''Serial Cleaner'' is a

stealth game A stealth game is a type of video game in which the player primarily uses ''stealth'' to avoid or overcome opponents. Games in the genre typically allow the player to remain undetected by hiding, sneaking, or using disguises. Some games allow th ...

developed by Draw Distance and published by

Curve Digital Curve Games Limited (formerly Curve Digital Limited and Curve Studios Limited) is a British video game publisher based in London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United ...

Plug In Digital Plug In Digital is a French video game publisher and distributor. They were founded in 2012 and established two subsidiaries since then: Dear Villagers (formerly Playdius), who publish mid-market games for personal computers and consoles, and PID ...

. Players attempt to remove evidence from crime scenes without being caught. It was followed by ''

Serial Cleaners ''Serial Cleaners'' is a stealth game developed by Draw Distance and published by 505 Games. It is the sequel to ''Serial Cleaner'' and continues the theme of removing evidence from crime scenes. Gameplay ''Serial Cleaners'' is a stealth game p ...

''.

Gameplay

Players control a

cleaner A cleaner or a cleaning operative is a type of industrial or domestic worker who cleans homes or commercial premises for payment. Cleaning operatives may specialise in cleaning particular things or places, such as window cleaners. Cleaning op ...

who is hired to remove evidence at crime scenes in the 1970s. Besides moving corpses, this takes a literal aspect as they vacuum up blood. Police are already at the scene, and if they see the cleaner, they chase. Player can hide in various spots on the map, which causes the police to lose interest in them. Being caught forces players to replay the level and randomizes the locations of the objects that need to be cleaned.

Development

''Serial Cleaner'' was initially released by Curve Digital for PCs, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on July 14, 2017. The Nintendo Switch version followed on November 30, 2017, and it was released on iOS on June 20, 2019. On February 11th, 2025, the game was rereleased for iOS and Android by Plug In Digital.

Reception

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, ''Serial Cleaner'' received positive reviews on the Switch and mixed reviews elsewhere. ''

Rock Paper Shotgun ''Rock Paper Shotgun'' (also rendered ''Rock, Paper, Shotgun''; short ''RPS'') is a UK-based website for reporting on video games, primarily for PC. Originally launched on 13 July 2007 as an independent site, ''Rock Paper Shotgun'' was acquir ...

'', ''

NintendoLife Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and othe ...

'', and ''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or Habit (psychology), habit generally considered immorality, immoral, sinful, crime, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refe ...

'' liked the game's concept but found the idea of restarting randomized levels infuriating. Conversely, ''

GamesRadar ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites '' Total Film'', ''SFX'', '' Edge'' and ''Comput ...

''s reviewer found the scenes where he was caught funny, and he enjoyed the level design. ''

Push Square Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...

'' wrote, "Its difficulty and slight release content are offset by a number of options, a great premise, and some uniquely engaging gameplay." ''NintendoWorldReport'' praised the gameplay and retro charm but felt that the Switch controls were sometimes inconsistent.

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://drawdistance.dev/serial-cleaner/ 2017 video games Windows games MacOS games Linux games PlayStation 4 games Xbox One games Single-player video games Indie games Stealth video games Puzzle video games Curve Games games Video games set in the 1970s Video games set in the United States Draw Distance games