Chapter 1: Cleaning games

There are truly all sorts of games in this world.

While playing a cleaning game, I got possessed.

There’s an AOS game that has held the top spot in PC café usage rates for ages, an FPS game that’s been loved just as long, simulation games where you manage a village or even an entire nation, and dating sims where you can romance virtual characters…

But beyond these popular genres, there are also games that make you think, 

“Wait, this is a game?” 

Like a mountain-climbing game blatantly designed to frustrate players, a game where you plaster a map with a president’s photo and call it a “stripping” map, or one where you just stare at a rubber duck floating on water for five hours…

And the game I’m playing right now is one of those “unique” games.

Shwoooosh…

“…”

The character on the monitor is holding a hose, spraying water at a disgustingly filthy place. 

As I move the mouse to adjust the direction of the spray, the grime in its path washes away cleanly.

Click.

“…”

Foreign Substance Identified: Blood

The hose, which had been clearing away filth so satisfyingly, comes to a halt when it hits a dark red stain. 

A message pops up in the top left corner of the screen, identifying the type of substance blocking my way.

“Tch.”

Tap. 

Tap.

I press the Tab key to open the character’s inventory. 

My mouse hovers over an item labeled “Cleaning Solution.”

[Cleaning Solution (Blood)]: A cleaning solution with excellent results for removing blood!

Finding the right solution, I click to use it. 

The dark red stain, which had stubbornly resisted the water stream, washes away cleanly.

“Nice…”

It’s just a scene of filth being cleaned, but it brings an indescribable sense of satisfaction. 

It’s not like I’m cleaning real trash—just something happening on a monitor.

“What a weird game.”

Super Wash Simulator.

Commonly called the “cleaning game,” this game is exactly what it sounds like: you control a cleaner character and tidy up all sorts of places. 

That’s it.

There are no pretty characters, no stunning graphics, no thrilling action, and no intricate puzzles. 

The goal is simply to clean various locations using a range of cleaning tools.

Why is it fun? 

Honestly, I don’t have a clear answer. 

Maybe it’s the strange satisfaction of watching filth disappear from the screen?

Splat!

As I’m lost in thought, lava suddenly blocks my character’s path. 

Why lava? 

Because the character is currently cleaning the crater of an active volcano.

“This feels a bit absurd…”

Maybe because the game has been out for a while? 

After numerous updates, it’s no longer limited to simple locations. 

Now you can clean ancient ruins, antarctic bases, lunar outposts, or even deep-sea caves.

Why anyone would clean such places is beyond me, but since the game doesn’t really have a story, players just roll with it.

Splat!

I press the forward key, moving my character toward the lava. 

Naturally, you’d expect a mere cleaner to die instantly in lava, but…

[Cleaner’s Shoes (Lv. Max)]: Shoes designed to traverse all kinds of contaminated areas.

My character’s fully upgraded gear—shoes, hat, mask, and other cleaning tools—allows them to stroll through lava or even outer space. 

With all my equipment maxed out, my character casually walks across the lava and cleans the last remaining contaminated area. 

A results screen pops up, and in-game currency, labeled “Cleaning Reward,” is added to my inventory. 

Not that I need it, since everything’s already maxed.

“Time to sleep?”

After a quick gaming session before bed, the satisfying feeling of cleaning makes me think I’ll sleep like a baby tonight.

As I set down the mouse, stretch, and move to press the Esc key to exit, the in-game mailbox suddenly starts flashing.

“Hm? What’s this?”

The mailbox only lights up when patch notes arrive… 

Could it be?

[New Update!]  

– New map “Demon Lord’s Ruins” added! Clean a fantasy-themed “dungeon”!  

– Shop update! Various new items added to the store!  

– Story added! A storyline has been introduced to the game! Uncover the secrets of the Super Wash Simulator universe!

“Whoa… what’s all this?”

How long has it been since a major update like this?

A new map… new gear… and even a story? 

Well, the story probably doesn’t matter much. 

It’s a cleaning game, after all.

Until now, updates were mostly minor, like collaboration events with other games or comics that added temporary event maps. 

But this update notification in my mailbox is packed with shocking content.

Sure, the game has a relaxing vibe, but I was starting to get bored after playing it for so long. 

This, though? 

I can’t resist!

[Updating… 05%]

I immediately head to the game’s website to download the update. 

While it’s downloading, I log into the “Cleaning Game Gallery,” a small but still-active community site.

– Major update dropped lol  

– If the story sucks, give me a thumbs-up.  

– Made a women’s bathhouse cleaning map. Rate it.

As expected, the community, quiet for months, is buzzing with activity. 

I click on the “women’s bathhouse cleaning map” post and quietly give it a thumbs-up before diving into a popular thread.

[Title: Major update dropped lol]  

These devs. They kept doing collabs, so I thought updates were dead, but they came back swinging lol. Promoting it to streamers now.  

Is the cleaning game about to make a comeback?  

<Comments>  

– Update? What’s in it?  

  ↳ Goddamn, you lazy ass. Search for it yourself. Or go here: [link]  

  ↳ What’s with the tsundere vibe lol  

– Can this game even make a comeback? It’s just cleaning.  

  ↳ You’re playing it too.  

  ↳ I’m not.  

  ↳ Then why are you in this gallery, dumbass.  

– What’s the shop update? They only sell cleaning tools and gear anyway, right?  

  ↳ They’ve got cleaning vehicle customization too. Probably more options now.  

  ↳ I wish they’d add character customization. Tired of always wearing a mask.  

– Instead of this crap, fix the multiplayer bugs already.  

  ↳ There’s bugs?  

  ↳ Matchmaking doesn’t work.  

  ↳ Who the hell plays multiplayer in this game? I don’t even clean my own room, why would I clean someone else’s mess?

“Hm.”

There’s a lot of speculation about the update.

The few players still sticking with the game are hoping this update might bring it back to its “glory days.” 

Any leaks about the update details?

Scrolling through, I finally find what I’m looking for.

[Title: Map leak surfaced.]  

(Image)  

Not everything’s out, just a snippet, but it’s freaking huge. 

Probably the biggest map ever?  

It’s themed as a “dungeon,” and it’s got traps, armor, swords, and other fantasy stuff.  

But the map environment is brutal. 

If your gear isn’t fully upgraded, you’ll probably die the moment you step in.  

<Comments>  

– Full gear upgrades required? Who does that?  

  ↳ Seriously. Even clearing every map in the game only gets you maybe two fully upgraded items, right?  

– You get rewards for replaying cleared maps. Guess we’ll have to grind.  

  ↳ Grind this already boring game? That’s hell. Who’s doing that?  

  ↳ Shop’s getting updated too. Maybe prices will drop?  

“I did it, though.”

Is it that hard? 

Just grind the final map like 100 times, and you can fully upgrade your gear. 

Collab maps give decent rewards too.

[Updating… 66%]

“…Ugh, why’s it taking so long?”

I browse the community, chuckling, and check the update progress, but it’s crawling.

“The file size wasn’t even that big. Why’s it like this?”

I was hoping to check out the new map by now… 

Guess not.

“I’ll just leave it running and play tomorrow.”

Tomorrow’s a holiday, so I’ve got plenty of time to game. 

Time to sleep. I’ll let the update finish overnight.

“Yawn…”

Maybe it’s because I was about to sleep when the update news hit, and I got distracted. 

A wave of drowsiness hits me hard.

Leaving the computer on, I climb into bed, looking forward to tomorrow.

Gotta show off my fully upgraded gear… 

Oh, and take screenshots when the map drops… Zzz…

Unable to fight the sleepiness, I close my eyes.

***

[Updating… 96%]  

[Updating… 98%]  

[Updating… ■■%]  

ERROR!

***

And then, at some point, my eyes open.

“…? Where am I?”

A blue cleaner’s outfit. 

A high-pressure washer for blasting away filth. 

And various other cleaning tools.

Fully equipped, I wake up, bewildered.

[Main Quest]  

Clean the “Demon Lord’s Ruins”!  

Current Contamination Level: 100%  

Reward: A Wish  

“What the hell is this?”

A dream?

Next Chapter

***

Translator’s Notes:

New Novel!!!