Zen Buddhist monk and personal hero of mine, Thich Nhat Hanh, spent much of his life writing about mindfulness. He stressed that when we do anything, we should commit to it fully, giving it our undivided attention and allowing ourselves to become immersed in it, be it simply eating, walking, or anything else. “Drink your tea slowly and reverently,” he said, “as if it is the axis on which the earth revolves–slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.”
Like its predecessor, PowerWash Simulator 2 is a stage on which one can play out Thich Nhat Hanh’s message. The simple pleasures of washing away the grime from dozens of walls, floors, cars, and couches act like an on-ramp to a flow state. For a while, I let the sequel wash over me, giving it my entire being and enjoying it thoroughly. But long before I sprayed away the last patch of mildew, I was back to my old ways, multitasking my way through a game that asks of me more patience and attention than I was willing to give it.
PowerWash Simulator 2 is exactly what it sounds like, though if you haven’t played the first game, its title alone may not make it apparent why it can be so much fun. In this first-person job sim from FuturLab, you’ll live out a career as a powerwasher, taking on nearly 40 jobs in solo play, split-screen, or online multiplayer with other soapy experts. You’ll begin with a few simple tools–hoses with different nozzles that provide a range of spraying intensities and patterns, almost like an arsenal of guns in a traditional shooter. In essence, this is a shooter, but rather than zombies or Nazis, your targets are buildings, furnishings, and vehicles absolutely blanketed in filth, with each mission ending when you’ve completely cleansed the area of its grime.