Powerwash Simulator
A relaxing game about cleaning grimy objects with a pressure washer.
Where Powerwash Simulator comes up2 episodes and tests
GCreator of Game Maker's Toolkit, game designer and video essayist testThe History of Every Video Game Genre
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit, with the designer of Islanders and Thronefall testHow to find amazing game ideasPowerWash Simulator (2022) took the first-person shooter and swapped the gun for a pressure washer, keeping the mechanics under a calmer metaphor. It was hugely popular, spawned a sequel, many expansions and dozens of job simulator imitators. The sources give no sales figures. Lesson: reskinning a proven genre around an ordinary, relaxing job can open a new audience.
- Line up crosshair with target
- Tool: a gun
- Target: enemies
- Line up crosshair with target
- Tool: a pressure washer
- Target: grimy objects
Same core mechanic, new kind of game
From PowerWash Simulator page notes
What was said about Powerwash Simulator
PowerWash Simulator turned an ordinary chore into a game people wanted to play. Released in 2022, it was hugely popular and kicked off dozens of games about interesting or mundane jobs, plus a sequel and many themed expansions. It showed developers there are fantasies beyond killing orcs and saving the world.
Job simulators, life simulators and management sims are all trending up, mostly driven by indie developers. The lesson is to look for relatable everyday experiences that people want to play out.
PowerWash Simulator is a first-person shooter with the gun swapped for a pressure washer. A first-person shooter is about lining up a crosshair with a target, which for most of gaming history meant guns and enemies. Changing the object to a pressure washer produced a new kind of game while keeping the core mechanic.
Pokemon Snap does the same with a camera. The advice is to treat genres loosely: "boil the genre down to the absolute DNA - and then build outwards from there."
The History of Every Video Game Genre
Released in 2022, it was hugely popular and kicked off dozens of job simulator games, plus a sequel and endless themed expansions.
PowerWash Simulator turned an ordinary chore into a game people wanted to play. Released in 2022, it was hugely popular and kicked off dozens of games about interesting or mundane jobs, plus a sequel and many themed expansions. It showed developers there are fantasies beyond killing orcs and saving the world.
Job simulators, life simulators and management sims are all trending up, mostly driven by indie developers. The lesson is to look for relatable everyday experiences that people want to play out.
How to find amazing game ideas
It is a first-person shooter with the gun swapped for a pressure washer, showing a genre metaphor swap.
PowerWash Simulator is a first-person shooter with the gun swapped for a pressure washer. A first-person shooter is about lining up a crosshair with a target, which for most of gaming history meant guns and enemies. Changing the object to a pressure washer produced a new kind of game while keeping the core mechanic.
Pokemon Snap does the same with a camera. The advice is to treat genres loosely: "boil the genre down to the absolute DNA - and then build outwards from there."
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