A Cozy Job Sim or a Repetitive Chore?
We’re not sure anyone – not even those at FuturLab and Square Enix – could have foreseen the huge impact PowerWash Simulator would have on the gaming world. Back upon its arrival back in 2022, it proved that us gamers are a weird lot. I mean, we won’t even powerwash our own drives, or clean our own cars – but we cannot get enough of the grime removing of the virtual version.
Still, here in 2025, PowerWash Simulator is a game we continue spending time with, hyped even more for the launch of PowerWash Simulator 2 in the near future.
But PowerWash Simulator is also a game that has, strangely, opened up a new genre of gaming. A cosy world in which we partake in a variety of normally mundane jobs. It’s a genre that is about as low stress as you can get, uber relaxing, extremely repetitive, but ultimately satisfying.
Much like Spray Paint Simulator. Albeit it, this one is to a slightly lesser extent.
Dousing the Drab
Spray Paint Simulator, if you hadn’t guessed, goes toe-to-toe with PowerWash Simulator, even though they are on the opposite ends of the most extreme of spectrums. See, instead of cleaning up, we’re slapping down paint, gallons of it, as we look to revitalise, revamp and rework a host of items, scenarios and the like. Whilst it isn’t quite as addictive as the original, for an alternative take, it hits the relaxing mark. Mostly.
Put together by North Star Video Games and picked up by those at Whitethorn Games, it’s obvious from the get-go that Spray Paint Simulator has been utterly inspired by Square Enix’s clean ‘em up. In fact, if you were to jump into this one green, directly from the other, we’d not blame you if you thought this was the sequel to that previous addiction. It’s extremely similar, especially in terms of set-up, menus, UI and more. But that’s not bad you know, for it ensures that this spray painting lark is immediately accessible.
Establishing a Business in Spatterville
Obviously the plan with this one is to take some usually drab scenes, and to brighten them up, dousing them with paint in the process. You’ll do so under the premise of establishing your own business in the world of Spatterville, taking on ‘jobs’ for all and sundry, proving yourself to the wider world by completing tasks, earning cash, upgrading equipment and powering on.
With a spray tool to hand, you’ll be left to totally transform cars, kitchens, bridges and the like. If you must, there’s even a giant robot that requires a makeover, all as you navigate your way through a linear career. Of course, each of those scenarios pretty much play out like the one before it, but Spray Paint Simulator does add in a couple of new mechanics as you make your way through life.
Prep Work and Precision
You’ll start with needing to prepare the scene, taping up, removing objects and items that are valuable and need to be kept safe. But from there, with everything strapped up and settled down, picking your paint and going at it is the name of the game.
Of course, you’ll need to purchase that paint, and the tape before it, constantly refilling your equipment as you go. And from there, Spray Paint Simulator just builds, with new equipment to aid in your quest for worldwide painting domination; new nozzles, new ladders, new scaffolding.
The Spraying Loop: Satisfaction and Frustration
The basic premise very much stays the same throughout, and it works well too. It’s easy to scour the scene ahead, pulling on various spray tool accessories, twisting things up to work up and down, left and right, or even more precisely if you need, with controls that just work as intended.
With each segment showing with a completion percentage rating – for instance, you’ll know how much of a certain cupboard or panel is left for painting – it’s simple to keep going back to certain areas to ensure full coverage. Yes, we’re not totally sure that percentage level is entirely accurate at all times, and there are the occasional tricky, occasionally frustrating bits, leaving us to go jumping up and crouching right back down again, gun in hand, plying areas with paint in order to find the last few percent, more than we really care for. But on the whole, this is about as relaxing a game as you can get.
Free Spray and Co-op
The opportunity to jump out of gigs at any point, looking for fresh gear, is a neat one, as is the chance to go messing around painting up your own avatar as you see fit. But don’t think that you will stay away from the jobs for long – the addiction found as you spend five minutes or an hour painting is a real one.
There is a ton of gear, equipment and kit to enjoy using too. This is your business, so you can go about using whatever kit you feel is best for the job. There is no right or wrong way to paint and that ethos opens up in the Free Spray mode, allowing the chance to go and paint the town red, or blue, green, orange. We’ll admit, we have little enthusiasm for the more open Free Spray world, but if you must go and paint a road orange for no reason…
You can even go painting with mates through the unlocking of co-op mode too.
Wrapping Up the Job
And of course, once you’ve fully painted up to your customer’s requirements, you’ll need to leave your job locales clean and dandy; ripping up tape and paper, reinstalling fixtures and fittings is a requirement. Personally, it’s in those bits where our interest levels drop a little, especially as hunting down the most minute of fixtures can be all-too time consuming. Similar too for the constant need to refill paints – but perhaps that’s on us as we keep forgetting where we have left the pot.
Spray Paint Simulator looks neat too. It’s not going to blow your mind with the level of detail, but we’ve enjoyed the scenarios, diving into the finer elements as we have gone. It’s all crisp and clear enough, reasonably simple to shift around as you look for new elements to paint up.
A Satisfying Alternative for Simulator Fans
There’s no doubt that Spray Paint Simulator is a great little addition to the burgeoning ‘cosy jobs’ genre that PowerWash Simulator kicked off in style. It’s not quite as addictive to paint than clean, but this is an extremely familiar setup that will draw in many.
If you’re looking for an alternative to the genre leader, grab your tools and paint up – Spatterville needs your attention.
Important Links
Forget PowerWASHING, It’s Time for PowerPAINTING! Spray Paint Simulator Launches on Game Pass and More – https://www.thexboxhub.com/forget-powerwashing-its-time-for-powerpainting-spray-paint-simulator-launches-on-game-pass-and-more/
Download Spray Paint Simulator (through Game Pass if you like) – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/spray-paint-simulator/9ndkxpqbbnjn