Introduction to Upcreek

"Upcreek" is a free-to-play, casual indie game developed and published by According To Plan, released on March 11, 2026. It offers a short, cozy experience where players embark on a mission to clean up a lively nature park, Blue River State Park, by collecting discarded rubbish. The game is designed to be child-friendly, featuring friendly faces and sound effects for trees, rocks, grasses, and even the rubbish bin itself, while the pieces of trash snarl and gnash. The primary goal is to gather all 100 pieces of trash and solve some very light puzzles, which often involve uncovering "a few charming secrets". A full playthrough, including all achievements, typically takes around 15-30 minutes.

General Gameplay Tips

Uncovering Hidden Secrets (Achievements)

Many of Upcreek's "hidden secrets" are directly tied to its 10 achievements, which can all be unlocked in a single playthrough. These achievements encourage players to interact with the game world in unique and often playful ways.

Here's a guide to uncovering these secrets:

1. Is this an exploit? - Grab more than one item at once.

To achieve this, pick up a piece of trash. While holding it, point your cursor at another piece of trash. When the prompt changes to 'Grab', interact to pick up the second item. This demonstrates a unique interaction mechanic within the game.

2. Catamarr-y - Grab 5 or more items at once.

This is an extension of the 'Is this an exploit?' secret. Continue the process of grabbing multiple items until you are holding five or more pieces of trash simultaneously.

3. Hoop Shot - Throw trash into the can, rather than dragging it.

Instead of simply walking up to the trash bin and dropping items, pick up a piece of trash, stand a short distance away, and throw it into the bin. Aim carefully to land it inside.

4. Trash at catch - Throw trash into the river, and grab it mid-air.

Pick up a piece of trash and throw it into the water. Don't worry, it won't sink! The trash will continuously jump up and down in the river. Your secret here is to grab it while it's in the air.

5. How Rude - Wake up a sleeping rock.

Throughout the park, you will encounter rocks that appear to be asleep. Simply pick one of these sleeping rocks up to 'wake' it and unlock this secret.

6. Dizzy Rock - Make a rock dizzy.

Find a rock and stand next to it. Then, walk into the rock's direction to push it. Continue pushing it and get it rolling for a bit to make it dizzy.

7. Sinker? I barely knew her - Throw a rock into the water.

Similar to the trash, pick up a rock and throw it into the water. It will not sink, revealing another playful interaction with the environment.

8. Cleaned the River - Knock the boulder over.

To access this secret, you first need to get to the other side of the river. You can do this by throwing a rock at the big tree trunk located next to the river, which likely creates a path. Once across, locate the big boulder and push it over.

9. Bullseye - Knock both pieces of trash off the tree without grabbing them.

On the opposite side of the river, there is a larger tree with two pieces of trash stuck on its branches. The secret is not to grab them directly. Instead, pick up a nearby piece of trash and throw it at the items on the branches until they fall down.

Completing the Park: The World is Watching

10. The World is Watching - Complete the game.

This is the ultimate secret and the main objective of "Upcreek." To complete the game, you must gather all 100 pieces of trash scattered around the entire park. The game allows you to check your progress by pausing. Successfully collecting all trash will restore the park to its natural beauty.

Controls and Basic Interactions

While exploring Blue River State Park, you'll use simple controls for movement and interaction:

A useful hint for interaction is that you can pick up the trash can itself.