Cleaning Video Game Project Turns into Smash Hit for Student

A new video game titled The WereCleaner, developed by students at the University of Southern California's gaming program, offers a unique and darkly humorous take on the world of commercial cleaning. Now available for free on the Epic Games Store for both PC and mobile, the game places players in the role of Kyle, a seemingly ordinary janitor whose night shift takes an unexpected turn.

The game begins by introducing Kyle, a mild-mannered janitor equipped with some simple tools for cleaning. Players navigate an office, cleaning up messes in a colorful, cartoonish environment. The initial gameplay is straightforward, resembling typical cleaning simulation games. However, the premise quickly shifts when Kyle is informed of mandatory, unpaid night shifts, and the core twist is revealed: Kyle is a werewolf.

This unexpected transformation introduces a layer of stealth and moral dilemma to the cleaning tasks. Players must navigate the office as a werewolf, attempting to clean up messes while also managing the unintended consequences of their lupine form. The game's humor and tension arise from the conflict between Kyle's professional cleaning duties and his involuntary, less-than-tidy, werewolf instincts. The objective becomes to complete cleaning tasks with minimal additional "messes."

Mason Sabharwal, creative director for Howlin' Hugs and the initial visionary behind The WereCleaner, conceived the idea years ago. While the final game, which has surpassed 1 million downloads, differs significantly from his initial vision of a more horror-style experience, it maintains its unique premise. The development process, a capstone project at USC, involved a team of students who adapted the game from a first-person perspective to an isometric view based on faculty feedback. This change significantly influenced the gameplay, including the design of a final boss encounter.

Ultimately, The WereCleaner is described as a short, evolving, and lighthearted farce about the challenges of an unusual office job. It provides an unconventional, albeit exaggerated, look at cleaning operations through a comedic lens, offering a novel experience for those interested in the cleaning concept within a gaming context.