My weekend gaming ritual for many years consisted of making a large black cup of coffee and playing some form of competitive online game until that coffee was all gone — sometimes longer. Overwatch was my game of choice for a long period. I later moved onto Gran Turismo Sport. The game of choice may have changed over time, but the ritual remained the same for years.
Today, this is not such a regular occurrence, but I do attempt to recreate this weekend morning gaming ritual when possible. I now use this time to play whatever game I plan to cover next. I recently played some “relaxing games” while enjoying my morning coffee.
“Cozy games” became a top genre in recent years. Games like Unpacking, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I don’t think the two games I’ve been playing qualify as “Cozy.” These “Relaxing games” come in the form of real life simulations. They are usually titled “[INSERT REAL LIFE TASK HERE] Simulator.”
Over the past two months, I’ve mainly focused on two of these games, PowerWash Simulator and Lawn Mowing Simulator. I also tried out Bus Simulator 21, but that was a little less relaxing. There’s too much to do when operating a bus.
What puts PowerWash Simulator and Lawn Mowing Simulator into their own category of “relaxing life sims” is the immediate satisfaction of seeing the instant results of your “hard” work — power washing and lawn mowing. Both items, the power washer and lawn mower, instantly remove physical materials — dirt and grass — leaving a fresh and clean setting.
In real life, both of these tasks are tough and tiring. However, when it comes to the digital version they become quite relaxing and fulfilling. The reason why these two games (and other “relaxing” and “cozy” games) pair so well with a tall, hot mug of LIQUID LIGHTNING is that the player may take a break from time-to-time to enjoy some of that HOT JAVA without interrupting the flow of the game.
When it comes to drinking ROCKET FUEL during a game like Overwatch, you end up sneaking quick sips between rounds, and possibly burning yourself. You also realize that your FLAMING CUP OF JOE quickly becomes ROOM TEMP DIRTY BEAN WATER.
I don’t know what I was thinking, playing Overwatch with my WAKEY JUICE for so many years. If you’re going to enjoy your MORNING JOLT (or a hot tea — tea drinkers may also participate in this ritual) while gaming, perhaps it’s best to play something less competitive. It’s best to play a game that’s more forgiving on taking breaks, or something “Relaxing.”
PowerWash Simulator
I have power washed in real life, both with gas and electric powered power washers, and let me tell you that this is a dangerous task in real life — especially when you are a kid with all of that power. My high school summer job was painting my old middle school (since my mom worked in the office). We were once given a power washer to clean the dirty sidewalks. While we did wash the dirty sidewalks, we also did some stupid things (including shooting each other from a “safe” distance).
PowerWash Simulator does not kill your forearms, like the real thing. It’s a relaxing, enjoyable, fulfilling task. The game does get a bit tedious when searching for hidden, unwashed areas. What makes the game fun is the variety of structures and objects to clean. You start off with the basics — cars, vans, motorcycles, homes. The added DLC has been compelling for fans of different genres.
Since the game was released the team has added items from Final Fantasy, Spongebob Squarepants, Back to the Future, Warhammer 40K. They’ve been banking on our fandom of other big franchises by asking “Wouldn’t you like to wash the DeLorean?” and other great questions.
The game is very simple in that each level, though different, features the same task.
Here’s something dirty. Please wash it.
Lawn Mowing Simulator
I have never mowed a lawn in real life — neither by hand or riding a machine. I will say that this game has done a great job of expanding my curiosities. Perhaps the next time I see someone mowing their front yard, I may stop and ask if I can give it a whirl. Even if it’s only a small chunk of lawn.
If I owned a racing steering wheel for any of my many racing games (Gran Turismo 7, the F1 series, EA Sports WRC), I would definitely want to know what mowing lawns feels like with a steering wheel. Lawn Mowing Simulator should be an esports game, just like the games I listed above.
Lawn Mowing Simulator lacks the variety of PowerWash Simulator, since all they can really do is add different obstacles (like fountains, gardens, and benches). A lawn mower is only really built to handle flat grass surfaces, so I get that it is hard to add variety.
While I have not been able to try out any of the DLC (downloadable content) for this game, I am quite interested in mowing with the dinos. I’m not really sure if the dinosaurs are background characters or if you get to interact with them.
Lawn Mowing Simulator does feature a scavenger hunt feature, where you may clear the lawn of foreign objects that would otherwise damage your equipment. However, if you choose not to participate it’s no big deal. The groundskeeper will remove them for you. Certain contracts (or levels) only need you to come remove these objects (or trash) from lawns and trailer parks.
Real Life Sims
What I learned from playing both, PowerWash Simulator and Lawn Mowing Simulator, simultaneously is that both games are sort of like coloring — or maybe un-coloring. It would be an interesting social experiment to give a group of people coloring books to see their different coloring styles, then see how it correlates to the way they play these games.
Both games require the player to get rid of unwanted substances (dirt and grass) to create a clean environment. The more I played both games, the more I saw a strategy develop. While playing Lawn Mowing Simulator, I started off by outlining the yard with my weed wacker, before hopping onto my lawn mower. While playing PowerWash Simulator, I tried to stick to one area at a time.
Lawn Mowing Simulator is closer to the way I color in objects, outside-in. While PowerWash Simulator is more like how I brush my teeth (with my new electric toothbrush). I attempt to stick to one zone at a time, but I also hit every zone so as not to get bored.
I don’t see either of these games as long-term games for me, but I will keep them downloaded on my PlayStation (as long as there is space) to jump in for quick little breaks. These are great non-thinking games after completing a great big story.
Even if these specific relaxing, life sim games aren’t for you there are plenty of others out there. The one big question I still have is what is a Goat Simulator and why is it so popular?
*myVGBC.com was given a review code for Lawn Mowing Simulator.
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