PowerWash Simulator

My most used argument in favor of video games are their artistic value. Their potential to tell stories through an interactive media that can be more effective than any passive experience, like movies and TV shows, can be. My second use argument is just how fun they are. The entertainment value and the escapism from reality. Again, like movies and TV shows. Why does this matter? Because I spent 116 hours cleaning houses, vehicles and floors for a platinum trophy. This is Power Wash Simulator.

Power Wash Simulator is what it sounds like. You have the power to wash everything, and it's a simulator. To a degree. Weather doesn't matter, you have infinite water and water doesn't drip down walls. So realism is out the window. Unless you play some of the challenge levels, that does limit your water. No intro cutscene, no music, nothing. Just you, entering a bland menu and off you go.

So yeah, this is a simple game. You get dropped into an environment, there's dirt everywhere. Go clean that shit up. Make money as you clear sections. Money that can be used to buy nozzles, new washing machines or cosmetic options (with no micro transactions in sight, halleluja). Sometimes you get a text from whoever got you the job, or whatever that ties into a weird plot about time travel and missing cats. I'm not sure how this fits into something branding itself as simulator. But I do know that it's meant ironically and it's funny as hell. Spend as much time as I did with this game and you do your best to deny how funny the ending is (it's got cats and a cheeky song. What's not to love?).

First off, you've got to clean your van, the Power Wash mobile, which is an effective tutorial. You see the dirt in front of you, and you clean that shit up. From there you'll move on to gardens, houses, parks etc. Some of these levels can easily take an hour, with my record being eight hours for the final level. Thankfully the game auto saves so you can always leave the game and later pick up where you left off. Bonus points for consideration of the player's time.

But you'll suffer your first blow pretty quickly. You've cleaned all of the dirt, but the counter in the corner still says 99%. You can use the right d-pad to highlight any spots you might have missed. You look around but can't find what you've missed. Hands get sweaty, knees weak moms spaghetti. You decide to wash in random places. It doesn't work and your anxiety is running amok. But suddenly, something is cleared and you can move on. And you're not sure why.

Almost every level ends up with pixel hunting. Finding that one source of dirt that's hidden. Either on top of something, on the side or in cracks. They can be hard to get to, and although you can pause the game and make it highlight any given object, it can be frustrating to find what you are missing. As if the developers are punishing your sense (or lack) of every minute detail of everything around you. Not to mention that some parts, especially vehicles, have dirt that's easy to see but hard to clean. Where you try your best to get to them but nothing works. While there's a "right" angle for everything, it's not easy to find. Especially as while water does not drop down from objects that you're washing, other objects can easily prevent you from cleaning stuff in front of them. Even if you have the smallest nozzle and the crosshairs tell you otherwise.

Despite this, there's no denying the glee of starting a new level and having your work laid out for you. As others have mentioned in other places, it feels like a coloring book for adults. Though instead of filling in the blanks, your emptying them. Look at a big pool of dirt, make a line through it and gradually clean everything around them. Soon you'll be making circles, all kinds of shapes, making the clean sections meet. Thus clearing the job and earning that sweet dough. It's not just great from a gaming perspective, it's also rewarding from a psychological view. Wash away that dirt, do it methodically. Of course it's okay to project your personal issues into this and feel better afterwards. Such is the power of Power Wash Simulator.

Although this game triggers these things, it's also a relaxing journey. A moment of zen, where it's just you doing your job without any interruptions. From personal experience, you can mix this with listening to music, YouTube videos or podcasts and you've got one of the most coziest and relaxing gaming experiences in a long time. It even helped me relax after a tough day at work, and dealing with stress related to a recently done exam.

And that's the magic behind Power Wash Simulator. A simple game about cleaning dirt, that's so relaxing and peaceful. But also extremely satisfying as cleaning never felt better. That's why I spent 116 hours on this game and it's DLC's, and I'm not even done yet. Despite it's pixel hunting flaws and bland menu's, this game is inner peace. A pure video game in a sense, in that it wishes nothing more than to be entertaining and relaxing. To help you take your mind off things. And isn't this partially why most of us got attracted to gaming in the first place?