Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 298 sampled Steam reviews (276 positive / 22 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing9% mention it
- Music & audio6% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Bugs & crashes14% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
73%
33 reviews
5-15h
93%
55 reviews
15-40h
93%
82 reviews
40-100h
97%
93 reviews
100h+
100%
35 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 77 | 54 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 88 | 2 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 96% | 92 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 74 | 50 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 93% | 87 | 3000 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (May 29, 2025) · 300 reviews sampled · 5976 total reviews in window · weighted 233.5 up / 17.1 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (55)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 75
“PowerWash Simulator delivers a fun and relaxing experience that offers the satisfaction of removing grime with a high-pressure washer. The game features a variety of tasks and environments that ensure every job is unique. The multiplayer mode is a great feature, but the lack of background music can make the game feel monotonous during longer play sessions. If you’re looking for a casual game or a relaxing experience, this simulator will be right up your alley.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“One thing that is sorely missing, however, is gyro aiming. I don’t think we can stress enough what a match made in heaven gyro would be in a game like this, but it’s made doubly disappointing by the stiffness that the standard dual analogue setup. It’s not a dealbreaker, and there’s still a roaring good time to be had here, but oh how we ached to wave our controller around and have it actually do something in-game.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It's a really chill addition to Xbox Game Pass that you'll likely end up enjoying a lot if you're into this sort of thing, while others will inevitably think it's boring and too repetitive. It does what it says on the tin though, executing on its concept very effectively, while the addition of online co-op with cross-play between Xbox and PC is a great touch.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“PowerWash Simulator was already a great game at launch, and it was a great price. But it’s even better now. A sequel did come out last year, but it’s not available for the original Switch. If you want to scratch that itch with one of the most satisfying games ever, revisit the original PowerWash Simulator if you have a Switch.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“PowerWash Simulator is a very accomplished game despite its rather limited concept. The handling is easy to take in hand and the cooperative mode adds a bit of fun. The content is quite imposing and this is sometimes a flaw. Many missions will take more than an hour to complete. For me, the title is a relaxing game that can be played in small doses here and there. If content updates are planned, I would have liked to go a little further in the concept with why not much more powerful tools. If you're a fan of this kind of game, you'll clearly enjoy cleaning everything. For the neophytes, the game quickly becomes repetitive despite the diversity of places to clean.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Where we fall slightly out of love is with the fiddly controls. It packs a lot of useful functions onto the controller but it took us a while to figure it all out, and the tutorials are so minimal that some features barely register. It's also a shame the DualSense's capabilities are wholly ignored; this seems a perfect game for all its tricks. Even with any small reservations, though, we can't deny the game is just as engaging, relaxing, and enjoyable as everyone says.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“PowerWash Simulator definitely lives up to its namesake, and while there's something quite satisfying and calming about slowly spraying a concentrated beam of water at objects to rid them of dirt, the repetitiveness of its gameplay can't be ignored. If you're looking for a by-the-numbers time waster that feels a little like painting towards a set objective, then hop into your cleaning suit and equip your nozzle of choice (even better if you pair it with your favorite podcast). However, some will definitely find the power washing itself to be more of a chore than a blast, so splashing around with PowerWash Simulator is better left to anyone looking to zone out and clean to their heart's content.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“PowerWash Simulator is just a comfort game for me and I can see myself playing this for months to come. There is something extremely satisfying about its progression. Playing with friends is a blast and I just love zoning out and making slow progress. These simulation games are getting wild and this is by far the one to click with me. It had me searching prices of power washers in real life, so mission accomplished I supposed developers.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“PowerWash Simulator pairs water-powered cleaning with relaxing tasks, resulting in a surprisingly zen-like gameplay experience.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“A simulator that delivers pure joy of cleaning by removing all inconveniences of water pressure cleaning in real life. Though it can be a boring chore for some people, but there are some people out there including myself whose being healed by this beautiful and quiet cleaning missions.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“For a game based on such a non-exciting task, PowerWash Simulator is way, way more fun than it ought to be. That mainly comes to down the game embracing its silliness, putting you the perpetually dirty Muckingham and tasking you with washing ridiculous places like a giant shoe home or a washroom with decades of baked-on piss stains. Once you settle into the game's zen-cleaning state, you'll easily melt the hours away obsessively cleaning objects until they look brand spanking new.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“PowerWash Simulator is an oddly satisfying and relaxing experience in the short period but FuturLab needs to add new levels and modes in the future to keep up its niche audience.”
read full review ↗
Gaming Professors
Nintendo Life
Pure Xbox
The Switch Effect
Geeks & Com
Push Square
NintendoWorldReport
ZTGD
PCMag
INVEN
NextGen Player
Eurogamer…and 43 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- PowerWash Simulator Muckingham Files 6 OUT NOWMay 29, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Wallace & Gromit Special Pack - OUT NOWMar 4, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix 1.9.2 Now LiveNov 12, 2024
- PowerWash Simulator - Shrek Special Pack Out NowOct 10, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- PowerWash Simulator Alice's Adventures Special Pack Out NowJul 2, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- PowerWash Sim 2024 Roadmap UpdateMay 10, 2024
- PowerWash Simulator Warhammer 40,000 Special Pack Out NowFeb 27, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Santa's Workshop Free Update! Out Now!Dec 14, 2023
- The Back to the Future Special Pack for PowerWash Simulator is OUT NOW!Nov 16, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Update 1.4 – The latest Muckingham Files chapter is OUT NOW!Aug 31, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS SPECIAL PACK, Out Now!Jun 29, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Network Hotfix to Address Connection IssueJun 9, 2023
- Hotfix 1.2.1 LiveMay 24, 2023
- Update 1.2 – The Muckingham Files - is OUT NOW!Apr 18, 2023
- 1.2 Update Announcement & 2023 RoadmapApr 12, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix 1.1.5 LiveMar 6, 2023
- 1.1 Update + Free Tomb Raider Special Pack Out Now!Jan 31, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Development UpdateDec 5, 2022
- Vote For Us In The Steam Awards + Update On Upcoming ContentNov 22, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- PowerWash Simulator 1.0 is OUT NOW!Jul 14, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- PowerWash Simulator 1.0 Launches July 14th!Jun 10, 2022
- Birthday Update 0.9 is Live!May 19, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Update 0.9 Release Date - Dev Log 54Apr 28, 2022significant · resets scoring window