Play Oscar's Trash Race Online

Game Overview

Oscar’s Trash Race is this weirdly charming little Atari 2600 game where you play as one of three grouches racing to collect garbage—because of course that’s what grouches would compete over. The first couple of rounds are basically warm-ups: trash gets dumped, a number flashes on one of the cans, and you’ve gotta grab the right grouch, haul the trash, and sprint back. Simple, but weirdly satisfying when you nail it.

Things get trickier when puddles show up. Jump them for points, but step in one and your grouch just… stops to splash around. There’s something hilarious about watching a tiny pixelated trash enthusiast gleefully stomp in mud while the race goes on without them. Later levels throw in rain that turns puddles blue (double points!) and an endless mode where you race until Slimey the worm inches across the screen.

The trash items are a bizarre mix of things like old telephones, used toothbrushes, and beach balls—because nothing says "grouch treasure" like a soggy tennis shoe. It’s definitely aimed at little kids, but there’s a weirdly zen rhythm to it once you get going. Oscar shows up at the end to grumble at you, which feels about right.