What Makes Crime Scene Cleaner Different?
Crime Scene Cleaner is a simulation game that released on August 14, 2024. It isn’t just another cleaning sim. At first, I thought I’d play it for a few hours, get the hang of it, and move on. The idea of scrubbing bloodstains off walls and floors seemed simple enough. And at first, it was: clean up, mop, maybe power wash a little. Strangely satisfying.
Then the game asked me to put furniture back where it belonged. That part broke my flow, annoyed me, and eventually made me shelve the game after finishing the main run. I didn’t solve every puzzle perfectly. I didn’t care. I was done. Or so I thought.
Fast forward to mid-2025, and I saw an update had dropped. I hadn’t gone for 100% achievements in decades, but in this game? I somehow did. So, what happened?
The Game Beneath the Blood
On the surface, Crime Scene Cleaner is about mopping up gore, scrubbing stains, and hauling away broken evidence. It hides more depth than I gave it credit for. You play as Kovalsky, a janitor trying to cover his daughter’s medical bills who slowly gets pulled into organized crime.
The mix of mechanics mirrors that story:
- Cleaning messes with mops, sponges, detergents, and even power washers.
- Moving furniture, fixing broken rooms, and disposing of evidence.
- Collecting valuables, sometimes to steal for upgrades, sometimes to return.
- Using Cleaner Sense to highlight what’s left to scrub or replace.
Each chapter reveals a new crime scene, dripping with detail. Ten chapters in total, with cutscenes at home that keep Kovalsky’s family struggles at the center. The narrative tension runs deeper than PowerWash Simulator ever tried to reach. It’s a game where cleaning feels both relaxing and sinister.
The Nightmare Update Changed Everything
When President Studio released the Nightmare Update on July 24, 2025, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to dive back in. I remembered the cleaning. How strangely satisfying it felt. That was enough to pull me back.
Then came the surprise: the Nightmare levels revisit the same zones from the base game, but with completely different cleaning goals. Suddenly I was noticing story details I’d missed, piecing together puzzles I had once skimmed over. What I had brushed off as just a cleaning sim opened up into something richer.
The update also added True Cleaner Mode for advanced players, more achievements, and, much to my shock, skins. I’ve never been into cosmetics in games. A Ghostbusters-themed power washer? A gold mop? I went from “Ms. I Don’t Care About Skins” to collecting them all without realizing it.
Achievements That Respect Your Time
One reason I kept going was the way Crime Scene Cleaner handles achievements. Unlike other games that demand ridiculous or grindy tasks, this game makes them feel natural. Most achievements are things you’d already do while playing.
If you’re missing one, you can jump back into a map, knock it out, and leave. Quick, no nonsense. Even the oddball ones, like messing up a perfectly stacked pile of toilet paper, are easy and kind of funny. The result is that I found myself chasing 100% completion without dreading it.
What’s Next for Crime Scene Cleaner?
President Studio hasn’t stopped with the Nightmare Update. On October 1, 2025, they launched the Community Update beta, adding new narrative maps, new skins, new secrets, and even Kovalsky’s upgraded workshop.
The Lab map (inspired by a community contest) and the Gamedev Office map bring fresh chaos. Hidden collectibles and True Cleaner rewards add more to hunt down. It’s all timed perfectly with Halloween, leaning into the game’s dark humor and creepy undertones.
So far, there’s no mention of paid DLC. Instead, the studio seems focused on expanding the core game the way No Man’s Sky has kept growing over time. That approach makes Crime Scene Cleaner feel alive, and gives me hope it’ll keep drawing in new players without leaving veterans behind.
So Why Did This Game Hook Me?
The central question is simple: why did a game that annoyed me at first become one I couldn’t put down?
The answer is that Crime Scene Cleaner respects both its mechanics and its players. Cleaning is satisfying. The updates add depth without undoing what worked. Achievements are fun instead of punishing. Every addition makes the world a little bigger, stranger, and bloodier.
I haven’t even finished the True Cleaner goals yet, but I already know I’ll be downloading the beta. If you like cleaning games with more grit than gloss, I highly recommend Crime Scene Cleaner. #notsponsored
Crime Scene Cleaner isn’t just another simulator. It’s a game that transforms cleaning into storytelling, balancing relaxation with tension. The Nightmare Update proved it had more depth than I realized, and the Community Update shows the developers are in it for the long haul. For players tired of shallow sims or empty achievements, this game is proof that sometimes the messiest jobs are the most rewarding.
