Exploring an Bizarre Steam Demo: Controlling a Turdy Character on a Quest to Reach the Toilet

Steam Next Fest is in full swing, and enthusiasts have found numerous interesting independent titles. Yet, one catches the eye for its offbeat concept. Titled Unko Technica, this classic-feel platformer lets you play a character that is actually a turd attempting to navigate to a toilet. As a fun fact, "Unko" is Japanese for "poop."

The gameplay is simple: press a one button to leap. In one hundred fifty levels, you'll face tough enemies and access a shop to purchase customizations for your dung hero.

Plan your actions precisely, as a mistake means starting over. Leap off air pockets to propel yourself upward, navigate crumbling surfaces, and interact with switches to reveal new areas. Collect UN-KOINS for buying more difficult game content in which things gets crazy.

In terms of design, the experience features vibrant environments and a killer music score. The retro art featuring shifting abstract forms evokes memories of players of old favorites like Earthbound.

While it's difficult to think of other games where you play as a dung character, video games often incorporated scatological themes. For example, in Death Stranding, players craft grenades from character droppings. Titles such as Palworld and Ark: Survival Evolved use dung as fertilizer. Naturally, this theme shows up extensively in the adventure The Stick of Truth.

Despite its goofy concept, Unko Technica has already received significant recognition, including being named best at a major publisher's GYAAR Studio in 2023. The demo is available now on Steam, with the final release planned to debut on PC this November.