For the remaining humans left behind, their home planet became a dumping ground for those who ascended, leaving them to make settlements amongst the trash that is regularly dumped on the surface's landmasses, with communities managing to thrive as best they can, and clean water considered the most valuable commodity for them. Over time, the Elysians forgot their origins and past with the planet, assuming it to be nothing more than an uninhabitable world. The game's story takes place on the planet of Deponia - a world which originally was inhabited by a large human population, until the majority ascended towards living in a utopia-styled floating city called Elysium. The game's unique elements are special puzzles that the player can skip if they cannot solve them, a tutorial phase at the beginning, as well as a unique, humorous option available after completing the game, which when activated causes descriptions/names of objects and people, and all spoken dialog, to be changed to being only 'Droggeljug'. The game's main interface features a simple system connected to the mouse, in which the player left-clicks an object/person to use it/talk to, and right-click it to examine it, while a hint system, indicating interactive elements, can be activated by holding down the mouse's middle button. At times, the player encounters people in the game who can be talked with for clues and trivia. Objects in the game can be manipulated, or picked up to be used to overcome obstacles or combined with other inventory items to make a new item to use. Like most forms of graphic adventure games, players take on the role of a character who must solve a variety of puzzles.

Deponia imdb