''PowerWash Simulator'' is a

simulation video game Simulation video games are a diverse super-category of video games, generally designed to closely simulate real world activities. A simulation game attempts to copy various activities from real life in the form of a game for various purposes such ...

developed by FuturLab and published by

Square Enix Collective Square Enix Collective is an indie games awareness initiative and division of Square Enix Europe. Created by Phil Elliot in 2014, it is a self-titled "service provider for Indie developers", which helps get a developer's game published while they ...

. The game was first made available in

early access Early access, also known as alpha access, alpha founding, paid alpha, or game preview, is a funding model in the video game industry by which consumers can purchase and play a game in the various pre-release development cycles, such as pre-alph ...

through Steam on 19 May 2021, and was fully released for Microsoft Windows,

Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...

, and

Xbox Series X/S The Xbox Series X/S are home video game consoles developed by Microsoft. They were both released on November 10, 2020, as the fourth generation Xbox, succeeding the Xbox One. Along with Sony's PlayStation 5, also released in November 202 ...

on 14 July 2022. Players take control of a power washing business and complete various jobs to earn money. Gameplay primarily revolves around using a power washer to clean dirt off of objects and buildings. Ports for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 has also been announced.

Gameplay

''PowerWash Simulator'' is a

simulation A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or process, whereas the s ...

game played in the

first-person perspective A first-person narrative is a mode of storytelling in which a storyteller recounts events from their own point of view using the first person It may be narrated by a first-person protagonist (or other focal character), first-person re-teller ...

. Set in the town of Muckingham, players take control of a small power washing business and take jobs for a variety of clients in different locations in the form of levels. Players must remove dirt from various objects, ranging from residential houses to a

Mars rover A Mars rover is a motor vehicle designed to travel on the surface of Mars. Rovers have several advantages over stationary landers: they examine more territory, they can be directed to interesting features, they can place themselves in sunny pos ...

, to complete each level. Successfully cleaning an object will grant the player money, which can then be used to upgrade their power washing tools. These upgrades allow the player to customise their power washer to be more effective at certain ranges or in certain situations. The player can also use additional tools, like a ladder which can reach different areas of a level.

Reception

Pre-release

Cass Marshall of ''

Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two to ...

'' praised the game for its casual gameplay, writing that it " apturesthe most relaxing bits of home care with none of the hassle." Jordan Devore of ''

Destructoid ''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017, and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022. History ...

'' also praised the game for its "robust" gameplay, but noted that slight issues were present in the game's demo, including walking on slopes and finishing the last portion of levels. Gabriel Zamora of ''

PCMag ''PC Magazine'' (shortened as ''PCMag'') is an American computer magazine published by Ziff Davis. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009. Publication of online editions started in late 1994 and have continued to the present ...

'' similarly gave praise to the satisfying gameplay loop, relaxing game feel, variety of items to clean, and "terrific" graphical style and presentation but took issue with the "poorly implemented" soap system, "unnatural" water and dirt simulation, "bland" sound, and "sluggish" character movement.

Critical reception

''PowerWash Simulator'' received "generally favorable" reviews according to

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

. Ed Thorn of ''

Rock Paper Shotgun ''Rock Paper Shotgun'' (also rendered ''Rock, Paper, Shotgun''; short ''RPS'') is a UK-based website for reporting on video games, primarily for PC. Originally launched on 13 July 2007 as an independent site, ''Rock Paper Shotgun'' was acquir ...

'' praised the game's career mode, zen-like gameplay feel, variety of substantial modes, and addition of online co-op, but criticised the pacing of some jobs, concluding, "...issues with the game are small in comparison with the true satisfaction and serene spaces it provides...It's not overly complex, doesn't take itself too seriously, and still has plenty of depth for those who just want to hose down a bungalow." Fraser Gilbert of ''

Pure Xbox Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and othe ...

'' gave the title 8/10 stars and appreciated its intuitive gameplay, leisurely pace, variety of modes, and inclusion of online co-op while noting its repetitive nature and lack of a proper soundtrack.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2022 video games Early access video games Nintendo Switch games PlayStation 4 games PlayStation 5 games Simulation video games Video games developed in the United Kingdom Windows games Xbox One games Xbox Series X and Series S games