Pixel Washer PC Review

Monotonous gaming has become a bit of a hobby for many people. Sitting in front of your screen and zoning out of everyday activities is relaxing and a perfect way to unwind. If you sit in this camp, you’ll probably enjoy Pixel Washer on Steam. Now, you may be wondering why I’m looking at a PC game; well, I’m hoping it’ll come to console in the future. Plus, I enjoyed it, so why not spread the word?

Valadria has developed this single-player voxel title. It is part of the power washing genre, and it takes little to no effort to master. Accordingly, it is a great way to unwind and waste a few hours. Sadly, this simple approach does make it a little repetitive, but I wasn’t too bothered.

Pixel Washer tells a tale of a filthy town.

Pigs and sh^t go together like peanut butter and jam (jelly for you Americans). Therefore, I wasn’t surprised that the piggy protagonist lives in a filthy town. However, what shocked me was the pig hero who didn’t want to live in dirt anymore. This cleaning-obsessed swine stops at nothing to make every surface, tree, and piece of equipment shine.

The story is extremely threadbare, and I wouldn’t expect any depth or intelligent script. Instead, Pixel Washer leans on its mindless gameplay. Each stage is filled with dirty items that must be cleaned. They are constructed from an array of materials, and you must pick the correct equipment for the job. As you explore each level, you may have bonus side quests to work on. These can be ignored, but who doesn’t like to earn some extra cash? Moreover, the targets are pretty easy to achieve, so you’re hardly busting your balls.

Simple action.

As you complete each level, you earn gold. This can be spent on new washers, vehicles, an HQ upgrade, or some friends to assist you at work. The new vehicles change your fuel costs while allowing you to carry more gear. Every new washer offers better cleaning power, material-specific cleaning, or a better range. Effectively, you can choose the item that works for the job at hand. Finally, your friends cut down the effort it takes for each job, but they use more water and cost you money. Consequently, it’s a bit of a balancing act.

There are a host of missions to undertake, but they are extremely similar and therefore repetitive. Although I didn’t mind this, it doesn’t quite have the same appeal as PowerWash Simulator or games of that calibre. This doesn’t detract from the enjoyable nature of Pixel Washer; it’s just not as interesting as its big-name peer.

The missions become increasingly complex, and some take a considerable amount of effort to complete. This may be too much for gamers who want instant rewards. I didn’t mind, but I found myself occasionally losing focus on the bigger and more complex levels.

Pixel Washer mixes humour with dated visuals.

The use of animals as the protagonists and antagonists was a fantastic choice. It adds a small layer of humour that breaks up the monotony. The colourful sprites and simple animations complement the dated visuals. A voxel approach has been used alongside a refined colour palette. The result is an occasionally harsh-looking game that lets the action do the talking. The audio has a hotel lobby vibe. It is neither offensive nor memorable. Yet, it works nicely to keep you focused throughout.

The controls are remarkably easy to master. You can keep your washer flowing permanently, or you can save water and be more accurate. Either way, it was easy to change tools, navigate the world, and explore your HQ. Replay value is limited, but there is a collectable to find on every stage. Alongside this, you have plenty of equipment to unlock if you wish to test everything out.

Pixel Washer is fun but limited.

If you want a casual game that scratches that cleaning itch, then Pixel Washer will be the game for you. It is amusing, simple, and nice to fill a void. Although it doesn’t compare to its peers, I enjoyed it regardless. Accordingly, I recommend grabbing a copy from the Steam Page!