The world of gaming can take you to faraway places, allowing you to experience things that humanity can barely imagine. Or it can let you hose down some vinyl flooring for half an hour.
Enter PowerWash Simulator, which puts players in the shoes of a professional power washer.
It's developed by FuturLab and published by Square Enix, and it's proving to be more addictive than you might expect at first.
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While many see it as a chore, for others, cleaning can be meditative.
It is one of a growing number of games that lean into the mundane to surprisingly satisfying ends, allowing players to do various tasks as if they were done in real life. These games are called “simulators” because they simulate the experience as close as possible to reality.
The game, which was first released on the PC and Xbox in 2022 and arrived on the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 last year, is set in the fictional town of Muckingham, players begin with simple washing tasks, washing vehicles or small gardens.
With every task completed, the size of the next increases, allowing the player to invest money earned into purchasing better equipment and materials.
Serenity now
Naturally, your first question may be: why play this instead of roaming around an infinite world as a cowboy in the Old West?
Simply put, sometimes what gaming needs is a calm and quiet world. Moreover, just like doing the laundry in real life, menial tasks allow you to spend some time in your head.
PowerWash Simulator might seem like a simple game, but players still need to make choices to complete a task properly. These challenges present themselves in the form of choosing what tool to use or which chemical compound will work best on different surfaces.
It's the same feeling as washing your own car and standing back to admire the shimmering fruits of your labour.
No task is too big
Players begin with achievable tasks that quickly grow more difficult as the game progresses.
One of the best things about the game's level advancement is that things never feel like they’re getting too big, too fast. The difficulty of the task increases gradually and players can decide in what way they'll choose to tackle to task, allowing for several solutions to a problem.
Interestingly, the game does start to become more abstract and bizarre in its tasks towards the end of the game. Without giving too much away, the locales certainly become more interesting and less grounded in the familiar.
Verdict
PowerWash Simulator is an excellent addition to the many simulator games on offer. These games deliver a fulfilling and realistic experience, with some even being educational.
Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or someone looking for some relaxing downtime while listening to soothing music, this is a therapeutic experience like few games can offer.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Oppenheimer
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Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
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