PLATFORM: PC | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Looking for ways to make money to pay for your sick daughter’s hospital bills, you answer a phone call that leads you down a dark path – a job as an underworld crime scene cleaner, tidying up after gruesome events and hiding the evidence before the police arrive. To do this, you’re equipped with a bucket, some detergents and a handful of cleaning tools, along with a few other handy bits and pieces that allow you to restore each location back to normal.
The opening mission takes you to an apartment where you’re told something untoward has happened involving a drug dealer. You’re tasked with cleaning all the blood, removing the body, putting the furniture back in place and collecting and disposing of any additional rubbish. But your job takes a turn when you notice something dripping from the attic, leading to the discovery of an additional crime scene. This is where Crime Scene Cleaner sets itself apart from other cleaning simulators, with the inclusion of some light puzzle elements that allow you to access hidden areas. The game’s ten locations – which each take between 45-90 minutes to complete – also feature plenty of pop culture references for eagle-eyes cleaners, along with the odd bit of stealable loot to boost your earnings.
At the end of each mission you’re rated on how many of your objectives you completed before being rewarded with cash and experience points to spend on upgrading your abilities. Each tool has its own skill tree so you can make them more effective, like the mop or sponge taking longer to get stained, wider coverage for the pressure washer or increased bag capacity for the rubbish bin, as well as other abilities that make your life a little bit easier (although there doesn’t seem to be anything to prevent you from kicking the bucket over, which is a constant source of annoyance).
Despite the gory premise it’s all very laid back and relaxing, and way more entertaining than you might imagine. And as an added bonus, the developers have stated that the game in its current state is only “Act 1” of a longer narrative, with future updates – including a challenge mode and new locations – already announced as being completely free of charge!
