Rare moment when I wish there was a in between rating. To be brief...who beta tested this?

Oh it pains me to not reccomend this game since there is SUCH love and craft poured into this game.
The World is so imaginative with just outlandish ideas that are a treat to uncover and with SO SO many pun based jokes. every "specis" having their own type of puns in their speetch. It's all so charming! there are some outlandishly weird boss designs in this game and discovering them is half the fun of the game!

But sadly the gameplay is really underbaked, there is just SO little tactics to uncover or use in this game. In theory you can add traps on tiles and push the enemy, then the enemy just moves up, and each character have So few abilities to choose from that you can't make a over arcing build and plan. Most of the time when a character unlocks new abilities they get 1 new one and 2 abilities that other followers already have. Making each character have SO little battle identity.
Boss battles are somewhat better where most have a gimmic, but they usually result in an attrition of resourses than smart tactical play

But yes still played through the game, because I wanted to see where story was going and to see all the insane world building. It is a VERy long game and there are alot of sagging parts like the temples where you just run and do VERY SLOW moving block puzzles.
In the end I finished the game not in a good mood, but mostly just exausted at how long and samey the combat was.

However for people who likes the classical RPGs and don't mind a little bit mindless combat, there is alot to like here. The World is truly great after all
So buy with causion

This game is incredibly well done. From the moment you boot it up, it's clear this was a passion project. Clearly made by people who genuinely cared about the story they were telling and the characters they put into the world. That sincerity comes through in every corner of the experience. It doesn't try to be something it's not. It knows exactly what it is, and it commits to that fully. The result is a game that washes over you with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia, comfort, and, surprisingly, motivation. Not the grindy, obligation kind of motivation, but the kind that makes you genuinely eager to see where these characters end up next.

Gameplay

The combat has real teeth to it. It forces you to think strategically about positioning on the battlefield, managing both Health and MP, and actually using the items you collect rather than hoarding them for a "perfect moment" that never comes. If you play greedy, you will die. The game punishes passivity and rewards players who stay engaged with their full toolkit. Some platforming is in the overworld and there are some later in the game that feel a bit rushed in development but it's honestly pretty negligible, in my opinion. I see others commenting on it here so I thought I would mention it too just incase you see that.

Narrative

The story is easy to love. The trash-and-junk aesthetic isn't just a visual gimmick, it's woven thoughtfully into the writing, and world design. Some of the nods to dump culture and discarded things are genuinely clever, landing with a small chuckle rather than a groan. It leans into a cozy, lighthearted tone that feels intentional and earned. There's a warmth here that a lot of bigger-budget games chase and never quite find.

Conclusion

Kingdoms of the Dump will surprise you. It captures the feel of SNES-era RPGs with real authenticity. Not just in aesthetics, but in how it respects the player's time and intelligence. It does this while still keeping mechanics fresh and introducing compelling playable characters at a satisfying pace. At $20 it's a solid buy; on sale, it's a complete no-brainer. Don't sleep on it.