PowerWash Simulator: Play to Help Mental Health Research

PowerWash Simulator invites players to take part in an exploration between video games and overall wellness. Make the dirt disappear by advancing the search.

PowerWash Simulator players can now participate in a research project to make the connection between video games and mental health. Developer FuturLab has teamed up with independent researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute for what they call “a unique anonymous study of the well-being of PowerWash Simulator players.”

PowerWash Simulator invites players to participate in the study

FuturLab explains that it is working on in-game rewards for members. If you wish to participate, you will need a copy of the game on Steam. You will also need to download a specific version of PowerWash Simulator. From the Betas menu, under Properties, select the research-edition – Research Edition 2022 option.

As Eurogamer points out, this version provides researchers with two types of de-identified data. They receive the player’s progress, item purchases, and other activities as part of the “base telemetry”data set.

The second type of data is obtained through questions that researchers ask players about their experiences. Just a few seconds to answer the questionnaire. Players will also be able to send their feedback to the researchers using the “Tell us how you feel”button in the menu. FuturLab will not have access to these responses.

between video games and general well-being

Your game progress will not carry over between the original version and the research version, but participation in this research will earn you cosmetic rewards in the original game. This is necessary to ensure the consistency of study data and to avoid problems with data backups. In addition, the Research Edition will not have a multiplayer mode and will only be available in English. FuturLab also added that the research version will be available for at least three months.

Make the dirt disappear by advancing the search

PowerWash Simulator is a relaxing game. You have a steam cleaner, cleaners, and lots and lots of dirt to wash off. It’s easy to see why some find this title soothing.

There have been several studies on the effects of video games on mental health and well-being in recent years, but the results have been mixed. One of them concluded that playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, two games with social features, can be good for you (the study was conducted at the beginning of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic). However, a recently published study of the gaming habits of approximately 40,000 people did not show a significant impact of video games on overall well-being.