Gooby. Snarf. Lily. Three names that mean nothing to you, but meant the world to me. My three beloved furbabies, companions, and friends who left this plane of existence. Losing a pet is one of the worst things possible, and something I wouldn’t wish upon even my worst enemy. The feelings of emptiness, loneliness, and sadness that my wife and I felt for the longest time after were indescribable. But that’s when I came across the game Stars in the Trash. While the name may not sound befitting of a happy ending, the kindness of developer José Ginés Picón López is something I will never forget, as long as I live. No matter how much I miss them, I know that I can always see them again by booting up this lovely little game.
No Matter How Much I Miss Gooby and Snarf, I Can Always Visit Them in ‘Stars in the Trash’
My wife and I lost Gooby and Snarf in 2023. It’s impossible to replace the feeling that your fuzzy friends can give you, especially when they are as special as they were. Snarf, with her orange locks of Ramen Noodle fur. And Gooby, my lovable boy with his singular brain cell, who loved nothing more than a Little Debbie treat. Well, mainly just chewing on the plastic, because he loved the way it crinkled. Losing these two dealt a massive blow to our lives and left us with just one fuzzy critter in our homes. Lily. Our adopted, diabetic, toothless little gremlin, who was the light of our lives for the longest time after these two left us. On January 14, 2025, I was contacted by VallhallaCats, the developer of a game I had never heard of before. Stars in the Trash.
Stars in the Trash looks and feels like a Disney movie, especially in the way that it’s quick to rip out your heart. Even though it had been over a year since we lost both Gooby and Snarf, the pain of their loss was still fresh in our hearts. Which is why I immediately lost it as soon as I encountered the memorial wall in Stars in the Trash. A beautiful tribute to pets lost over the years, this wall was filled with an insurmountable amount of love, affection, and care for pets we’ve lost along the way. After completing the game, I wrote to the developer to share my review, as well as ask for a favor. I wanted to find out if there was any way that he could add Gooby and Snarf to this wall. A request that he fulfilled without a moment’s hesitation. He asked for no compensation, for no favors, nothing. He was just happy to help someone out who was grieving.
An Absolutely Beautiful Tribute Fulfilled at the Worst Possible Time
I received an email back on January 31, 2025, letting me know that he had gone ahead and added Gooby and Snarf to the memorial wall. At this time, I couldn’t bring myself to view their pictures for several reasons. I knew it was going to emotionally destroy me to see them. Even though it may be a good type of emotional distress, I didn’t want to put myself through that. Plus, we were dealing with a situation with Lily. Unfortunately, just one day after receiving the notice that José had put Gooby and Snarf into the game, she passed away. We were left in an empty home, no furry friends surrounding us anymore. So, I did the only thing I could think of.
A few days later, I booted up Stars in the Trash. One part about this particular section that’s noteworthy is a specific interaction that you can do. You can have Moka, the kitty you control, lie down on the sheet of cardboard in front of the memorial wall. If you’re playing with a controller, something I strongly suggest doing, it will begin to vibrate at the same pace as his purrs. So I sat down, I made it to this point to view my babies, and I wept. I cried for what felt like hours. My head hurt, and my eyes were swollen and puffy. But my heart was slightly healed.
I can never thank José Ginés Picón López enough for this amazing tribute. Or for even humoring my request in the first place. Any time I want to see them again, I know they’re just a few moments away. I miss them more than words could ever properly say, but I am so thankful that Stars in the Trash exists.
The post ‘Stars in the Trash’ – How the Kindness of a Stranger Helped Me Grieve the Loss of My Beloved Pets appeared first on VICE.
