Goblin Cleanup
Last updated: 2025-09-20
- Engaging dungeon cleanup gameplay with unique twist
- Excellent co-op experience, less satisfying solo
- Charming art and extensive character customization
- Numerous game-breaking bugs hinder experience
- Limited content for its current price
- Mixed recommendations due to bugs
Emotions
Players are highly satisfied with the game's core concept, unique fantasy cleaning simulator gameplay, and extensive customization options for goblins. The game's polished feel, smooth performance (especially for an Early Access title by a small team), and engaging level design contribute to a positive experience, often exceeding expectations set by demos. The game's suitability for both co-op and solo play, along with plentiful levels and achievements, further enhances player enjoyment.
Significant frustration stems from numerous game-breaking bugs, particularly in multiplayer, leading to desync issues, inability to save progress, and challenges not completing. Optimization problems, screen tearing, and specific glitches like unrecoverable items or broken match browsers severely hinder gameplay. The lack of a mid-level save feature and tedious late-game levels with tiny objects also contribute to player annoyance.
Joy is primarily derived from playing the game with friends, where humorous interactions, accidental kills, and mimic encounters lead to much laughter and fun. Players also find joy in the game's relaxing and meditative qualities, character customization, and the overall silly and goofy gameplay experience. The game's cute aesthetic and unique twist on the cleaning genre contribute to a generally happy and entertaining experience.
Players express excitement for the game's future potential, anticipating new content, additions, and improvements. The unique concept, in-depth mechanics, and the game's ability to exceed expectations fuel this excitement. Many are eager to see how the game develops, especially given its strong start and fun gameplay, often recommending it highly to others.
Disappointment arises from the game's buggy release state, which often makes it unplayable or prevents 100% completion of challenges. Players are also let down by limited new content, a perceived lack of value for the price, and the game's primary design for multiplayer, which can lead to a poor solo experience. Specific issues like the absence of an arachnophobia mode or a male goblin character also contribute to this sentiment.
Verdict
Mixed
Summary
Positive 74% · Negative 26%. Score: 26 / 100
Positives:
- Players consistently find the game highly enjoyable, fun, and relaxing, praising its well-designed levels, interesting puzzles, and satisfying mechanics. The game offers good entertainment value and keeps players engaged with its progression and varied level design.
- The game shines in co-op, providing a chaotic, funny, and relaxing experience with friends. Players enjoy the shared laughter from traps and the overall social aspect, making it one of the best co-op experiences for many.
- The game offers a fresh and innovative take on the cleaning simulator genre, blending it with fantasy dungeon elements, traps, and monsters. It's often compared favorably to Viscera Cleanup Detail, providing a less punishing and more engaging experience.
- The core concept of cleaning dungeons as a goblin maid is widely loved and well-executed. Players appreciate the game's unique premise, creative ideas, and overall graphical appeal, noting its impressive quality from demo to full release.
- Reviewers are impressed with the game's solid launch, extensive content, and polished feel for an Early Access title. They see great potential for future updates and content, indicating a strong foundation for continued development.
Negatives:
- Players report a high volume of bugs, including frequent crashes, stuttering, and desync issues, particularly in multiplayer. Many of these bugs are described as game-breaking, preventing level completion, objective fulfillment, or even making the game unplayable in its current state.
- Players feel there is insufficient content for the game's price, with only a few new levels compared to the demo. The lack of content, combined with existing bugs, makes the game feel overpriced and unfinished.
- The single-player mode is criticized for being boring, repetitive, and tedious, lacking background music and a mid-level save feature. The game's multiplayer-centric design makes solo play frustrating, especially on larger maps.
- Achieving 100% completion is frustrating due to strict conditions, scattered small items, and bugs that prevent objectives from registering. This leads to repetitive searches and often forces level restarts.
- The game is criticized for lacking a compelling premise, plot, dialogue, or voice acting. This absence of narrative and charm contributes to a general feeling of disappointment.
Gameplay:
- The core gameplay involves players controlling goblin maids to clean and reset a Dark Lord's dungeon, similar to Viscera Cleanup Detail but with a fantasy twist. Tasks include mopping blood, fixing traps, organizing items, and managing mana-based objects, all while avoiding traps and monsters.
- Players earn in-game currency by completing cleaning tasks and objectives, which can then be used to purchase cosmetic items like faces, outfits, and hairstyles for their goblin characters. Only cosmetics are unlockable, not tools that would speed up cleaning.
- Levels vary in completion time, from 30 minutes to over an hour, depending on play style. Players can restart levels to achieve missed rewards or complete side missions, encouraging replayability. Each floor has three levels, with progression tied to collecting stars.
- The game is in early access, developed by a small team, and is expected to have bugs and changes. Currently, it offers a limited number of levels across a few zones, with more content planned for future updates.
- The game requires some challenge and focus, and players suggest adding selectable difficulties and more options to enhance the solo player experience.
Performance:
- Players are unable to join a game session that is already in progress, which can be a significant barrier for multiplayer engagement.
- The teleport animation and its associated visual effects are noted as not being well-optimized, potentially contributing to performance hitches during these moments.
- The current Field of View (FOV) slider does not offer a wide enough range, limiting player customization for visual comfort.
Recommendations:
- Many players express a desire to recommend the game but are hesitant due to current bugs and an early access state. They suggest waiting for fixes and future updates before purchasing.
- The game is highly recommended for its price, particularly when played with friends. Players find it fun and relaxing, especially for co-op experiences.
- A significant portion of players highly recommend the game, giving it excellent ratings and expressing strong enjoyment. They believe it's a solid purchase.
- Players who enjoy cleaning simulators or games with similar mechanics (like PowerWash Simulator) are likely to enjoy this game. It offers a familiar yet unique experience.
- Some players feel that the current release offers insufficient new content compared to the demo, making it less appealing for those who have already played the demo.
Miscellaneous:
- Players are highly anticipating future updates, expressing excitement for more content, customization options, and general game optimization, especially for single-player and online modes. There's a strong belief the game will improve over time.
- Players are eager for more cosmetic options, including additional species, male goblin models, and a wider variety of heads and bodies. They also suggest cosmetics as achievement rewards.
- Players compare the game to other cleaning titles like Viscera Cleanup Detail and Powerwash Simulator, suggesting these as benchmarks for progression, skill trees, and tool upgrades.
- Players have made various minor suggestions, such as adding an option to pet the shadow cat, and observations about the game's current state, like the number of levels and the teleport mechanic.
- Suggestions include expanding the scan range, adding scans for displaced objects, and a manual respawn option for items that glitch through the map, indicating a need for better object management tools.
