PowerWash Simulator
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: future lab
Genre:
PEGI: 3+
Comments:
What makes a good game? Are they knights with giant swords or robots with deadly rays? Are they really fast cars? Epic adventures in unknown lands? PowerWash Simulator is the latest game to prove it doesn’t have to be.
In fact, my first few hours with it were regularly interrupted by the phrase “I’m not even sure I’m enjoying it”. Which, by the way, is said about as often when I have to do a real job. And therein lies the genius of PowerWash Simulator. It is exactly what the title says: a digital job.
Some people go into the garden to relax, others like to tinker with their car. After many hours with this game, I can see the appeal of getting rid of your stress, albeit in the dry and without actually having to clean. It feels good to gradually see a filthy park or unloved van return at its best. At the end of each level you will be rewarded with a time-lapse video of your work. It is immensely satisfying.
But it’s still work. And I have to admit, there were several times when it felt like a bad use of time. Yes, even more than ‘just’ gaming. Of course, your mileage will vary on this.
In the garden
Armed with your trusty power wash, you must clean an item or location until it is spotless. That is it. There are no time limits, no challenges. There is no fail state. You clean until you’re done, in one session or more. It’s sunny, birds are singing and you have a job to do.
However, don’t think it’s easy. Quite the opposite. There will be dirt in places that will amaze you. There will be grime in amounts that wouldn’t look out of place at one of Boris Johnson’s parties. And it’s up to you to get rid of it.
You do this with your war chest of rings, extenders and soaps. There is a wide variety of tools for the job, although technically you could probably use any of them. Every once in a while, you’ll get text messages from the client letting you know they appreciate your work, but that’s about as much distraction as you get.
If at this point in the review you’re wondering why anyone would be crazy enough to play this game, then chances are it’s not for you. I cannot emphasize enough, this game is exactly what it says it is. It’s not a meme game and it’s not a cloaked management simulator. You clean stuff in exchange for money, which you then spend on more cleaning stuff. It’s relentless.
It’s also simple and easy. It asks nothing of you. There are no explosions, no buildings falling in a hail of bullets. It’s meditative. It’s a bit zen. Some people use it as an activity while listening to podcasts, but even that is more involved than necessary. Simply turning your brain off and completing a task without commitment is surprisingly liberating.
Busy work
Unfortunately, this is not always handled in the best way. Some levels can take hours to complete, and the small feats of clearing sections give way to seemingly endless monotony. It’s a tightrope walk, and most of the time Futurlab walks confidently down the middle. But occasionally they fall.
This is largely what leads to those moments where you realize you’re cleaning something digitally when you could probably clean something in real life. Why spend three hours cleaning a park when there are things in your own home you’ve probably put off? But it’s easier to sit and not really do anything. It’s a more blatant escapism than other games where you can say you enjoy the story or whatever. It is not a fault with PowerWash Simulator. Not at all. But it does make you wonder about what you’re doing in a slightly more opaque way.
There are almost 40 levels in total, so if it clicks, you’ll have plenty of content to get through. And then you can also play it with a friend, which makes it feel completely different again.
Graphics and Sound
Given the nature of the game, you probably shouldn’t expect top-notch graphics. So you will probably be surprised by how nice PowerWash Simulator looks. It helps that everything is bright and colorful. The design goes a long way.
There are ways to improve for a sequel. It’s a bit annoying to just watch the water disappear, and to watch mud and dirt disappear with it. However, this is a minor problem.
Sound is great. The atmosphere is positive and relaxing, and the sound effects are immersive. At first you might find them a little mis-mixed in volume, but options are available to change them to your liking.
PowerWash Simulator Review – Conclusion
PowerWash Simulator is an interesting game and very well made. It’s for a niche audience and I hope games for smaller groups become more popular. That’s now more achievable, thanks to early access programs and games like Game Pass, which this game is part of.
Sometimes it pushes your patience a little too far, and I still haven’t answered the question of whether it’s better to play this or be productive. I also didn’t answer whether I really like it or not, which is a very strange feeling considering the good score I gave it.
But that’s the fun of PowerWash Simulator. You don’t have to enjoy it. You either get it or you don’t. I think I do. And according to the number of players, I’m not the only one.
Trailer
Mat Growcott has been a member of the gaming press for a long time. He has written two books and a web series and doesn’t have nearly enough time to play the games he writes about.
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