Viscera Cleanup Detail Preview – Who’s the REAL Hero, Here?

After an alien battle in a video game, there is often a huge mess.

After an alien battle in a video game, there is often a huge mess. As players, we usually carry on with our mission without a second thought as to the condition of the environment. After all, we’re the heroes — we have better things to do! RuneStorm‘s Viscera Cleanup Detail shows us what might occur after the hero has left the spaceship. A “space-station janitor simulator,” Viscera allows players to explore the seemingly mundane lives of those in charge of making these miniature war zones inhabitable once more.

Now available on Steam Early Accessand at the Humble Store, (it was released on April 4), Viscera Cleanup Detail is still in Alpha version 0.25, but shows promise with its attention to (hilariously disgusting) detail and basic physics.

Multiplayer fun with mops!

Your tutorial in this game is learn-as-you-go. There is no time limit, there are no scores. You either clean or you don’t. It’s a very simple concept, yet the process of cleaning is so involved that you’ll probably lose track of time. There are stations that dispense water buckets, biohazard waste cans, and even med kits (which you have to refill on-site). The waste cans are used to collect smaller debris and viscera (yes, there are organs lying around). The water buckets are for rinsing the mop, and must be replaced fairly frequently, making mopping the most cumbersome task in this game. Any item that is found or used for cleaning must be burned in an incinerator. (I suggest collecting all of the objects/bodies and burning them before beginning to mop, because you WILL make a mess.)

One mop to clean them all.

When you come across a puddle on the floor, you will begin to hear your footsteps squish as you track gore with every step. One false move when trying to line up an item over a waste bin, and you knock the entire thing over. Body bags (the aliens, I assume) must be burned, and maneuvering these cumbersome objects into the on-site furnace will have you questioning your sanity. Your mop can make as much of a mess as the blood-splattered walls. These are not bugs – these are indeed features of the game meant to push you to think critically about your actions… or else they’re just trolly features designed to produce frustration, which can be fun, too.

Perhaps it’s because I get satisfaction from cleaning, but this game was a lot of fun for me, and at $8, Viscera Cleanup Detail is worth adding to your library…so long as you aren’t squeamish. Keep your eye on improvements to the multiplayer mode, as well as some minor movement issues (i.e. trying to pick up an object underneath a more solid object = being flung across the room).

Follow Runestorm on Twitterand Facebook, or visit their websitefor more details about the game.

This is why we can’t have nice things.