Trash Day Steam Next Fest 2026 analysis

Quick Take

Trash Day is a physics-based co-op adventure where you control a squad of raccoons (up to 5 players) scavenging trash in a vibrant world. Knock over garbage cans, parkour across trees, sneak into private property, annoy locals, and fill your stolen shopping cart with "treasures" while working together to get back home. Expect absurd physics, obstacles, hazards, and co-op shouting.

The demo was officially live for Steam Next Fest, with updates, patch notes, and community clip contests (e.g. $500 prize). Silly, light-hearted fun for party gamers.

Release 2026. Perfect for fans of chaotic co-op like Overcooked or Party Animals, but with raccoon scavenging and physics jank charm. (Former Rocket League devs involved per coverage.)

What The Demo Shows

The demo features multiple zones with physics puzzles, hazards, and scavenging. Core loop: explore as raccoons, scavenge items, manage cart, navigate obstacles together, deal with physics chaos. Supports solo to 5-player co-op, emphasizing teamwork that often goes hilariously wrong.

Showcases the raccoon squad fantasy, cart-filling progression, and environmental interactions.

Strengths

  • Hilarious physics-driven chaos with raccoon squad theme.
  • Co-op focus that rewards (or punishes) coordination in fun ways.
  • Charming, silly vibe with "live your best raccoon life" energy.
  • Demo actively supported with updates and community contests.
  • Light-hearted scavenging adventure, great for groups.

Caveats

  • Physics jank can frustrate if not into chaotic games.
  • Demo is slice; full game needs more zones/variety.
  • Co-op heavy; solo may lose magic.

YouTube And Community References

  • Additional playthroughs and community clips of raccoon squad cart-filling and physics mayhem during Next Fest.

Developer Shares / Signals

  • Posted demo live: "Get ready to steal some trash. Grab up to five friends, form your squad, and start scavenging."
  • Encouraged clip submissions for contests.
  • Demo patch notes for updates.
  • "Live your best raccoon life."

Indie team (ex-Rocket League?) marketing the fun, chaotic co-op angle strongly.

Market And Wishlist Notes

As of 2026-06-23, 2026 release. Co-op physics adventure with animal squad hook.

Next Fest demo drove visibility via contests and play; good for wishlist among party/co-op fans. Niche but viral potential with clips.

Next Fest Impact

Next Fest had strong positive impact for Trash Day. Demo live with active updates, community clip contests (PC Gamer $500), and promos drew players to the raccoon squad physics chaos. Positive buzz for "control raccoons," "physics co-op," and silly scavenging.

Helped build hype and clips for 2026. The light-hearted co-op hook cut through heavier titles. Event maximized with contests and squad calls. Excellent visibility for co-op party gamers; momentum from player-generated content.

Sources

  • Steam page + demo + news (demo live, patch notes)
  • PC Gamer clip contest and coverage
  • YouTube trailers/playthroughs and TikTok "control raccoons"
  • Community discussions (Reddit, Instagram)
  • Developer posts encouraging squad play
  • gg.deals most-played context
  • SteamDB for demo stats