Cleanse-'em-up PowerWash Simulator is free to play this weekend, so go try the first game to cross over with both Warhammer 40,000 and Wallace & Gromit

A cleaner standing in front of a house — (Image credit: FuturLab)

PowerWash simulator isn't just a meditative cleaning game with more pop culture crossovers than you can shake a stick at; it's a virtual stress ball second only to non-virtual sex and it's the best Far Cry game PC Gamer news writer Joshua Wolens has ever played. It's accrued over 35,000 user reviews on Steam, where collective sentiment is Overwhelmingly Positive, which indicates it's at least slightly more popular than the average chore simulator.

If you missed the boat and want to try the game out for the first time, you'll find a free weekend waiting for you until October 13. It won't include the game's full lineup of DLCs, but you can play around with 38 career jobs, the first three Muckingham Files packs, and the Tomb Raider and Midgar special packs.

PowerWash Simulator | Ultimate Satisfaction & Satisfying Specials Bundles Trailer - YouTube

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The timing is ideal for anyone looking to foster a budding PowerWash obsession. The game's sequel arrives in less than two weeks on October 23, and when PC Gamer news writer Elie Gould gave it a spin a few months ago, they said it "seems like something that sets the foundations, rather than breaking new ground." If you're the sort to wait while a new game builds itself out with updates and DLCs, it seems like a safe bet that if you start the first PowerWash game now, there will be plenty waiting for you in the sequel by the time you're done.

That's if you decide to get the full game, anyway, which is on sale for $12.49 USD until October 16. Owners of the first game can claim a 15% discount on the sequel from the day it releases through November 24, so you might consider that if you were planning to skip the first altogether.

By most accounts, it's worth giving a shot. If nothing else, it might be a nice way to blow off Steam after a loss streak in Battlefield 6. PowerWash simulator is free to download until October 13 on Steam.

Justin first became enamored with PC gaming when World of Warcraft and Neverwinter Nights 2 rewired his brain as a wide-eyed kid. As time has passed, he's amassed a hefty backlog of retro shooters, CRPGs, and janky '90s esoterica. Whether he's extolling the virtues of Shenmue or troubleshooting some fiddly old MMO, it's hard to get his mind off games with more ambition than scruples. When he's not at his keyboard, he's probably birdwatching or daydreaming about a glorious comeback for real-time with pause combat. Any day now...

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