Moldwasher

Moldwasher is a super cute and cozy 2D cleaning simulator where you play as an adorable piece of sushi on a mission to blast away mold and grime from a giant forgotten kitchen. Not only is the game progression very satisfying and the cleaning physics feel incredibly smooth, but controlling a little nigiri sushi with a powerful little washer gun is just delightfully charming all on its own.

The gameplay loop is well designed, with levels that are short and sweet, taking only 2 to 4 minutes each. This makes it way too easy to tell yourself you will play just one more round, only to realize a full hour has already passed by.

You start with a basic spray nozzle and progressively unlock various other tools to tackle different types of stubborn dirt. You get a flamethrower to burn cockroach nests or fungi, a blowgun to blast grains of rice out from the edge of the table, a pickaxe to break moldy biscuits into pieces, and so on. They are all hilarious to use, and most levels will have you swapping between several of them. There is also a handy tool that highlights unclean mold for you, though it only works on the main objectives. Sadly, the secondary objects that give extra money rewards do not show up with this highlight at all.

Mold normally regenerates at a slow pace after you clean it, but if that stresses you out, there is an option in the settings to toggle Zen mode. This removes the regeneration mechanic completely, and you can switch it on or off at any point during your gameplay.

One thing that I really like is the creative mechanics that can be found only in certain levels and that aren’t part of your usual cleaning routine. For example, you might find yourself using giant chopsticks to unclog a sink so the water can flow, or riding a hanging platform to move in all directions just to reach mold spots on the outside of the fridge or up on the wall.

As you clean, you earn two types of coins: cash to upgrade your gear or buy new tools, and special coins to spend on a gacha machine for cute stickers to decorate your little hideout. Some other collectibles are hidden inside the levels. Unfortunately, while the level map shows you the rewards you get for completing (or re-completing) a level, it does not show whether a level has a hidden collectible or if you have already found it. To check, you have to replay the level completely to see the end screen.

The pixel art is absolutely gorgeous, and the way the kitchen environment is designed makes exploring every single corner a joyful experience.

If you are a fan of cleaning games or just need a wholesome, relaxing adventure, you absolutely have to check this out. It might be a relatively short experience, at around 3.5 hours to finish the story and get all the achievements, but every single minute is packed with charm.