1.1 Update + Free Tomb Raider Special Pack Out Now!
Hey everyone!
The TOMB RAIDER Special Pack is available now, free to all owners of PowerWash Simulator!
Here's the trailer:
What's in this pack? A mini-campaign that sees you cleaning the iconic Croft Manor and its grounds, including five new levels:
Croft Manor, Lara Croft's Obstacle Course and Quad Bike (one level), Lara Croft's Jeep and Motorboat (one level), Croft Manor's Maze, and Croft Manor's Treasure Room.
These are in the Special Jobs section and can be accessed at any time without any level of completion of the career mode.
What's Next?
Yes it's official! The Midgar Special Pack, our next free content pack, is coming soon!
More details and teasers soon!
1.1 Other Changes
Save button added. Reset dirt button added.
Press this button to reset all partially washed objects. Anything fully clean will remain clean. This will help with any save corruptions and out-of-sync washing. It can also be used to let multiplayer players join rapidly by reducing the save file size that needs to be transferred between players if you are having connection problems.
These two buttons are in the tablet, in the top right of the menu and can only be accessed whilst other players are not connected.
Research Edition Rewards
This is the Research Edition drip which is now available to all study participants!
Including: 3 washer skins, body skin, and gloves.
The branch is a unique collaboration between FuturLab and independent researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute. This is a one-of-a-kind anonymous research study centered around the well-being of PowerWash Simulator's players. This study will close on March 28th 2023 at 5PM GMT
More info on how to take part, claim rewards and find out more about the study: https://futurlab.co.uk/oxfordstudy/
Fixes/QOL
Dirt Highlight fixed
Various achievements fixes
Various Timelapse fixes
UI performance improvements
More!
Known Issues and Workarounds
HUD may get hidden when joining a co-op game.
Workaround: Open your tablet (escape/start)
Going from a Tomb Raider Special job to a Free Play job can break the co-op button.
Workaround: game restart will fix.
Washing done by co-op host whilst someone joins may not appear clean in non-host's view upon connecting.
[I]How to fix HDR displaying incorrectly - washed out contrast, dark menu etc
Disable HDR on your monitor and in your windows settings and restart the game. This should remove the odd HDR over-contrast look.
[I]Research Edition Spams pop-ups
Sorry about this. We are working on a build to fix it. In the meantime, if you quickly switch back to default and then back to research, it should fix it.
Workarounds: wait til players join to wash, or restart level and reopen, though it shouldn't be noticeable or effect overall completion. (we have pushed live a fix for this on the Research Branch)
If you spot anything else, our Discord is a great place to see live updated workarounds and issue trackers: https://discord.gg/powerwashsimulator
Tomb Raider FAQ
Is the Tomb Raider Special Pack Free?
It it is available to all owners of PowerWash Simulator without purchase.
How will I get the Tomb Raider Special Pack?
You can access it in-game when it is live in the new Specials section of the main menu. It should be automatically activated; if not, it will link you to the store page to do so manually. How will multiplayer work with new platforms?
PWS also launches on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4/5 on January 31st. There is no crossplay with these new platforms. However, crossplay between Xbox, Windows PC, and Steam players will still be available.
Are there new achievements?
Unfortunately, there will not be new achievements with this content pack.
How long will it take me?
Our QA estimate between 10-15 hours for most players solo.
That's all, folks. If you have any more questions you think we should answer about 1.1, let us know below in the replies! Thanks again for being awesome, and we hope you enjoy cleaning up the Croft Manor as much as we did making it dirty!
The TOMB RAIDER Special Pack repels onto PowerWash Simulator on January 31st. Available free to all owners of the game!
This includes:
Mini campaign
Five new levels
More!
We'll be sharing more info and teasers leading up to the launch so keep an eye out on our socials!
FAQ:
Is the Tomb Raider Special Pack Free?
It will be available to all owners of PowerWash Simulator without purchase.
What time does the update release?
9AM EST / 12PM PST / 5PM GMT
How will I get the Tomb Raider Special Pack?
You can access it in-game when it is live in the new Specials section of the main menu. It should be automatically activated; if not, it will link you to the store page to do so manually.
Will there be other changes and tweaks?
Yes, we'll release a more detailed list at launch.
Where are the Research Edition Rewards
We plan on releasing them with this new patch.
How will multiplayer work with new platforms?
PWS also launches on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4/5 on January 31st. There is no crossplay with these new platforms. However, crossplay between Xbox, Windows PC, and Steam players will still be available.
That's all, folks. If you have any more questions you think we should answer, let us know below in the replies! Thanks for sticking with us, and we hope you will all enjoy the new content!
Firstly, a massive thank you to everyone for nominating us for the Steam Awards! We are now up for the 'Sit Back and Relax' category and would be incredibly grateful if you voted for us again.
PowerWash Simulator is also in the Steam Winter Sale with 15% off if anyone has been holding out for a discount or has a friend that was!
Most importantly, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the FuturLab team.
Thanks to everyone for making 2022 an incredible launch year! We genuinely can't wait to show off all our hard work in 2023, starting with the first new FREE DLC with five levels, a mini-story, and more!
Development Update
Hey everyone,
We are sorry, but we can no longer announce the next batch of content as planned tomorrow. It is still coming, but at the moment, we can't share what it is or its release date due to several development factors.
We have had a fantastic year, moving from Early Access to full launch, and that is largely thanks to our community's support and feedback, so please rest assured that our wonderful development team are working incredibly hard in the background to make 2023 an amazing year full of washable content!
To achieve this, we continue to grow the PowerWash Sim team and still have many more open roles we hope to fill ASAP.
Content announcements and updates will be coming early next year.
Thank you for sticking with us; we hope to share more soon.
Team FuturLab.
Vote For Us In The Steam Awards + Update On Upcoming Content
It's that time of the year again, Steam Awards season!
You can nominate one game for one category only, and this year we're asking our fans to vote for us in the SIT BACK AND RELAX group! Fitting, right?
A massive thanks to anyone who votes for us. Plus, thank you for all of your support throughout early access and launch so far.
(The voting box should be attached to this post)
Upcoming Content Announcement
We will also be making a big announcement on the 6th of December! See for the first time a glimpse of the new content we have been working on:
This FREE DLC will bring a new mini-story expansion across five new levels, including all new areas and vehicles.
What is it, and when is it coming? Well, you'll have to tune in on the 6th to find out!
See you there!
Sorry it has taken us a while to show off any new content; we are also working on lots more behind the scenes!
Thanks for reading and see you next time!
Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:
PWS Single Available + Community Map Vote Group 2 Live
Hey everyone!
Here are a couple of quick updates this week!
PowerWash Simulator's sparkling single has washed up on Steam!
Now, after a hard day’s cleaning, you can kick back and reminisce over your epic cleaning career to the iconic Make It All Shine by Green Gills; the closing song from PowerWash Simulator. Let your mind drift back to time-well-spent in sunny Muckingham, and mentally replay those time-lapses to the uplifting tones until it comes time to pick up your power washer and make it all shine once more!
Hint: If you have no idea what song we’re talking about, you may want to wait until you’ve completed your PowerWashing career!
The community map votes are underway, with two community suggestions ultimately being made by us in the future. (Other content is already in development, and we'll share more details as soon as we can)
Crystal Caves has knocked Roller Skate Rink out to move onto round 2!
Final count:
Facing off in group 2 is Laser Tag Arena VS Aquarium! Would you like to pew-pew or stare at some fishies?
Our designers gave this flavor text to help everyone imagine the levels:
Laser Tag Arena A ‘well-used’ Laser Tag Arena densely packed with neon structures, walls, ramps and cover.
Aquarium Sea-life viewing galleries with large windows and glass tunnels.
The second community map vote, round 1, group 1, is now live!
To learn more about the vote and the last time we did this, read here.
Please note: these are the community-suggested levels, last time we made the Mini Golf Course, Steam Locomotive and Gnome Fountain. We are also actively working on lots more content that is already planned but we don't have any dates or teasers to share just yet. Sorry!
Community Map Vote 2
Thank you, everyone, for your incredibly creative suggestions. Our design team has been hard at work shortlisting over 400 of these great ideas down to 16 contestants.
Here's the full filthy table!
Yes, it is time for you to decide which 2 winners will be made into delightfully dirty levels in the future! To cast your vote and more info, join our Discord here: https://discord.com/invite/powerwashsimulator and head to the #community-map-vote-2 section.
Our design team has also added some flavor text to help illuminate further what we may actually do when making the level and best inform your decision:
Areas :
Crystal Caves A recently discovered cavern full of giant glistening shards and clusters of crystal formations.
Roller Skate Rink A long-abandoned roller rink indoor facility that was once host to many bright lights and funky nights.
Swimming Fun Pool A local swimming pool surrounded by themed water features and slides.
Rock Climbing Gym Several climbing zones featuring precariously angled walls and colourful foot/handholds.
Laser Tag Arena A ‘well-used’ Laser Tag Arena densely packed with neon structures, walls, ramps and cover.
Aquarium Sea-life viewing galleries with large windows and glass tunnels.
Bowling Alley A classic bowling alley with several lanes, gutters and seating areas.
School Cafeteria The aftermath of a food fight in a school hall where the floors, tables, walls, pillars, windows and ceilings have been covered.
Vehicles:
Submarine A 4-6 person ocean research submarine with large viewing windows, various deep-sea surveying equipment, hatches and propellers.
Subway Train A two-carriage subway train that has been a long-time host to several layers of grime and graffiti, both inside and out.
Luxury Yacht A 50-70ft luxury vessel.
Mining Dump Truck A multi-ton bearing truck with its gigantic wheels, cab and dumping tray.
Combine Harvester A farming machine consisting of a large head for cutting and collecting plants, a cab for driving/control and a body which stores and processes materials.
Double Decker Bus A two-storey passenger bus.
Limousine An exceptionally long party vehicle that looks like it’s had an exceptional night out.
Garbage Truck A refuse collection vehicle.
Which are your top picks so far?
Do any of the flavor texts sway how you might vote? Let us know below!
Again, we're working hard on already planned content in the background and will share more as soon as we are ready.
Thanks for reading; until next time!
Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:
Last week, we opened suggestions for our next Community Map Vote, where we will be making levels suggested by you. More info and how to share your ideas, here: https://steamcommunity.com/games/1290000/announcements/detail/3371528804092332981
This week, it's all about statistics!
3 Million Players
Less than 2 months have passed since 1.0 dropped and over 3,000,000 people have now equipped a power washer to restore Muckingham to sparkling glory! Thank you to everyone who has picked up the game so far!
For context, that's more than the population of Jamaica, 33 full Wembley stadiums and 600,000 crammed Honda Civics (apparently the third most popular car in the USA with 5 seats). We thought following this announcement, we'd look at some more fun statistics from the game!
Note: below are Steam only, and based on the past 30 days activity on the 7th of August*
Are any of these numbers big surprises? Do you feel like the yellow nozzle gang needs to be stopped? Let us know in the replies below!
Research Edition Hotfix
Thanks for all of your feedback on the Research Edition and for everyone who has taken part in this unique opportunity to advance science!
We've been listening to your feedback and have a hotfix to address some known issues! :)
Update notes:
Added three new study questions
Improved button UX on the question popups to help avoid confusion
Added support for retrieving lost reward progression
Fixed small issue with study telemetry
That's All, Folks!
Until next time!
Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:
A new community map vote is coming, and the suggestions are now open! If you weren't with us for the last one in July 2021, the Mini Golf Course, Gnome Fountain and Steam Locomotive were all community suggestions. All of the ideas were shortlisted by our design team and then voted on in a knock-out style tournament to be made in the game! Which is now happening again!
Please note, like last time, jobs take a long time to develop. The new levels voted in will come in the future, but we will also be announcing the next lot of planned maps soon; keep your eyes peeled. There are lots currently being made!
If you are interested in the last one, you can see the news here: https://steamcommunity.com/games/1290000/announcements/detail/3006699741749732225
We also released a behind the scenes from design and art on the making of the Mini Golf Course below: https://steamcommunity.com/games/1290000/announcements/detail/3305091754553822108
How to submit ideas
Like last time, the votes will take place on our Discord. You can join that via this link: discord.com/invite/powerwashsimulator
To submit an idea, create a thread in the 'job-suggestions' section:
There is a guide in there, but in short if you already see your suggestion, rather than creating a new thread, use the reactions to show support or comment in that thread if you have any specifics on what that idea might look like.
We will keep this open for a few weeks, then collate them all into a list. Our design team will look at how these ideas could be developed and how popular they may be to shortlist for the knockout style vote. The votes will take place in a few weeks and we'll share more instructions when that is ready!
Thanks in advance for your suggestions :)
More Updates
Live Stream
This week we'll be jumping on our Stream for a FuturLab Friday where we look at the job design process with designer Nick answering your questions! Don't miss it, 3PM BST, today: https://www.twitch.tv/futurlab
Tokyo Games Show
We have announced that we'll be at Tokyo Games Show! Keep an eye out for announcements around the show! Plus, let us know if you'll be there.
We are there in part of our publisher Sqaure Enix booth, you can see more of that and line-up here.
Oxford Study
Thanks to everyone who has taken part. We are pretty shocked, as we always are, with how many people have opted-in so far. We'd also like to thank you all for the feedback so far on how it is generally working and suggestions to make it better. We're definitely listening.
This news is standing in for this week's dev log! we'll come back next week with another log installment.
Thanks for reading; until next time!
Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:
PowerWash Simulator Research Edition Live - Oxford Study Branch
Hey everyone!
We’re excited to offer an opportunity to take part in a unique collaboration between FuturLab and independent researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute (part of Oxford University).
Plus, get clean exclusive cosmetic items for doing it! (cosmetics coming soon)
In short, play for science and more stuff!
This is a one-of-a-kind anonymous research study centered around the well-being of PowerWash Simulator’s players and also aims to deliver insights into the larger discourse of gaming and mental health. For more information on the study and previous studies, see our main page here.
The most significant difference from the main game is that both Multiplayer and Non-English language support have been disabled in the Research Edition.
A new ‘character’ has been introduced in the Research Edition which allows our researchers to contact you, the player, as if they exist in the game’s universe. They will get in touch throughout the study and occasionally ask questions about your experience. These questions are extremely short (they’ll take you less than a couple of seconds to answer) so shouldn’t disrupt your game experience.
The study questions will not be asked in challenge mode, as they would be disruptive to this mode’s gameplay.
Rewards will be available later, but the system to unlock them has been implemented so that progress will be counted towards them. You’ll see this progression reflected in the ‘Rewards’ pop-up in the game.
Please note that campaign progress will not be carried over between the Research Edition and the main game. This means that opted-in players will need to start from the beginning of the game and any progress in the Research Edition will not be shared with the main game. This is to ensure the study can be delivered in the most consistent way possible while also avoiding potential issues with saved progress on the main game.
Please read our FAQ for more info on the study and the Opting In section for how to join. :)
Opting In
It’s easy to start participating in the study. The Research Edition of the game is available to any existing owners on Steam through a publicly accessible beta branch.
All you need to do is follow these simple steps to get started:
1. Navigate to your Steam library
2. Find PowerWash Simulator and right click on it (if you can’t see it, ensure you don’t have any filters set which might be hiding it)
3. Select ‘Properties…’ from the right click context menu
4. Select ‘BETAS’ from the left hand menu
5. Click the dropdown, and select ‘research-edition – Research Edition 2022’
6. Steam should now start downloading the new branch
7. Once the download is complete, simply launch it in your usual way, you should see the Research Edition logo on the intro title screen
FAQ
Q: I have PowerWash Simulator on a platform other than Steam, can I still participate? A: The Research Edition is only available for owners of the game on Steam.
Q: How do I opt in or Out? A: See the Opting In and Opting Out sections!
Q: Can I have the Research Edition installed as well as the main version? A: Unfortunately, no. Due to the nature of Steam’s beta branches, you can currently only have one version installed at a time. Switching to the Research Edition (or back) will trigger a download and re-install of (most of) the game. This should be around 5GB.
Q: Is save data from the main game separate? A: Yes, the career progression is separate but game settings will be shared between both. You will have a fresh save on the study branch but can return to your current main game save at any time by opting-out.
Q: Will I lose any progress on the main game for opting in to the Research Edition?
A: No, all campaign progress on the main version of PowerWash Simulator will be retained as the Research Edition uses a separate 'save file'. All progress from both branches will be kept when swapping between branches on Steam.
Q: Why should I get involved? A: Because it’ll support extremely important research on video games! This is a first-of-its-kind research study which will be important in understanding the effects videogames can have on their players. We also have a few rewards planned for participants, which will arrive at a later date!
Q: How do the participation rewards work? A: During gameplay, the researchers will periodically get in touch with the player via an in-game character. These will usually be followed by a popup with a question about the player’s experience and wellbeing. These questions are always optional, but answering them will yield progress towards unlocking the next reward.
The rewards will be released at a later date. In order to claim and use them once they go live, you will have to launch the Research Edition and use the in-game rewards popup to claim any you have unlocked. Once these have been claimed, you will be able to equip them on both the Research Edition and the main version of the game on Steam only. Equipped cosmetics will be visible to all players during cross-platform multiplayer.
Q: I have an issue with the Research Edition, how can I report it? A: Please use this thread on the Steam discussion boards.
Q: I would like to ask the researchers a question, how can I do this? A: Please get in touch via their dedicated email address.
Q: Will the Research Edition be available in my language? A: At this current time the Research Edition is only available in English.
Q: Can I play the Research Edition offline? A: While the core gameplay will still be functional when offline, the data from the study can only be sent to the researchers while you have an active internet connection so we do encourage trying to retain online connectivity whilst playing on the Research Edition as much as possible.
Q: Will the researchers know who I am if I participate? A: No, the data being collected are being de-identified so that no one at either FuturLab or Oxford Internet Institute will be able to re-identify you as a participant.
Q: What will you do with my data? A: In the Research Edition, there are two types of data being collected.
The first is the ‘base’ telemetry - metrics for player progression, shop purchases, general gameplay activities etc. This will be both kept by FuturLab and provided to the researchers for analysis in the study.
The second type of data is made up of the responses from the Research Edition-specific popups (aka the questions that the researchers will ask you). Any question that you respond to from the researchers will not go to FuturLab, and will be sent securely from the game client to the researchers’ own database. No-one except the researchers will have read access to this sensitive information—and like your telemetry, these data will be de-identified.
Q: What is the difference between the Research Edition and the main version? A: The Research Edition has the same content as the main game except for the following:
- Multiplayer has been disabled - Non-English language support has been disabled - A new launch sequence will allow first-time players to opt-in if they agree to the terms - A new Opt Out button on the main menu provides players with instructions on how to transition back to the main game and remove their progression (and sensitive data) if desired - A new Tell us how you feel button in the menu allows players to optionally give the researchers feedback about their experience once every 30 minutes - A new Rewards option in the menu allows players to track their progress towards unlocking the new cosmetic reward for participation. Though these aren’t yet available for claiming, progression will be tracked and saved - don’t worry, you’ll be able to claim them when they release - Throughout gameplay, a new character will periodically contact the player with communication about the study, often closely followed with a question about their experience
Q: How long will the Research Edition be available?
A: While we don't have a solid end date in mind yet, the branch will be available for at least three months from launch (which was 18th August 2022).
Q: Is there an age limit?
A: Unfortunately due to data protection and handling laws, participants must be aged 18 or older.
Opting Out
Once you have opted into the Research Edition, Steam will have automatically downloaded that version of the game and you will be able to run it from the Steam listing of the game in your library.
To return to the main game, you must follow the same process to get to the beta branch selection dropdown, then select None.
This should trigger/queue a download in Steam for the main version of the game, to replace the Research Edition.
Thank you for your interest! We hope you will consider joining us in the Research Edition of PowerWash Simulator.
Until next time!
Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:
