PowerWash Simulator

PowerWash Simulator is a simulation video game developed by FuturLab and published by Square Enix Collective. 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. The game was first made available in early access through Steam on 19 May 2021, and was fully released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 14 July 2022. Further ports for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, were for a 31 January 2023 release. A standalone VR port titled PowerWash Simulator VR for Meta Quest 2, 3 and Pro models was released on November 2, 2023.

Gameplay
PowerWash Simulator is a simulation game played in the first-person perspective. Set in the fictional 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 vehicles and locations, ranging from residential houses to a Mars rover, to complete each level. Successfully cleaning an object will grant the player money, which can then be used to purchase new cosmetic items and upgrade their power washing tools. These upgrades allow the player to customise their 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.

The game features cooperative multiplayer for up to six players online. Players can join sessions in progress or matchmake. All scenarios and environments are available in cooperative play with the exception of challenge mode.

Plot
At the beginning of the game, the player character has just started their own power washing business in the town of Muckingham. They are gifted a van by their friend, archaeologist Harper Shaw, who helps them find their first few clients. During each job, the power washer character receives texts messages from the client; these text messages often include information about the location or vehicle being cleaned, explanations on how it became so dirty, and their thoughts on things going on around Muckingham. As the power washer completes each job, their reputation around town grows and they are hired for more work by returning and new clients.

As time passes, the people of Muckingham begin noticing strange occurrences, such as unusual activity near the dormant Mount Rushless volcano and the disappearance of all of Muckingham's cats, including Mayor Jeff Jefferson XIII's cat Ulysses. Further messages reveal that Mayor Jefferson has been diverting the town's water to an illegal mining operation by corrupt tycoon Blake Thrust, leading him to flee the town. Eventually, the power washer is hired to clean a flying saucer controlled by Ceruleon Skye, a time-travelling scientist from the year 2278. Skye explains he was investigating the impending eruption of Mount Rushless, which in his future triggered the eruption of every volcano on the Pacific Rim, blocking out the sky with ash for decades and causing near global extinction. However, Thrust shot down Skye's ship and stole some of his technology, upsetting the timeline and causing the volcano to become active ahead of schedule.

Several previous clients begin evacuating from Muckingham to escape the volcano. Shaw discovers two ancient statues unearthed by the recent seismic activity, one of which fires a beam towards Mount Rushless after being cleaned, and the other of which points to a temple emerging from the ocean, the fishy smell of which had attracted Muckingham's cats. With the help of some of their clients, the power washer reaches the temple, finding it filled with tributes to themself. When the power washer finishes cleaning the temple, a gem emerges that fires another beam at the volcano. Thrust's private jet flies towards the temple, but it is shot down by Skye's flying saucer. Skye notifies the power washer that the temple was built by the Pacifists, the Pacific counterparts of the Atlanteans, and that Thrust's search for their civilization and its rare ores punctured Mount Rushless's magma chamber, triggering its premature eruption. To prevent this, Skye travelled back to the Pacifists' time and told them the power washer's story, and they agreed to convert the temple into an offshore platform with a neutralizing beam that would stop Mount Rushless from erupting when cleaned by an experienced power washer. With the timeline now safe, the power washer returns to their business, finding Ulysses hiding in their van with his kittens.

Development, marketing, and release
The game was first released for Microsoft Windows on May 19, 2021 via Steam's early access feature.

Several bonus jobs have been added to the game via a series of free updates since launch. Multiple "Special Pack" expansions themed after other media franchises have also been released as downloadable content. These include the "Tomb Raider Special Pack" on 31 January 2023; the Final Fantasy VII Remake-themed "Midgar Special Pack" on 2 March 2023; the "SpongeBob SquarePants Special Pack" on 29 June 2023; the "Back to the Future Special Pack" on 16 November 2023; the "Warhammer 40,000 Special Pack" on 27 February 2024, and the "Alice's Adventures Special Pack" in mid-2024.

Pre-release
Cass Marshall of Polygon praised the game for its casual gameplay, writing that it "[captures] the most relaxing bits of home care with none of the hassle." Jordan Devore of Destructoid 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 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 Metacritic, but received "mixed or average" reviews for the Windows version.

Ed Thorn of Rock Paper Shotgun 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 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.