Cleaning Up! Preview: A Clean Sweep?

Vacuuming soon onto multiple platforms comes Cleaning Up! A 3rd Person Indie-Clean-em-up where you must clean various homes and places of work in New South Wales. In this game, developed and published by Unbound Creations. use a variety of different cleaning implements across a range of different levels, from cafes and apartments to crypts and art galleries. All the while, you’ll unlock upgrades and new cosmetics to add an extra layer of flair to your clean adventures.

From what I have played of the preview build for Cleaning Up! I have to say that I have been impressed thus far. There are a number of different cleaning games on the market right now. Goodness, even Kill It With Fire 2 tips its toes into that market with its power washer weapon. So to have a smaller, less involved, and more laid back one than some others I’ve played privately is a nice change of pace. But for more details, let’s get onto the preview.

Cleaning Up! is set to release on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation on 15th April 2026.

Story – Gig Jig

Often, when I write articles like this, I have to mention how there isn’t a story of any real note in the build I played. Or I’ll have to give as deep a description as I can, minus spoilers. All knowing full well that the story might change radically from preview to release. But not today! Nope, Cleaning Up !‘s preview build has enough of a story to give a little context and gives a taste of the tone and feel of the final game.

Cleaning Up! Features quirky but fun dialogue.

I will be blunt, the story is very much in the “Here is the context” flavour at the moment. And that is fine by me. The story, such as it is, sees you deciding to get a job as a cleaning gig-worker. Travelling from place to place doing cleaning. All the while getting a few cute gags and bits of dialogue from the clients, in-game adverts, and from your AI companion, who gives you tutorials.

Whilst not a revolution, it is fun enough for a title like this. And helps give it a nice layer of charm. And is a great sign of a rather fun direction the final game will be going in. With said humour never feeling overdone or too distracting.

Gameplay – Clean Dream

Cleaning Up! is not the first game that I’ve ever played, previewed, etc., which has gameified a mundane aspect of life. Here, as mentioned previously, you must take a series of jobs from a variety of clients across the city.

These can range from gamer girls wanting you to clean their home, art galleries wanting a tidy up, and ghosts wanting their digs done up. You’ll travel from job to job, sweeping, vacuuming, and powerwashing various items to clean up in a decent time frame and get a good score.

Cleaning Up!’s levels can range from mundane to more fantastical.

For each job in Cleaning Up!, you’ll get a star rating and money for your troubles. The quicker you do, the more you’ll get. The size and difficulty of the job can vary. With some, it is a simple case of just sucking up and dropping off rubbish. And in other cases, you will have to be careful not to damage valuable items that are located here and there.

The gameplay loop is simple. And the controls are easy to manage. If you ever played the Luigi’s Mansion games, then you’ll have an idea how this goes.

Dust Up!

The levels featured are well-made. And they are easy to navigate around. And thankfully, there was never an instance where something got trapped behind a part of the level. The overall difficulty curve seen in the demo gives a nice hint of how things will evolve in the final title. All the while, the challenge grows and develops in a way that keeps it compelling but fair.

With every level or so having a new twist or challenge to deal with. Sure, they aren’t terribly difficult, though this is a slice from the early game, it seems, but it keeps things fresh.

Some levels have bonus objectives that need doing.

When you complete a job, you will get paid, minus any damage you’ve done. And with this money, you can upgrade your gear. Usually, this translates to your stuff being faster, more powerful, or getting more range.

Unlike the preview build of Leaf Blowing Simulator, the early gear still has a decent level of power to it. And the jobs you do are short, quick, and rather charming. Which makes for a nice, quick pick-me-up or a larger afternoon challenge. Even though this is a series of rather mundane challenges, it has a lovely personality and a chill feel to it thus far.

Graphics & Audio – Room With A Broom

To continue a point just raised in this preview, Cleaning Up! is a very charming game. The graphics are bright and colourful. The characters are designed with a decent level of personality. And the levels are well built. They offer a nice mix of being large enough and accessible enough to play through.

Whilst at the same time, they look realistic and not too fantastical. Oh sure, some can be a tad cartoony, but not in a bad way, it must be said. And whilst the trailer shows that future levels will get wilder still. They still look great and play into the wackier tone the game has.

The soundtrack has a soft, jazzy feel that enhances the game’s chill tone, making it all the more pleasant to play. Whilst I might well be wrong in the end, Cleaning Up! is not some kind of intense challenge of skill and reflexes. It is the kind of game you play when you want something to unwind to that isn’t too intensive. And in that regard, it does the job rather well so far. Now, watch me be wrong and come the release, it will evolve into some stressful and hardcore experience!

Cleaning Up! was previewed on PC.