Have you ever wished there was a giant vacuum that could just suck everything away so you wouldn’t have to deal with the mess?  Imagine skipping the endless chores and jumping straight into relaxing and enjoying your favorite games. While unfortunately that life shortcut doesn’t exist (yet) you can still experience the satisfaction in pixelated form.

 Cleaning Up! by developers Unbound Creations is a quirky but cozy cleaning simulation game where your dreams of owning a giant vacuum come to life. Turn messy and chaotic rooms into organized and calm spaces. 

Getting Started

You have decided it’s finally time to change your life and become a Cleaning Gig Worker! How exciting! Now how does one start on their Cleaning Gig Worker journey? That’s Easy! Download Clyner™, the worlds #1 app for finding cleaning jobs and get to work! 

Upon opening the app you’ll meet our “helpful”  AI bot Spongey who will guide you through finding gigs and how to use your tools. (For those worried, no he really isn’t AI, but he definitely knows how to get some great jokes out of the idea.) You’ll start tasks with only the broom and vacuum. Unlock up to 5 new tools as you complete levels.

Gameplay 

In this single player game, your job is to clean and organize different levels, 20 in total, by using tools provided. And not all jobs were created equal, each new job brings its own challenges. Sometimes it’s learning a new tool or dodging ghosts, others it’s avoiding spraying the cat. You won’t lose the level if you accidentally do these things, but you will be penalized monetarily. You can toggle the penalty setting off to make a simpler gameplay.

Complete the job to earn money for either tool upgrades or to purchase character skins and hats. Levels also grant you a cleaning star rating out of 3. The only drawback is that you can’t achieve a 3 star rating until you’ve unlocked every tool and gone back to complete previous jobs with new tools. (And yes for you achievement hunters, you will get an achievement for getting 3 stars on all 20.

By finishing levels, players can unlock new tools starting with the broom and vacuum. Then eventually gaining access to the mop, power washer and air freshener. While there aren’t specifically hints, each tool has its own progress bar in the level to see how much still needs to be done. 

Customization & Upgrades

While there is only one character option, players can use some of the money they earn to unlock skins and hats to customize their avatar’s look. Each piece starts around $25 of in game currency, and once unlocked can be used anytime. There are 20 skins and hats to be unlocked in total.

Players can also choose to use their money on upgrading their tools. Upgrading can increase radius, capacity, strength and more. The better the quality, the faster and easier jobs will become. But keep in mind the better the upgrade, the more expensive it becomes.

 Easter Eggs and Game Tips

Developers Unbound Creations include several references to beloved video games and tv shows throughout Cleaning Up. You can catch them between both levels and your avatar customizables. Spongey, our absorbent AI is also based after a nostalgic friend, can you guess who?

Cleaning Up recommends using a controller to play, and I would have to agree. As someone who usually prefers to use a mouse and keyboard, I found it a lot more difficult to control my character and press triggers when using such. Ultimately though, players can choose to use what works best for them. 

You can adjust certain settings to increase or decrease the game’s difficulty. Players can turn timers and penalties on or off to tailor the experience to their preferences. Accessibility options are also available for those with motion sensitivity.

Final Thoughts

Cleaning Up is not a game to sweep under the rug. If you’re looking for a satisfying clean up game to spark some joy, this mess-terpiece is one to try.

You can find Cleaning Up! on Steam for PC & Mac and Nintendo Switch starting on April 15th, 2026. Playstation release date TBD. 

Thank you to the developer for the code to review this game. Cleaning Up! Was reviewed on PC.