By now you’ve probably heard about the CBS report that young men are spending less time working and more time playing video games. While some short-sighted people may see this as a sign of trouble, developer iFun4All recognized it as an opportunity. If men have so much free time, perhaps they can use some of it for more worthwhile pursuits, like house chores. Maybe they just need to see how fun cleaning up can be? This is very clearly the intent (certainly not satire) behind the release of the stylish 70s themed stealth/action game, Serial Cleaner.
This isn’t some namby pamby cleaning simulator for sissies. Our protagonist is the aviator wearing embodiment of masculine coolness. As such, he has a title instead of a name and a station wagon that you shouldn’t come knocking on if it happens to be rocking. The Cleaner is a professional employed by the mob. His job is to sneak into crime scenes to remove evidence and leave things smelling spring time fresh. All with the cops being none the wiser.
Some guys might be put off by the game’s clear feminist agenda. One of the game mechanics has players bagging up dead bodies before literally taking out the trash. This acknowledgement of a traditionally male dominated task is a clear shot at the Patriarchy. There’s no denying that this game’s sole purpose is to make men want to clean the house, but maybe that isn’t such a bad thing.
Cleaning Like A Real Badass
In a time of economic uncertainly, Serial Cleaner may not have been the game we deserve, but it’s definitely the game we need. It teaches young men to view housework as an exciting outlet for their energy. There is no better way to convey this message than to let them vacuum up puddles of blood while evading police capture.
The game is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Ladies, feel free to pick up a copy for the men in your lives. If you do, they might just be the ones doing all the picking up from here on out.
