I love video games. I’ve been playing video games since I was a kid. I used to stay up late during the summer playing them. What I love most about playing games is it allows you to become whoever you want. Always dreamed of wielding a sword and fighting mythical creatures? Or wielding magical powers? Traveling through space on your very own spaceship? Video games allow us to tap into our imagination and transport us to a world outside of this one. And with the evolution of games over the years, the worlds that are being created have grown larger and more immersive, giving players freedom to play however they want. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim being one of the most popular open world games ever made.
But as I get older, I find myself with less and less time to dive into these large, open worlds full of wonder and exploration. I’m one of those gamers that loves to explore and experience everything, to fully immerse myself into the developer’s creation. The caveat is that I usually spend over 100 hours in that game and these days, I just don’t have that kind of time anymore. Lately, I’ve been trying to gravitate toward shorter experiences or games that I can jump into for an hour and then go about my day or evening. There’s one game in particular that released back in 2022 that I always find myself coming back to: Powerwash Simulator.
I’ve tried other “simulator” games in the past. They’re fun, but sometimes get a bit overwhelming with all the controls and the micromanaging. Powerwash Simulator is very easy to learn with simple controls that don’t bog down the enjoyment of the game. As you complete each level, you earn money that can be used to upgrade your powerwasher including nozzles and extensions for those hard to reach areas. There is a story involved via text messages you receive throughout the game. It’s not as important as the gameplay itself but it does provide some fun insight into the town and its inhabitants.
Once you finish the main game, however, it unlocks a freeplay mode where you can go back to any job you’ve already completed using a fully upgraded powerwasher. There are challenges as well, though I haven’t really bothered with it, and the reason for that is because I play this game as a way of relaxing. Some levels can take over an hour to complete because they are so large and detailed, but that’s part of the fun of it. And if you have to stop in the middle of a job, the game saves your progress so you can pick up where you left off. Also, every item or obstacle in the level is broken up into sections so that the game notifies you with a satisfying ding! once completed. Your character also has a tablet to check the progress so you can see if there’s anything you may have missed.
Since the release of the game, the developers have released additional content, some of it free. This is part of the reason I keep coming back to it. The paid expansion packs are generally $9 and offer 5 new levels to play. I think they do a great job of adding levels that are large enough to warrant paying less than $10. It’s a great price point in an age where we are paying upwards of $40 for additional content only to be letdown.
What I like most about the paid expansions are the themes that come with each one. For example, there is a Final Fantasy VII pack, Tomb Raider pack, Warhammer 40K pack, and Back to the Future, just to name a few. When they announce a new one, I always look forward to seeing which IP they go with next.
As I’ve previously mentioned, I play this game to relax. And I say that the game is relaxing in that there is no time limit for how long you spend powerwashing a level. All you do is just point and shoot at the dirt, switching between nozzles and extensions. The sound of the water pounding against the surface is very soothing. I can’t really explain it unless you experience it for yourself. Personally, I like to listen to a podcast while I’m playing. For me, it’s easier to pay attention to a podcast when all you’re doing is pointing and clicking.
Recently, the developers announced a sequel, Powerwash Simulator 2. I was not sure if that was something that would ever happen because it could’ve gone the way of The Sims 4 where they constantly released more and more packs over a course of several years. And I would have been fine with that. I buy every pack that releases and will continue to do so until they decide to stop and focus on the sequel. I play the game using Microsoft GamePass on my PC and I’m not sure if the second one will release on GamePass as well. If not, then I am totally fine paying full price for the sequel. It’s a great investment if you’re looking for something simple and relaxing to play, and it’s the perfect game in a world where all of our time is devoted elsewhere.
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