Especially in 2020, it is wonderful to be reminded that no matter what is going on in the world, we can all lend a hand to help others. Not only is it good to help, but it can bring immense joy.

Developed by Starmetal LLC, Charity Truck is a clicker mobile game, free of charge, in which players work to fill trucks with supplies which are then sent off to benefit others. You can fill the truck with water bottles to go to a high school, with batteries for an orphanage, or choose among many other scenarios. Completing missions, which consist of tapping the screen enough times, will allow the player to gain karma. Karma, in turn, allows the player to recruit helpers, upgrade abilities, and access more features. Extremely important to note is the fact that, with Charity Truck, gaming and giving are integrated: as the player helps others in-game, there is the option for the player to make donations to purchase gems, with all profits going to Direct Relief in the real world.  This integration, says developer Justin Gentile, is very intentional: “…I wanted to make a game where benefiting people was the entire premise of the game, from the finances to the gameplay itself.”

Charity Truck, then, is a game all about giving. So, what does it offer to players?

GRAPHICS 7/10

Visual presentation in Charity Truck is animated, much like a cartoon. However, though characters are expressive, the color palette feels too minimal. It attempts to be much more realistic than whimsical, which feels misguided. The gray and blue of the background does not feel as full of life as the mission of the game. The character outlines can be a bit too angular, rather than round and smooth. The graphics are not animated but static, a series of slides. Given the tone and message Charity Truck is trying to go for, having brighter, more colorful evocative graphics would have been more appropriate. 

CHARACTERS 8/10

Given the genre and intended audience, it is important to remember that this is a game in which characters are simple. Having a combination of regular people, along with fantastical helpers such as a dragon, a ninja, a dog, and a knight, really expands the sense of fun and whimsy. Furthermore, there are brief descriptions for the characters. The fact that one of the people you recruit does not, as stated in the blurb, intuitively have a huge altruistic bent is a really nice way of expanding the scope of the game, making the idea of helping others something that is very inclusive. Everyone has something to give to others!

GAMEPLAY 8/10

Charity Truck is a clicker game; playing the game comprises clicking the truck repeatedly along with making upgrade/purchase decisions from the menu. The simplicity of gameplay (the app store lists the age as being 4 and up) is both the asset and the drawback of the game. As the player accumulates more karma through missions and gains upgrades, the thresholds to advance also increase. Being able to recruit helpers, both friends and the fantastical assistants, is fun, as is upgrading them. As you click on the truck, it is hard not to feel your heart warm up as you see the hands of your friends also throw items in the truck with you (seeing a dragon toss a water bottle is awesome as well). While playing, I kept imagining a father tapping the screen with a young child, explaining the message of helping others. I also enjoyed having friends and my father-in-law join me in loading the truck. Certainly, simplicity allows the game to be very social in nature.

STORY 10/10

Simply put, Charity Truck has an infectious spirit of helping others that permeates the game. As you choose to help others, recruiting friends, you will be hard-pressed not to feel delighted at the thought that you, within the game, are making a difference for others. This is captured most of all by the screenshots that appear every time a delivery is complete. With the completion of a mission, you will see a shot of you and your team celebrating. Seeing your team smiling and beaming, knowing that you have made a difference for others, is wonderful. Put differently, I could spend 2 minutes scrolling through social media on my phone, become caught up in myself and my needs, or, I can fill a truck to help the people in the game, and remember the importance of being concerned with others.

The message is simple and vital.

OVERALL 10/10

The best features of Charity Truck are everything around the actual gameplay. The integration of giving in-game with giving in real life, the implicit message of helping, and the social capacity of the game, are wonderful, great things. The weaker visuals, lack of audio, and inherently limited gameplay all may be either a big deal or not of consequence depending on the player.

Ultimately, the message of the game, of helping and serving, is a reminder that is always welcome.