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Of all the things to make a game about, who could have predicted that using a high-pressure water sprayer to clean stuff would translate so well into the world of pixels and polygons? Such is the case with developer FuturLabs’ game PowerWash Simulator, which launched on Nintendo Switch in January of 2023. The title has since gone on to become something of a sensation after initially being rejected by multiple publishers who didn’t want to give it a shot.
Now, PowerWash Simulator can lay claim to another accolade: apparently, the game can actually life the mood of players. Like, scientifically, it can lift players’ moods. A study was conducted by Oxford University’s Internet Institute that began in 2022 and had 8,500 participants. They discovered that of 162,325 self-reported logs regarding “in-game mood,” the bulk of participants alleged to have an “uplift in mood” during the fist 15 minutes of play.
Researchers stated that this phenomenon was “comparable with changes seen in other leisure activities such as reading, shopping, or listening to music.” So, if you’ve been looking to destress, PowerWash Simulator might be just the game for you.
Source: Oxford University Internet Institute Study + Nintendo Soup
