Spray Paint Simulator [Review]
When looking at Spray Paint Simulator, it’s easy to think of Powerwash Simulator. Having spent time with both games, I can see the overlap, yet at the same time feel like I definitely prefer the experience of Spray Paint Simulator. While I found PowerWash Simulator tedious at best, Spray Paint Simulator felt like a very zen and fun experience, and I feel quite comfortable recommending it.
The game presents a rather simple premise. I went around town painting various objects, ranging from vehicles to a kitchen to a bridge. All in all there are about six jobs. While there is an option to repaint already completed tasks, and even pick my own colors or do it with a friend, I found the 10-12 hours of content gave me everything I wanted out of the experience with no desire to revisit.
A job starts off with purchasing supplies for the task at hand. There’s not a great deal of variety with things to purchase, keeping it very straightforward. Each stage contains three parts. The first is the masking stage to prepare for painting, the second being the painting itself, and the third is removal of the masking and admiring the finished job! Supplies do not carry over from mission to mission. Some objects can be bought in bulk, but the game makes the baffling design choice, possibly in the name of realism, of limiting how much I could carry before having to refill on the various objects. Excess of an object could be set on the ground, but it always felt like an annoying interruption to stop what I was doing to refill on supplies.
Each stage contains a checklist of tasks to complete. If an item on the list is missed, the game simply won’t progress to the next stage. Yet the game makes it impossible to stay stuck. Highlighting an item on the menu will highlight it in the area. This is helpful if, like me, you’re not hardware minded, wondering “What the HELL is a front fender?” Completing tasks yields money, complete with end-of-level bonuses based on how long I took. Overall the game felt notably generous with its doling out of cash.
I played this on my Steam Deck and found it a natural fit. The controls have a tiny bit of that first-person perspective awkwardness, but overall I found them responsive and never really struggled with reaching anything to cover in paint. Splattering objects with colors felt serene and was by far the best part of the experience. It felt almost like ASMR to me. The spray could be done continuously, or set on and off with a controller button. The game autosaves progress, so I was free to exit levels and resume them as I pleased. The levels are very well lit, and the game also provides a flashlight for additional light. When getting stuck on missing areas on an object, there is a button that toggles a mode that displays uncovered areas, and the highlighted color can be changed in setting. There is also an option to remap controls if something doesn’t feel right.
I feel like Spray Paint Simulator is Powerwash Simulator’s brighter and friendlier little sister. This feels like a respectable accomplishment for a game smaller in scope made by only two people. Whether you’re looking for something to play before bedtime, or unwind over a weekend, this is the perfect cozy experience.
For full disclosure, I was given a key of this for free by Whitethorn Games in return for an honest review.
