Last week, we opened our storybooks to take a look at the narrative of PowerWash Simulator with Writer Mark Ginbey: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1290000/view/3409806154136534468
This week, we’re getting all soppy with some reflections from the team on the creation, launch and community of PowerWash Simulator. We took inspiration from FuturLab’s Co-CEO James Marsden, who, at the PWS launch party, asked each member of staff what they were most proud of.
Team Stories
I think my favourite part of development was the day that Dan internally presented the completed story that he and Mark had been working on. It was such a wonderful surprise! The prospect of players encountering it themselves was hugely energising during development and it’s been fantastic to see it pay off.
Toby Adam-Smith | Head of Production
The Timelapse Camera in Powerwash Simulator. It turned out to be quite an important part of the game. The satisfying visual 'payoff' to all of hard work that goes into cleaning each job. I still really enjoy watching players finish a job and seeing their washing methodologies be replayed at high speed. Everyone washes the same jobs but everyone's timelapse are unique. An expression of creativity that never gets old in my eyes. Very proud to have thought of this idea for the game.
Nick McCarthy | Designer
Very proud of how far we've come in improving accessibility for the game, listening to community feedback and developing new accessibility features + options for the players who need it. There's always more that can be done, so I'm looking forward to supporting it further and making it more playable for everyone!
Louis Sykes | Senior Games Programmer
There are a couple of proud moments for me during/post launch, but most of them boil down to being able to show family and friends that my name is in the credits of a game that they enjoy so much. Plus the reactions to the story have made me laugh, the best was ‘Cleaning the RV again? That's a bit lazy to reuse the OH MY GOD'
Will Dyball | Multiplayer Programmer
I remember the first time I washed something, during the very early days of development, when the powerwasher’s water was just a red beam! It has been an incredible journey of testing and following the game’s development throughout the past years and see it evolve to become the marvel it is today!
Sofia Emmanouiliou | Senior QA Tester
I can't stop looking at things and thinking: 'you could power wash that.'
Elliot Greenwood | Business Development & Licensing Manager
We've received lots of messages from fans saying how much fun the game is and how it's helped them relax in times they've needed to! It just feels great knowing the work we're doing is having that kind of positive impact, and I hope people will continue to feel the same with what we have planned in the future!
Sam Jenkins | Junior Game Designer
It’s been a great journey on PWS, surrounded by a wonderful team. I've really enjoyed stepping out of my boundaries and catching up to our senior developers in terms of workflow and technical knowledge. As satisfying as it is to clean visual dirt, I've found satisfaction in clearing away the brain fog when tackling a new feature or issue.
I've also enjoyed watching the communities reaction to various content! From doing so, I have consolidated my views on fellow PowerWash enjoyers, and that is more of you NEED to use aim mode, it's like having a third arm attached to your face, truly the peak of human evolution. (I joke, but seriously aim mode is cool!) P.S Thank you fellow yellow nozzle users for your service
Matt Kelsey | Graphics Programmer
Working on a game that is considered not only fun and relaxing but also therapeutic is great. Not only does it entertain people but for some it also helps them relax and even open up.
Frederico Dapote | Junior Game Designer
I would say I'm most proud of the end level murals. I've loved watching players discover them for the first time, and also seeing people decode the characters I created!
Paul Simpson | UI Artist
I can't get enough of watching people complete the game and watch the credits. It makes me so happy every time! Everything about that end sequence is so good and perfectly wraps up an incredible journey.
Dave Gabriel | Designer
While I haven't been working on the game very long it's been amazing seeing all the positive feedback and seeing PWS being mentioned everyday, it's very uplifiting! On more personal note I love testing new levels and I'm forever surprised by how fun it is to test this game.
Alicja Nogal | QA Tester
I’ve really enjoyed all the environmental storytelling that we squeezed into the game. From using dirt to tell the history of the buildings and vehicles (and customers!), the reappearances of vehicles in later jobs and the many different ways we snuck in references to the Mayor’s missing cat, it has been really fun bringing the town of Muckingham to life.
Dan Chequer | Lead Designer
It is an incredible pleasure working on PWS, the community is super wholesome! I personally have been shooketh at the amount of feedback we've gotten, each time we asked for polls or feedback there would be thousands of responses. It has given us a real clear picture of what the playerbase is thinking with each patch and has made Early Access feel really worthwhile.
Josh Brown | Senior Community Manager
I remember working on the first demo of PWS. On those dark days someone decided it would be funny to add a gnome to a garden. Seeing gnomes evolve from a small detail to a joke to becoming an integral part of the game is definitely something that I will never forget.
Gonzalo De La Mata | Junior Programmer
I love seeing the community band together to help each other wash levels in co-op, and it makes me smile every time I see someone post that they have got all the achievements!
Steven Dupont | Programmer
Whilst Early Access has presented its challenges for production, it’s been an extremely rewarding experience on balance. The team has had direct feedback from players all the way along, which is so rewarding for the creative spirit, and on release day, from a studio point of view, it’s less nail-biting waiting for the review scores to appear when you’ve known how players are enjoying the game throughout development with a user rating. Thank you so much for taking part and joining us on this journey!
James Marsen | FuturLab Co-CEO
Achievements Update
Small update for achievement text that requires no download is now live on all platforms. The below alterations were made to make the achievement objectives as clear as possible.
Changes:
All Hands on Deck Description:
EN: Complete the Fishing Boat decks and steps first Complete the Fishing Boat bow, steps and main deck first.
(This change has also been made in all other languages)
Pressure’s Off: IT: Pressione al Massimo Senza pressione
Fashionista Description: “Equip a new outfit, gloves and washer modification at the same time”
IT: Usa un nuovo completo, guanti e una modifica dell'idropulitrice in contemporanea Usa un nuovo completo, nuovi guanti e una nuova modifica dell'idropulitrice in contemporanea
SC: 同时装备新服装、手套和清洗器改装 同时装备新服装、新手套和新清洗器改装
That's All, Folks!
Until next time!
Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:
Last week, we celebrated the launch of PowerWash Simulator 1.0, you can read more on that here: https://steamcommunity.com/games/1290000/announcements/detail/3421064519320020730
This week, we're diving into the narrative of PowerWash Simulator and are joined by Mark Ginbey, the writer of the story behind the mysteries in Muckingham.
Story Time
We've been watching everyone's reactions to the end of PowerWash Simulator's main career mode closely! (more content will drop in the future) There's definitely a lot like these:
It's been a pleasure to be subverting people's expectations of story in a sim game, but we are so happy that it is paying off! Internally, once there was a Game Theorists video on PowerWash Simulator's lore, we knew we were onto a winner!
Also, please no spoilers but let us know what you thought of it in the comments below!
If you haven't finished, we highly recommend sticking around until after the credits!
With that, let's hand over to the writer of the background narrative, Mark Ginbey:
Hello clean machines, Mark here, writer for PowerWash Simulator, with a few words about its lore. When FuturLab‘s producer Toby first asked if I’d be interested in writing for a power wash game and finished his pitch with ‘it ends with you washing down grubby, [final job – no spoilers],’ I knew it was going to be my kind of project. If there’s one enemy that’s been consistently overlooked by games, it’s dirt. It unites us all, and it must be stopped.
The design team already had a strong idea of the jobs they wanted; they just required a few narrative elements to help tie them together. Development Director Kirsty Rigden was keen for the game to include more unusual and fantastical places to clean, and that was the launchpad for the entire tone of PWS. FuturLab didn’t want a bunch of unrelated jobs, but something with more soul, placing the player at the heart of a community. It helped the jobs to feel like they had real value within the world, which it seems is something people weren’t expecting, but which helped make it feel special.
The game is built on its mechanics, and the team have done a phenomenal job with it. We all know that cleaning an object that’s absolutely caked in cack is instinctively satisfying. But breaking down something that initially appears overwhelming into smaller, manageable units, giving a framework to personal progress, is a quite profoundly beautiful paradigm that can be applied to any area of your life, especially in these uncertain times.
From a writing point of view, because the game mechanics were front and centre, people were free to embrace or ignore any narrative elements, allowing us take it anywhere, really. We tried to ground it with personal stories, and then have fun with characters with unusual motivations. I’ve always loved stories that start small and gradually get bigger, and hopefully there’s some sense of this here. All story in games is collaborative. It’s always great to see designers and artists transform your budding ideas into great story elements. For example, a mayor’s cat goes missing – that might have something. But when every job you do has pawprints running through it, and there are missing cat posters everywhere, suddenly the idea springs to life, and a mystery emerges that can run through the entire story.
It's been an absolute joy working on a project that’s had such a positive impact on its community, and it’s been great to see some of the lore theories that have been bouncing around. Hopefully, there’s lots more to come. In the meantime, keep it clean, y’all.
We Partied
CAKE!
All of FuturLab gathered in sunny Brighton to have cake, celebrate PowerWash Simulator's launch and have lots of drinks! Thanks for giving us something to celebrate!
Community feature
We don't have a 'Meme Monday' to share this week, so, instead here's a community creation we love! WARNING, it contains spoilers but ties into the dev log really well!
Art by Steam user: Kafkaesque
That's All, Folks!
Sorry this week's installment is late, I, Josh, the community gnome was off sick, but hope everyone enjoyed a Monday rendition of our weekly log! There should be another this Friday.
We continue to be mind blown at the response we're getting to launch, thanks again to everyone for the amazing feedback and reviews.
Until next time!
Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:
Last week, we launched PowerWash Simulator. No biggie, right? Just kidding, it was massive for us. If you do want to get the clean down on all of the details on 1.0, you can read them here: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1290000/view/6173889246015647272
This week, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone in the community for making our launch incredible!
The dev team here at FuturLab couldn't be happier with the response at launch and are still honestly stunned by how far we have gotten! From taking over Steam itself on launch day (yes, this happened) to so many of you playing at once over 9000 (actually over 10,000) here on Steam!
Thanks to everyone for your support along the way! We hope we have met your expectations in our Early Access because you all have blown us away with the amount of constructive feedback, suggestions, and comments you've given us. We want to think the game is better for it; what do you all think? Does anyone remember the first patch?
This past week we've been eagerly watching and digesting comments on the career mode story's conclusion! Which is another thing we're happy (and relieved about) in response to the last level, credits, and after-credits scene! (NO SPOILERS, FOLKS!) To quote one of our Directors, James:
[We are] delighted for all the right reasons that we can make our players cry.
If you look in the Steam art section, there's a fantastic art piece by Kafkaesque if you have already gotten to the end! <3
Other things that happened
We just ran a quick stream this week decompressing on launch, taking questions, and talking about the future here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1539370352
On the topic of answering questions, we also ran an AMA on Reddit where several devs took time out of their busy schedules to answer questions directly if you missed it: https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/vy3v3k/were_futurlab_developers_of_powerwash_simulator/
The Future
This isn't the end of PowerWash Simulator, and we're already working on more content but aren't ready to share more yet! While the main career is over, this isn't the last story to be told in PWS!
If you took a look into Uncanny Franny's crystal ball, what level would you like to see in the future?
Steam Trading Cards are also coming. We wanted to have them in at launch but will let everyone know when they are live.
We are also collaborating with Oxford University on a study of video games and players' mental health. We have had a developer dedicated to this and are excited to reveal more very soon! Keep your eyes out on Steam.
That's All, Folks!
We hope the launch has been as good for you as it has been for us and that you'll stick around for the next chapter for PWS!
Until next time!
Thank you to everyone for reading; see you next week. :)
Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:
After just over a year in early access, we are so happy to finally bring you the full release of PowerWash Simulator!
The community has been a massive part of this game from the get-go. Whether you're a casual cleaner, a dedicated detailer, or a dirt-artist – the PowerWash Simulator team would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for engaging with us and embracing our game! <3
As well as all the super-satisfying content already packed into the game, the full release includes: 💼 4 new Career Mode jobs 🚿 1 new nozzle 🛩️ Stunt Plane and Fire Truck Challenges ✨ 3 Pro Washer Skins 🏆 Achievements
Alongside this, various improvements have been made for the ultimate soothing powerwashing experience:
Fixed numerous potential crashes related to multiplayer with 3+ players transitioning between jobs
Fixed desynchronization issues in multiplayer
Wash data transfer between players reduced
Free Play and Special modes will now only allow a single level in progress and single timelapse to be stored at any single point (This should help with Steam Cloud Syncing issues. Our save files were just too big!)
Load time when launching the app considerable improved
Performance improvements
Controller vibration option added
Japanese font & text updates
Many multiplayer stability improvements
Subtask price and threshold changes on various levels
Balls added to the Minigolf job (par-tee time!)
Urban X colour changes
Many minor UI bug fixes
Reset subtasks: We also really wanted to preserve players save data this time and didn't want to do any auto-complete. However, any levels-in-progress which you are carrying into 1.0 from an Early Access release will have the dirt on partially-completed subtasks reset. This will ensure there are no save clashes and you don't get stuck on an uncleanable object. Sorry for the slight inconvenience!
We have a list of known issues and workarounds for 1.0 here.
We know that powerwashing tycoons like you are always looking to the next big job... Never fear, this is not the end of your powerwashing career! We're not ready to share it all yet but are already working on new content for the game - check out our socials to stay in the loop.
But for now, your powerwashing destiny awaits... ready, set... WASH!💦
If you want to join the discussion, vote on jobs, share your ideas and talk to the devs, join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/powerwashsimulator
Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:
Last week, we whipped out our magnifying glasses to try and figure out which new jobs are coming with launch! https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1290000?emclan=103582791467159006&emgid=3330989990406979955
As for this week...
Jess here, fellow Marketing Gnome at FuturLab!
I have popped on here to give you a behind-the-scenes low-down of our recent IRL washing event that took place on Tuesday – where RTGame, Kiwo & Lolipopgi made some big PWS announcements, gave away some cool prizes and got to grips with power washing. Okay, well maybe that last one is up for interpretation, but two out of three ain't bad!
I boarded a train and headed down to set first thing on Tuesday morning (that gap between the platform edge and the train is so much bigger when you’re a gnome!) Four separate areas had been meticulously curated and arranged by the art team – before being absolutely caked in filth… must be how our devs feel.
RTGame, Kiwo and LolipopGi all arrived looking absolutely dashing – then we popped them into the ultra-glamourous PWS boilersuits 🤭 Powerwashing is mucky business.
I think it is fairly accurate to say that power washing chaos ensued. Throughout the course of the stream, we learned that PowerWash Simulator:
Is launching July 14th on Xbox platforms; alongside the full release on Steam (that means cross-play, folks!)
Is way more satisfying than real-life Power Washing 😜
**No mannequins were harmed during the production of this stream** Oh wait, what am I talking about? They absolutely were. Poor Jerry.
That's All, Folks!
Oh no, I think we broke Kiwo >.<
6 DAYS TO GO!💦
P.S. Just wanted to let you all know that I’ve peeped the achievement list and it’s amazing. I couldn’t possibly reveal any, but let’s just say that some feature my gnomely compatriots.
Must dash, there are wheelbarrows to push…
Until next time!
Thank you to everyone for reading. We hope everyone is enjoying the new content and these insights! :)
Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:
Content creators RTGames, Lolipopgi, and Kiwo are on set in PowerWash Simulator gear washing objects IRL and revealing prizes to celebrate the upcoming launch on July 14th, 2022! Win codes, game consoles, and more by watching and entering the giveaways as they go live.
Watch at their channels: https://www.twitch.tv/rtgame https://www.twitch.tv/lolipopgi https://www.twitch.tv/kiwo
Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:
Last week Sofia our Lead QA talked about their processes testing PowerWash Simulator; more on that here: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1290000/view/5967847045493831547
Today, we put on our sleuthing hats. (Everyone has those, right?) And call out to our inner Sherlock Gnomes! What is this new job coming at launch?
Mystery Map
Guess that job! Seriously what is it? This level will come alongside several other jobs, including the biggest yet. From these pictures, can you deduce what it is going to be? Put your best and worst guesses in the replies below!
Before guessing, why not take a break at a cafe?
Maybe this will give your speculations a lift?
Oh, we've hit a wall now!
Oh, barnacles, have we lost you?
Maybe we can hatch a few more ideas with you?
Well, what even is that?
There you have it, folks. It is now time to guess away. Have we made it too easy, hard, or just right this time? Let the spicy speculations flow! :)
Hotfix/Achievement Test Update
We wanted to get out a hotfix with achievements earlier this week. Unfortunately, our two producers have been off ill with that virus everyone has been getting the past two years. They are the ones who organise the development, and we are still trying to get something together to go out ASAP, but we'll keep everyone updated if this will/won't happen and when.
Giveaway Event
It's 2 weeks until the full launch of PowerWash Simulator. In the lead-up to start building hype, next week at 1 PM BST on Twitch, we'll be revealing prizes on a live stream with real-life power washers! We'll update everyone on where to watch this closer to the event!
Weekly Meme
Each week we release a PowerWash version of a popular meme format. This week we didn't have one of our own, but here's something from Discord user Dozer:
That's All, Folks!
Thank you to everyone for reading. We hope everyone is enjoying the new content and these insights! :)
Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:
Last week we talked about achievements, more on: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1290000/view/3224025758063263090
Today, Sofia, our Senior Quality Assurance Tester or QA, answers a Q&A! Quite the mouthful!
Q&A with QA
Sofia has been testing PowerWash Simulator since the beginning and is truly a washing veteran. As she has such a uniquely intimate knowledge of the game, we thought it would be fun to share her behind-the-scenes insights with our community!
Q: How do you test in PowerWash Simulator?
A: We conduct a daily viability test that involve completing the van job and making sure that every aspect of the game is in a working condition. This includes the completability of the job as well the overall state of the level, the UI and the HUD. We then proceed with testing various jobs, focusing on newly introduced mechanics and changes. Additionally, we have some very thorough tests that we repeat weekly or when necessary, in order to confirm the quality of the game. Lastly, we also have multiplayer and co-op sessions on all the different modes of the game.
Q: What does your daily routine look like?
A: My daily routine is a mixture of conducting daily tests where I focus on specific aspects of the game, such as the completability and thresholds of a job, the overall look of the game, the economy or the options and controls. My goal is to find any issues and edge cases in the game, as well as offering feedback and suggestions for balancing and enhancing the player’s experience.
Q: Tell us about how the experience of playing a game differs as a QA vs a regular player?
A: A big part of being an in-house tester is that you have an understanding of how things work in the background, the intention behind the design and what is expected in every situation. A lot of the time when I start a test my focus will be on a specific mechanic or condition of the game and ensuring that no matter the approach, we always get the desirable result. For example, we have a thorough break down of the power of each nozzle, extension and powerwasher and whenever a new dirt type is introduced, we need to ensure that each of the nozzles, extensions and powerwashers are able to clean it at the relevant speed.
Q: Which is your favourite level?
A: I really enjoy washing the Shoe House. I completely adore the way the dirt has been placed over the building and I even dare say that it looks like a piece of art. In addition, I feel that it has a nice variety of dirt types, surfaces and colours creating a very satisfying experience while it is washed.
Q: What’s something in PowerWash Simulator that you’ll never get tired of seeing/doing?
A: That would be washing the Van. As part of my tests, I complete the Van several times a day and I have seen it in so many different states that I could probably wash it with my eyes closed. Knowing this level so well allows me to spot any bugs or inconsistencies a lot easier so it will always be special to me. I guess it also helps that it carries a number plate with my name on it!
Sofia recently beat the current world record wash speed for base equipment on the Van in 0.9, check it out here! Also, let us know if you beat her!
Q: What do you think about this meme? (One of the highest rated in Steam!)
A: I found it hilarious that people thought that I only tested this job 20 times, it was a lot more than that! I'm hoping someone will make another meme for the subway platform job as it is a lot bigger! Also, I am not a guy!
Q: How long have you spent playing PowerWash Simulator overall?
A: I have been playing PowerWash Simulator almost every day since January 2021 so I would say somewhere between 2,500-3,000 hours.
Weekly Meme
Each week we release a PowerWash version of a popular meme format. This week it is 'Washer Remebers'; How would you caption it? If you have any recommendations, please also let us know below!
Last week we delved into the art of cutting objects up into parts for the perfect dings; more on that here
This week's dev log it's all about achievements!
Before we start, we also announced last week that 1.0 or full launch is coming on July 14th! You can see your automatically tuned release time for your region on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/powerwashsimulator
Achievements
Achievements are one of the most requested community features and something we've been holding on to until further into Early Access as many are tied to the career mode.
Now we are on the home stretch to 1.0 we thought it was time to talk about them.
We may also run a limited test of achievements before launch, no promises but keep your eyes peeled!
Designer Nick and Lead Design Dan had this to say on the crafting of achievements:
With the achievements in PowerWash Simulator we wanted to recognise the effort that goes into progressing through the Career Mode. Leaving absolutely no dirt behind and getting five stars on every job that comes your way is no small feat, so we have achievements that act as milestones to celebrate your efforts throughout the quest to clean up Muckingham.
Expanding your arsenal of cleaning equipment is essential to any great Powerwashing business, so there are also achievements that recognise those players who invest in the range of nozzles, extensions and soaps available.
Beyond these, we've created many achievements that give extra reason to go back and reexplore previous jobs. Some have punny names that have to be practically actioned on, while others are playful (and sometimes unexpected) takes on the environments and their elements.
We hope you all enjoy hunting down these achievements just as you've hunted down every hint of dirt!
Steven, one of our coders, also has some insights into the technical work that went on behind the scenes:
As the Achievements touch most levels I had to implement them in a way that used as much existing data from the scenes as possible so i didn't prevent others from making changes to the scene; We added a trophy for gold medals and as this is something we didn't track before I had to account for any gold medals you might already have from early access, so when you first boot up 1.0 the code goes through the previous save data to see how many gold medals you might already have.
We also have a few Achievements around moving the football, and accounting for all the ways players could move the ball into different places was a bit of a challenge.
Again, we may be running a test soon on these but keep an eye on Steam/our socials for more info. As Steven said before, some may be retroactive, while others may need a unique input that will come in 1.0.
Thanks for reading. We'll see you next week for the next log!
Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:
PowerWash Simulator launches out of Early Access on July 14th at 5PM UTC / 1PM EDT / 11AM PDT with Update 1.0! You can also see the time automatically set to your time zone in our Discord server: https://discord.com/invite/powerwashsimulator
Our main career mode story will be wrapped up in a clean package with plenty more dirt to spray away in this patch. Keep an eye here and on our socials for more details on what’s coming in 1.0 and past 1.0!
Thank you to everyone who has given us invaluable feedback through our Early Access journey. We can't wait for you to play the new content. Plus, welcome more people to our wonderful community!
Here are some answers to questions you may have with 1.0:
FAQ for 1.0
Will Early Access turn into the full game?
Yes. If you own the game on Steam already, with update 1.0 your game will be updated to the full launch version automatically.
Will the price change at full launch?
The price will increase with 1.0. If you still don't have the game you can still get a a great deal with the Early Access price before the game launches on July 14th!
What will be in full launch?
All of the updates, content and tweaks we've made across Early Access. There will also be new levels, including the biggest yet, cosmetics and more!
Will there be more content after 1.0?
Yes! Our main focus is on getting the game out for 1.0 but we'll share future content plans here in the future, keep tuned!
Will there be achievements?
Yes, complete list of achievements will arrive with 1.0.
Will the career mode story come to an end?
The main career story will come to an end with 1.0. Though, this isn't the end of stories being told in PowerWash Simulator!
Keep up with everything PowerWash Simulator by following our channels:
