High pressure to rest: PowerWash Simulator 2

Who would have thought that tidying up would be good for escapism? "PowerWash Simulator 2" transforms what sounds like work in real life into digital relaxation. You clean, scrub, polish and feel better instead of exhausted. The whole joke of the game lies in this reversal: it takes one of the most monotonous activities of all and turns it into a small triumph over chaos and fatigue. Every speck of dirt becomes an enemy, every shiny surface visible proof that control has been restored.

What seemed like a gag in the first instalment has long since become a genre in its own right. Over 30 missions lead through playgrounds, suburban houses and industrial plants, each time a little bigger, a little dirtier. Instead of battles or quests, there are lists, progress indicators and that characteristic "ping" when an area is clean. That's the sound of order. And the longer you play, the more you realise that FuturLab doesn't mean the game as a joke, but as an amazingly precise simulation of human satisfaction.

The tone remains pleasantly absurd. Whether you're cleaning half a city in Sponge Valley or washing down a gigantic dam wall in Power Falls, the game never takes itself too seriously. The humour comes from the discrepancy between effort and result. There are new tools like the surface cleaner, soaps for particularly stubborn stains and even multi-stage jobs that expand as you progress. And of course the base, which you furnish as you wish - but only after you have cleaned all the furniture. Consistency has its own charm here.

The fact that "PowerWash Simulator 2" has also become a silent co-op experience fits perfectly into this logic. You can now clean together in online or split-screen mode, and every bit of progress counts for everyone. Working together becomes relaxing, without competition, without pressure. Those who leave the last corners of a wall to each other learn a form of digital co-operation that is quieter than any team game. Perhaps that's the real lesson: if you share the dirt, you also share the peace and quiet.

On the Switch 2, the game presents itself in its best form to date. It runs stably at 60 fps, loads significantly faster and utilises the HD rumble function for noticeable feedback. Only the lack of gyro support is noticeable, as is the limited range of vision in handheld mode. Apart from that, the experience remains smooth - technically clean, playably solid, visually clear. It is the version in which the relaxed rhythm of the game unfolds best.

"PowerWash Simulator 2" is a game about control, chaos and the art of harmonising the two. It transforms routine into relaxation and turns mundane work into an almost comical form of meditation. The Switch 2 version has the ideal prerequisites for this - fluid, finely tuned and with enough substance to spend many hours between dirt and satisfaction. Anyone who uses the high-pressure cleaner here will discover an almost elegant form of digital serenity in the banality of cleaning.

→ If you want to discover even more unusual game ideas after this digital cleaning therapy: You can find more highlights in our "Level Up" section - and of course in the current issue.