Verdict
PowerWash Simulator 2 provides more of what we love with plenty of levels, new equipment, and a lot more soap to go around. While playing on handheld can take some getting used to, performance remains steady, and you can sud and spray to your hearts content no matter where you are. If you like relaxing games, this is for you.
As I sit here on a fine autumn day, blasting a cutout of Bigfoot, I think to myself - ah, now this is power washing. PowerWash Simulator 2-ing, to be exact. I have over 200 hours logged in the first game, and I'm sure I'll match that in the sparkling new sequel. I'm already at 25 hours, and I'm not finished cleaning Muckingham's locations. "But it's a game about cleaning!" I hear you cry. Yes, it is, but it's hours and hours of watching dirt disappear, and the most relaxing time I've ever had in my life.
PowerWash Sim 2 brings you back to Muckingham and its surrounding locales, which have become a bit grimy to say the least. You now have a big, spacious office to work from, but the core gameplay remains the same: pick a location, and get washing.
The sequel is clean, smooth, and remains very, very soothing. It's got a bit more detail in the backgrounds and scenery, and now shows flecks of dirt pinging off as you spray the gross areas, adding a little bit of immersion. The newest tool, a flat disc-shaped floor cleaner, is an excellent addition.
Right off the bat, it cleans any and all grime off surfaces - you can use it on the wall (or anywhere else if you're creative enough) and means you can wander safely along, scrubbing the floor at your own leisure. This works very well on handheld or with a controller, as you don't need to move quickly around.
This game does not reinvent the wheel, but did anyone want it to? It feels like more of an expansion, if anything, but with better quality overall and some extra equipment to help you navigate tall, flat expanses of nasty items. On top of the goated circular cleaner, new additions include a scissor lift and abseil equipment. You can only use the abseil-y bits in a couple of specific levels, so the novelty doesn't wear off, but it's so easy to use. Approach it, get on it, then move up, down, left, right, and every way in between to reach every last corner where muck may hide.
The scissor lift allows better access than the scaffolding - both previous and returning - as you can freely move up and down without being restricted to certain platform heights. Though there's now a ladder on the outside of the scaffolding, which means you can quickly get right to the top without needing to turn onto the stairs a few times.
The first few levels show off these newfangled bits and pieces well. There's a public toilet that has moving parts only accessed after others are squeaky clean, and a gigantic billboard where you must use the abseiling equipment. Again, not too many of the jobs require you to finish cleaning something to access a new bit, but I feel it could have been used a bit more than the very small handful of jobs it's in.
As you wash, you earn money to buy more equipment, along with points which you can use to get new cosmetics for your van, outfit, and furniture to fill your new office. The only thing missing seems to be cosmetics for the guns themselves. A few exist in the first game - I had the floral wrap on a washer - but unless I'm missing something, there aren't any here, despite there being a menu for it. I've also progressed through most levels now and still haven't got any to buy. I've hit the points cap and just want to jazz up my washer, please.
A very, very welcome change is how far soap goes now. You don't have to buy it, either, so you're free to cover every single surface and blast off the dirt in one simple pass without going bankrupt. And trust me, you're going to need it to get some of the rust and oil off mechanical items.
The only real change I'd like to see is being able to change the color of the foam you use. It only comes in white, which is fine for most surfaces, but there are a lot of white areas you need to clean - so seeing where the remaining suds are can be tricky, especially on smaller screens. Of course, you can hit the highlight to see where filth remains, but it feels like something that should have an option to change it.
Personally, I find the best way to play PowerWash Simulator to be on PC with keyboard and mouse for the precision, but that's because I prefer the free-aim, which can be a little unwieldy using joysticks. However, the portability of the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch 2 offers a lot more options for playing.
I got access to an early Nintendo Switch 2 build, so I can only speak to my experience with this particular version - though there was a day-one patch as the release date came around. The game looks pretty crisp, but there is some pop-in of trees and such as you move around. Oddly, as I clicked to load it up from the menu, it brought up the Nintendo Switch Online screen first - you can back out of it, but prepare to have that pop up when you open the game if you don't have a subscription.
Again, my main gripe is the lack of freedom using joysticks, but that's my own issue. Unfortunately, the game doesn't make use of the Switch 2's mouse controls. According to an AMA with the developers, they are working on adding it, though.
The game runs just fine on Steam Deck, too. Using the trackpad to control the game was an experience. I could not get on with it - granted, I don't often use a Steam Deck, but it was a very unwieldy way of moving the gun, so I don't recommend it unless you're well versed in trackpad use. Otherwise, it's a great handheld version of the game.
Overall, the game is just as you expect. It's great. It's so relaxing. It keeps you coming back for more with large-scale jobs, including an entire rollercoaster, a planetarium, and a theater. I never expected one of my all-time favorite games to be about cleaning things, but here we are with a sequel also making it onto the list. If you like PowerWash Simulator, this will be an absolute hit for you.
PowerWash Simulator 1 and 2 are two of our favorite indie games to play. If you fancy some more cleaning games - a niche, but satisfying genre - we can recommend some.