LFGryph

I mentioned in my introduction post that I’ve been branching out to playing more simulators than I used to play, and today’s entry is one of those games.

I absolutely heard all the talk about PowerWash Simulator when it came out – how it’s a surprisingly soothing and compelling game to play, and how folks were surprised by how much they liked it. I also have a huge backlog on my Steam games, and didn’t manage to get to it until just lately.

PowerWash Simulator is…well, it’s exactly what it says on the box. You have a power washer and you wash things. There’s different levels of dirt/rust/paint that require slightly different tools and attachments. There’s some challenges in getting to certain parts of levels that need cleaning. The levels range from cleaning a simple penny farthing bicycle to an entire skatepark (and larger levels as well). It’s a game you can play in a group so hijinks can ensue, but I don’t often play even MMO’s in groups.

(Might be a post for another day, but in short I usually use up my social energy at work. Gaming is quiet time or streaming time for me.)

While I do enjoy games like House Flipper and Animal Shelter Simulator, I started out on team, “I don’t know how I’ll feel about cleaning being the only real mechanic/goal, instead of one of many.”

Turns out if I put on a show or audiobook, how I feel about it is just fine. PowerWash Simulator almost feels like virtual coloring to me, just a nice mellow game combined with the little dopamine pings for completing sections of a job. I like that there’s a keybind to highlight dirt so I’m rarely stuck wondering what exactly I’m missing to 100% an area – same with having a list of the level split into different parts (ie: windows, doors, walls, tires, etc.) that I can easily pull up to check my progress.

The movement and controls feel nice and smooth. Jumping isn’t always incredibly exact, but it doesn’t need to be with no fall damage. The levels are varied with some very nice backgrounds, and the sound of the power washer itself is strangely soothing.

I’ve been trying to find more games like this to play when I’m not streaming, just simple dopamine boosts I can drop in and out of. It’s easy for me to get sucked into games, and I’m not saying that doesn’t happen to me with this one. But at least there’s no inherent reason I can’t split a level into multiple sessions. The dirt isn’t going anywhere.

Speaking of streaming, I’m conflicted about doing PowerWash Simulator live, at least for solo play. I did try (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zrDdeggVyQ), but I had a couple things working against me. I went into the game blind, I was incredibly tired that day, and I hadn’t set up my key binding in a way that made sense to me yet.

After spending more time playing, I think I could do a better stream of it on a day I was feeling particularly chatty (and if I set up my background music correctly). It could be relaxing to watch now that I have my keybindings down and I don’t spend so much time fumbling for the next tool I need.

Even if I don’t stream it again, I’m glad I decided to try out the game. I’ve come to very much enjoy indulging my current hyperfixation on Good Omens while power washing increasingly inventive levels. So far, I’m rather partial to that skatepark. Partly because of the way the colors pop as you clean, partly for the kitty paw prints in one corner, and possibly partly because that’s the level I was on when I marathoned Good Omens Season 2. The first time. (I’m sure I’ll stop talking about it at some point.)

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