Power‑washing, pool‑cleaning and mowing: The surge of mundane‑job games and why they resonate with millions

The unexpected popularity of PowerWash Simulator

PowerWash Simulator invites players to slip on protective gloves, pick up a high‑pressure hose and methodically cleanse a wide variety of in‑game environments until every surface gleams with a pristine finish.

Although the premise appears unconventional, the original PowerWash Simulator, launched in 2021, has moved beyond a niche curiosity to sell more than 17 million copies worldwide. The follow‑up, PowerWash Simulator 2, released in 2025, has recently secured two nominations at the Bafta Games Awards, underscoring the commercial and critical momentum behind the title.

PowerWash Simulator and PowerWash Simulator 2 sit squarely within the “mundane job simulation” genre, a rapidly expanding segment of the gaming market where participants engage in everyday occupations that, on the surface, may not seem exhilarating.

FuturLab’s Graham Norton ethos

“We want to make the Graham Norton of video games,” explains Kirsty Rigden, chief executive of Brighton‑based FuturLab, the studio responsible for PowerWash Simulator. The ambition to emulate a talk‑show host renowned for charm rather than adrenaline‑pumping thrills may seem counterintuitive for a game developer, yet Kirsty Rigden believes a sizable audience craves low‑octane entertainment.

The hallmark of the simulation genre lies in its soothingly repetitive tasks. In PowerWash Simulator, the core loop consists of cleaning one mucky location after another—whether a whimsical fun house, a retro roller disco, or a grimy industrial warehouse—followed by a literal rinse‑and‑repeat rhythm that many players find meditative.

Kirsty Rigden observes that the current global mood, marked by heightened stress, makes PowerWash Simulator especially resonant. “With the game you are able to focus in on one thing, which kind of blocks all the other distractions out—it’s a pure form of meditation,” Kirsty Rigden says.

The spark for PowerWash Simulator originated from Kirsty Rigden’s personal fascination with YouTube videos that showcase the transformation of dirt into cleanliness through high‑pressure water. The “simplicity of seeing dirt turn to cleanliness” proved compelling enough to become the foundation of a full‑scale interactive experience.

From cleaning influencers to lawn‑mowing empires

Social media platforms teem with influencers who command hundreds of thousands of followers by creating content centered on cleaning, organizing, and restoration. FuturLab’s PowerWash Simulator is not the sole title capitalising on this trend.

Lawn Mowing Simulator offers players the chance to “experience the beauty and detail of mowing the Great British countryside” while managing a virtual lawn‑care business and operating “real‑world licensed lawnmowers”. A forthcoming sequel promises to expand the setting to American “trailer parks and town hall gardens”, further widening the genre’s geographic scope.

David Harper, managing director and founder of Liverpool‑based Skyhook Games, explains that players often treat these simulations as an “escape” from the pressures of everyday life. “It’s basically about the satisfaction of starting with something untidy, learning the skills to bring order to the scene, then looking back at a job well done,” David Harper remarks.

The relaxed pace and low cognitive load of mundane‑job simulators have made them favourite fodder for YouTubers and Twitch streamers, who can maintain a conversational rapport with audiences while the gameplay itself remains unobtrusive.

A video of US creator Markiplier playing the original PowerWash Simulator in 2021 has amassed more than nine million views, illustrating the broad digital appetite for such content.

Comedian and games journalist Ellie Gibson began streaming PowerWash Simulator after a friend’s recommendation. Ellie Gibson also holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous play session of PowerWash Simulator—an impressive 24 hours, six minutes and 33 seconds.

Ellie Gibson recounts that the marathon proceeded smoothly except for a “nightmarish” segment in which a brightly coloured children’s playground at four a.m. produced a “very psychedelic” visual effect. Nevertheless, Ellie Gibson likens the calming, soothing nature of PowerWash Simulator to the tranquility many find in colouring books or knitting, with the key distinction that “you get the finished result of a clean monster truck, rather than a scarf.”

Community stories of mental‑health benefit

Both Kirsty Rigden and David Harper report receiving numerous messages from players who attribute improvements in anxiety, depression, and overall mental well‑being to their experiences with PowerWash Simulator and Lawn Mowing Simulator.

“Hearing how our game has helped our players with their anxiety and mental health has been really rewarding to us,” says David Harper.

Kirsty Rigden adds, “Lots of people writing in and saying how we’ve helped them get through things like cancer treatments. It’s really lovely and uplifting.”

The impact of PowerWash Simulator even attracted the attention of academics at Oxford University. Researchers there designed a custom build of PowerWash Simulator for a longitudinal study conducted in March 2023. During the study, more than 8,600 participants were prompted every ten minutes to log their current mood while playing.

The Oxford University study found that 72 percent of participants experienced a measurable uplift in mood while engaged with PowerWash Simulator. Nick Ballou, one of the lead researchers, cautioned that mundane‑job simulations are unlikely to replace formal therapy, yet he emphasised two “unique benefits”.

“These games are particularly suitable for people with low energy, and they’re really effective in absorbing attention,” Nick Ballou explains. “I do think playing them can be more mindful than other games that require lots of cognitive engagement to coordinate with teammates or react in a split second.”

Future plans and the continued Graham Norton spirit

Looking ahead, FuturLab intends to develop a title outside the “soapy empire” it has built with PowerWash Simulator, while still pursuing its overarching goal of becoming the “market leader in cathartic games”.

Regardless of the next project’s theme, the studio’s dedication to the Graham Norton ethos—delivering entertainment that feels pleasant, unpretentious, and easy‑going—remains a cornerstone of its design philosophy.

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