantly reduce stopping distances, preventing overshoots on narrow cliffside turns.
• Cargo Beds: Players can replace standard flatbeds with enclosed cages, high-walled containers, or extended chassis to fit awkward loads.

In addition to base stats, your truck features limited equipment slots that force deliberate routing decisions. Equipping a Winch lets you haul yourself across muddy sinkholes, while a Snorkel prevents engine flooding when wading through flooded marshlands. A reinforced Ramming Bumper lets you smash through wooden fences and gates to open permanent shortcuts. Because tool slots are restricted, tackling uncharted routes requires planning ahead at local garages.

Progression also incorporates a secondary currency: scrap metal. Scavenging discarded automotive parts from rusted wrecks unlocks specialized components, though scouring every corner for metal can feel repetitive late in the campaign.

Atmospheric Terror: Surviving the Forest Chases

Truckful balances its cozy rural routine with sharp spikes of tension whenever jobs take you into the old woods. The color palette shifts from sunlit meadows and stone roundabouts to oppressive, shadowy thickets shrouded in fog.

Within these sectors, players face supernatural threats, most notably a monstrous demonic ghost truck that pursues you through twisting forest trails. These chase sequences demand tight cornering at high speeds, directly clashing with the delicate nature of physics-based cargo. Surviving requires exploiting narrow gaps, triggering Boost mechanics, or using terrain shortcuts to shake pursuers before they ram your cargo into the canopy.

Rough Spots: Camera Angles and Quality-of-Life Flaws

While the core mechanics are engaging, several technical and design quirks introduce friction:

• Disorienting Fixed Camera: The game employs a shifting isometric camera angle that rotates along preset road bends. When rounding sharp switchbacks, the perspective can flip your steering orientation, turning simple directional inputs into accidental collisions.
• Absence of a Manual Unstuck Button: The terrain features sharp inclines, debris, and low stone walls. If your pickup gets centered on a rock or wedged inside a damaged gate, there is no quick vehicle-reset feature. You are often forced to reload the last checkpoint, resetting delivery progress and scavenging runs.
• Uneven Upgrade Pacing: Component progression can feel disjointed. Players can unlock high-tier chassis or suspension parts very early using scrap currency, only to see minor incremental upgrades appear later in standard shops.
• In-Menu Navigation: Accessing the world map requires opening the pause menu unless you dedicate an equipment slot to the turn-by-turn GPS antenna, pulling you out of the driving flow.

Performance and Steam Deck Verification

On PC, Truckful maintains stable frame rates across various hardware configurations. With modest system requirements calling for a baseline GeForce 900 series GPU and 4 GB of RAM, modern gaming rigs will encounter no optimization hurdles.

The title shines on handheld devices. Testing on the Steam Deck reveals a smooth, stable experience, with crisp reflections and responsive analog steering. Full controller support is native, including appropriate button glyphs for both standard gamepads and PlayStation DualSense controllers. While keyboard controls are supported, driving with a gamepad stick offers substantially finer throttle and steering precision.

The Final Verdict

Truckful succeeds as an inventive, charismatic indie adventure that refuses to sit quietly in a single genre box. Its charming cast, witty dialogue, and tactile cargo-stacking puzzles deliver a satisfying gameplay loop, elevated by genuine atmospheric dread in the depths of the forest.

The experience is dragged down slightly by disorienting camera angles, sudden chase physics, and occasional progression bottlenecks. However, players who appreciate the deliberate cargo management of Death Stranding paired with the eccentric mystery of small-town thrillers will find plenty to love under Truckful's hood.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to beat Truckful?

Completing the main storyline takes between 6 and 8 hours. Players aiming for a 100% completion run—gathering all 42 Steam achievements, finding every lore collectible, and fully upgrading all truck beds—will spend roughly 12 to 16 hours.

How scary is Truckful?

Truckful is not a gore-heavy or jump-scare-driven horror game. It combines cozy exploration with atmospheric tension, reserving its scares for high-speed chase sequences through shadowy woods against monstrous vehicular threats.

Does Truckful work well on the Steam Deck?

Yes. The game is fully compatible with the Steam Deck, running smoothly without performance issues. Gamepad controls and menus translate seamlessly to handheld play.

Should I play with a controller or a keyboard?

A controller is strongly recommended. Analog sticks provide gradual throttle control and steering finesse, which are critical for navigating switchbacks and preventing cargo from bouncing out of the truck bed.