I Need to Fix My Dream Car (But I Work at a Junkyard) Review

Most people dream of owning a beautiful sports car. Most people also don't spend their days elbow-deep in a mountain of rusty washing machines, bent hubcaps, and whatever suspicious object somebody thought belonged in a scrapyard. I Need to Fix My Dream Car (But I Work at a Junkyard) is a game about chasing automotive greatness while being surrounded by what can only be described as mechanical disappointment. It's equal parts restoration simulator, treasure hunt, and a lesson in why your neighbours probably shouldn't be trusted to dispose of things responsibly.

The premise is simple. You work in a junkyard, spending your days digging through discarded metal, salvaging useful parts, completing customer requests, and gradually restoring your dream car. What could easily have become a repetitive chore is elevated by a constant sense of discovery. Every pile of junk feels like a miniature treasure hunt as you search for rare components, collectibles, and unexpected surprises hidden amongst the rubbish.

The game's strongest quality is how effortlessly relaxing it is. There's no looming catastrophe or exhausting pressure hanging over the experience. Instead, it embraces a slow-paced rhythm where progress comes through persistence rather than efficiency. One minute you're sorting valuable parts, the next you're operating a forklift equipped with a magnetic crane to haul wreckage across the yard. There is a satisfying tactile quality to these everyday tasks that makes even routine jobs feel rewarding.

What surprised me most was how the restoration process continually gives you meaningful goals to work towards. Every newly discovered part feels valuable because it represents another step towards completing your dream vehicle. The game taps into the same appeal as collecting games and renovation simulators, providing a constant stream of small victories that build into larger accomplishments over time.

Beyond the car restoration itself, the junkyard hides plenty of distractions. Collectibles are scattered throughout the environment, customer jobs provide additional objectives, and even rescuing lost dogs becomes part of the experience. These side activities ensure you're rarely focused on a single task for too long, helping the gameplay maintain variety despite its deliberately laid-back nature.

Visually, the game adopts a colourful, stylised presentation that suits its cosy tone perfectly. This is not a gritty industrial simulator obsessed with dirt and grease. Instead, the world feels approachable and inviting, full of bright colours and exaggerated details that make the junkyard surprisingly pleasant to spend time in. The visual style complements the game's relaxing atmosphere and prevents the environment from ever feeling depressing despite being surrounded by mountains of discarded scrap.

The physics-driven interactions are generally entertaining, particularly when operating machinery, though there can be moments where objects behave unpredictably. Community discussions and post-launch updates show the developer actively addressing storage, save, and stability concerns, which is encouraging for a game built around collecting and managing large quantities of parts.

If there's a weakness, it's that players looking for deep automotive simulation may find the experience a little light. The appeal comes less from intricate vehicle engineering and more from exploration, organisation, and the satisfaction of gradual progress. This is a game about enjoying the journey through the scrap heap rather than obsessing over perfect mechanical authenticity.

Pros

• Relaxing, low-pressure gameplay loop

• Rewarding sense of progression

• Plenty of collectibles and side activities

• Fun machinery and physics-based interactions

• Charming, colourful presentation

Cons

• Limited depth for hardcore car enthusiasts

• Repetitive tasks may not appeal to everyone

• Occasional storage and physics frustrations

I Need to Fix My Dream Car (But I Work at a Junkyard) turns the phrase "one man's trash is another man's treasure" into an entire videogame, and it's far more addictive than it has any right to be. There's something oddly satisfying about spending hours digging through piles of scrap, celebrating the discovery of a single useful car part like you've just unearthed buried pirate gold.

It may not offer the deepest vehicle simulation on Steam, but it absolutely nails the fantasy of being a junkyard archaeologist slowly assembling a dream machine from society's leftovers. By the time the credits roll, you'll have developed an unhealthy emotional attachment to rusty metal objects and gained a newfound appreciation for magnets. And honestly, any game that can make sorting through rubbish feel like a heroic adventure deserves a bit of recognition.

XPN Rating: 4 out of 5 (GOLD)

I Need to Fix My Dream Car (But I Work at a Junkyard) is available now!