Review: Serial Cleaners is a Bloody Good Time

As a gamer who believes that all players should have a pretty well-balanced diet of games to play, I often like to peruse the puzzle category, looking for tasty new games that evolve the genre into something more. After hearing about the initial splash that the first Serial Cleaner game made when it launched on platforms back in 2017, I knew that I had to get my hands on its sequel, Serial Cleaners when it was released this Fall.

Having played a ton of this game over the last couple of weeks, I’m happy to say that my time with Serial Cleaners has been nothing short of absolutely enjoyable. This title has a lot to offer players, not just in gameplay, but in the sheer feeling of it all. If you love puzzles, crime, and a good narrative, this is not a game to miss.

Serial Cleaners Review Biggest Takeaways

• Serial Cleaners offers more than just unique, addictive gameplay.
• Its cast is twisted and loveable.
• The aesthetics pull you back to a bygone era.
• Its homages and parallels to late 90s crime cinema fit well within the story.
• The character abilities make every new level feel like a fresh, new puzzle.

Final Score: 9

Started from the Bottom, Now We’re Here

When it comes to the world of Draw Distance’s Serial Cleaners, I’ll admit that I never actually got around to playing the first entry. Luckily for me, Serial Cleaners, though taking place in the same world with a couple of the characters from the first one, never really makes you feel like you’re missing too much of the story. It very much feels like this game can stand on its own two feet.

And judging by how much back story the original Serial Cleaner from the first game gets here, it seems as if this is the first time a narrative is evident to drive the progress of these jobs the characters find themselves on. From the moment the game starts you feel compelled to get lost in its gritty, seedy, ’90s set world.

Serial Cleaners really manages to nail the old New York City ’90s vibe in the same way Rockstar Games was able to with their earlier Grand Theft Auto games. It’s a world you want to know about, and luckily, the four members of this cleaner crew all get to tell quite a bit of their own stories over the 20 or so levels you get to play as them throughout.

It’s a game that leaves you wanting more because of the fact that it delivers just enough to keep your belly full, though not enough to make you feel overstuffed with backstory. These characters bring their own unique air of mystery to them, and world views each their own. It’s incredibly refreshing to have a cast of characters where I actually cared about each and every one of them, and the outcome of it all.

Related: Top 5 Hardest Puzzles to Solve in Video Games (and How to Solve Them)

Only 90s Kids Will Remember

That 1990s feel isn’t just limited to the nostalgia I have for GTA. This game does a great job in its visual presentation, coming with a comic book vibe that also seems reminiscent of the books you’d see back in that decade. Sounds and music do a great job of placing you there too. This game is a perfectly balanced time capsule overall.

There are even many situations or level designs that’ll serve as big plot points that are obvious homages to crime movies of the decade. A big blonde guy putting bodies in a woodchipper at a cabin in the snow? Can you say Fargo? It’s times like this that really put a smile on your face and actually brings memories of those films to mind. I think that’s another reason why you get attached to the characters here.

Because of this ’90s design that Draw Distance carries throughout, all of the levels have their own unique character to them, and no two are ever remotely similar which makes things feel consistently fresh. I would get lost just continuously playing, losing track of time as I’d navigate these well-executed levels.

The Loop That Keeps on Giving

Though aesthetics and atmosphere play a huge part in the gameplay, it’s the cleaners themselves that bring a sense of uniqueness to every given level. All four of the playable cleaners have their own strengths and weaknesses which makes every level feel like a new challenge, even after you think you’ve mastered each one.

Some characters may be able to vault over walls to get around quicker, some can carry bodies as opposed to dragging them which leaves a blood trail, and others can chop bodies into little pieces and use the parts as weapons. And it isn’t just a small change or two between characters either. There are some major differences between them and this affects how each level is played out, leaving you to adapt.

There are a lot of things that the game actually allows you to do, no matter the character, so you can approach each level the way you want, given the tools you have at your disposal. Though, there are the usual suspects of things to do that all of the characters can achieve. You’ll dispose of bodies and evidence, and you’ll have to vacuum a certain amount of blood up per level in order to complete it.

I also really liked the fact that you can save as often as you’d like by heading to your getaway car so that if you got caught, you only have to restart from that point. I think puzzle games that give you some sort of mercy, especially with one like this that can be difficult at times, are a great thing to offer players. But it’s also never forced either and can be totally ignored.

Though There Are Many Dead Bodies in it, This Game is Not Cold

While everything this game has going for it is great in its own right, it’s the fact that Serial Cleaners is a fantastic culmination of them together from start to finish that is amazing. This is a non-stop expression of finely crafted art and gameplay that’ll leave you staring at the screen and playing for hours at a time.

I have literally not played a game this addictive in months, and I’m so glad that I didn’t let it fly under my radar. If you’re someone who loves puzzles or just yearns for something different from what you’re usually playing, then you really should give this game a try, because it truly deserves it.

Serial Cleaners is available now on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, and iOS.

Be sure to check out our additional coverage of Serial Cleaners as it becomes available as well to keep yourself in the loop.