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Little-known fact about me: I’m a closeted Disney fan. Not new-Disney, in the age of the terrible live-action remakes, but classic Disney. Think 101 Dalmatians, The Aristocats, and Bambi. I grew up watching them, I watch them with my five-year-old now, and I still love them to this day.
I never expected, however, any game to make me feel like I was the star of one. Enter Stars in the Trash, an adorable hand-drawn platformer developed by Valhalla Cats that’s heartfelt, highly Disney-esque, and despite being released in 2024, may be a contender for the best game I get to play in 2025.
And that’s really saying something, because I play a lot of games.
The stars of the show
In Stars in the Trash, you play as a cat called Moka. He is adorable, mischievous, adventurous, and displays so much bravery that it would make even the most daring of humans feel a little bit envious. Moka’s best friend is a disabled German Shepherd called Trasto who uses a canine wheelchair to support his weak back legs. He’s the Yin to Moka’s Yang, the voice of reason.
The initial stages of the game take place inside the house, with Moka facing battles that he conjures up in his imagination. The vacuum cleaner comes to life and attacks, because any cat owner will tell you that the vacuum cleaner turning on is the ultimate signal for cats to scarper. Moka is brave, though, and the vacuum cleaner doesn’t stand a chance.
After a brief and terrifying encounter with a cucumber, Moka finally manages to find his way outside and begins his adventure. Along the way, we meet other important characters like Bati, the stray who earns Moka’s heart, and the Greyhound, a very helpful friend to have indeed. Stars in the Trash is the perfect embodiment of the ‘friends we meet along the way’ sentiment.
At the very end of Stars in the Trash, a new kitten is introduced. Long-time fans of games by Valhalla Cats will know this kitten as Kimchi, star of his very own game, The Purring Quest.
Nostalgic art and a dark story
During chapter one, while Moka is still in the confines of the house, there’s an animation playing on the TV in one of the rooms. At first, I thought this was The Fox and the Hounds, and I said aloud, “I hope that’s not foreshadowing.”
Turns out I was wrong, not about the foreshadowing, but about what was on the TV.
After talking to the devs about this and diving into the Stars in the Trash Digital Art Book, I found out that it wasn’t The Fox and the Hounds at all, but actually an original animation by the lead animator at Valhalla Cats, Javier Granados Mas. This man is incredibly talented, having worked on things like The Goofy Movie and Asterix, and this talent brings the story and characters to life in a way that is frankly unparalleled.
Those few frames shown in a small section of the screen hint at the fact that Stars in the Trash is not going to be an entirely joyful ride. There will be bumps and frights along the way.
Those bumps begin, for the most part, when you meet The Dog Catcher. This miserable man will go out of his way to make Moka’s life a living hell, setting his very stubborn rats on you, and ultimately stealing Trasto away, which leads to a particularly adorable rescue mission involving a cardboard box. While The Dog Catcher gets an end that’s fitting of his villainous behaviour, a repeating goal in Stars in the Trash is to evade his capture.
Platforming at its best
Stars in the Trash manages to achieve something incredibly rare: While it’s a platformer at heart, it also somehow feels like an animated movie that you’ve been sucked into. The platforms aren’t always obvious, blended artfully with the background and scene around them, and you’ll need to fully explore your surroundings to figure out where you’re supposed to go.
Not only does Stars in the Trash feature the usual side-scrolling 2D platforming elements, but there’s also a segment that feels like something from Assassin’s Creed, where Moka must hop between grab points while he perilously hangs from them and avoids detection by The Dog Catcher. I can’t tell you how many times I leapt to my death during this section, but it was also the most fun part for me, aside from the overarching story.
All nine of the chapters that make up Stars in the Trash are unique in terms of their setting, and each brings new challenges. In some, you need to push buttons to make things happen, but you’re not instructed to do so, leaving you to figure it out for yourself.
A true indie gem
I think it’s obvious by now that I’m an advocate for indie games and developers, and I truly believe that there are thousands of indie games out there that deserve far more love and attention than they end up receiving. Stars in the Trash is among the best of them, and it’s a travesty that it hasn’t reached the type of virality that some other indie games manage to achieve.
For anyone my age, those who grew up with the classic hand-drawn traditional animation movies that sadly seem to be long forgotten these days, Stars in the Trash will invoke pure nostalgia in a way that I’ve never experienced while gaming. Combined with the story nd characters that will touch your heart, Valhalla Cats has created something that will remain in the memories and hearts of those who play it for a very long time after they’ve experienced it.
Stars in the Trash is available to purchase now for PC via Steam. You’ll need to set aside around two hours to complete it in one sitting (although there’s an achievement for completing it in under 45 minutes), and that’s not accounting for all the time spent in awe of the artwork in front of you.
