PowerWash Simulator was released a year ago but is growing in popularity. In it, you powerwash things. "Players are looking to be soothed rather than exhilarated," writes The Economist's critic [archive.org]. "… It is even therapeutic"
Mundane chores or professions are now the basis for a number of successful games, including "Best Forklift Operator", "Espresso Tycoon" and "Gas Station Simulator". "Job Simulator" (pictured below), a virtual-reality experience, was released in 2019 and has sold more than 1m copies to date. Players are placed in working environments and then given simple tasks to do, such as making a slice of toast or stamping pieces of paper.
Soothing indeed. Sometimes in my line of work you're struck by total awareness of a coming grift. One of my moments was when the venn diagram of games, labor and crypto intersected a few years back and the prospect of becoming a Jane McGonigall-esque corporate guru, scamming blackpilled VCs with "Workification", seemed like an apropos exit from the celestial gift shop of journalism.
