Are you looking for a nice, chill game? A game where you can do whatever you want, and there will be no consequences? Where can you interact with the NPCs and have a good chat by the water cooler? If that’s what you’re looking for, then look away because The WereCleaner is gore galore!
It might not seem like it due to its adorable chibi art style, but don’t be fooled, this game doesn’t hold back with its violent visuals. The colors are nicely saturated (all the better to see the blood with), the character designs are super cute (all the better to watch them all be eviscerated), and the gameplay itself is simple and quick to learn (all the better to eat them with).
In WereCleaner, you play as Kyle, a janitor who has a deep, dark secret: He’s a werewolf. But somehow, Kyle has bigger problems to deal with because he’s suddenly told he has to work the night shift or else. What’s worse than transforming into a hungry, unstoppable beast? That’s right! Capitalism. He has to do the job or else he’ll be fired! And he can’t afford that because his rent is due! Now, Kyle’s job is easy enough in the mornings, but it’s a struggle at night. You have to start paying attention to the patterns of your co-workers and their shifts because if he gets spotted, then Kyle’s bloodlust takes over and he eats his co-workers and leaves a bloody mess! And I don’t say that the same way the Brits do; it’s literally a bloody mess. And it’s up to him to clean it all up before someone else finds it!
WereCleaner is a really satisfying cleaning simulator that eases you into the things you can do. You’ve also only got a limited time to clean everything up, so you have to be really efficient. I had to repeat some of the later levels because I didn’t clean fast enough, so remembering to plan out your route is important.
The plot itself is pretty simple: Kyle has to work, and he can’t help that he’s a werewolf, so he just has to suck it up and get to it. You have to avoid getting caught, all the while, one of your co-workers will start getting suspicious. And I don’t have to tell you why that’s not a great thing for Kyle.
It’s a top-down isometric game with cartoony 3D graphics (similar to Animal Crossing). What little dialogue the game has is presented with portraits, and there are three animated cutscenes spread out; one in the beginning, and two near the end! The music is also a nice little bop, with a rhythmic bass and some funky guitars.
Another thing I adored is that Kyle’s werewolf form has got a little bit of a silly, derpy expression, which I found to be amusing. I mean, he’s out there eating people who see his true nature, and then he just sticks his tongue out like he didn’t just commit a crime. What an icon.
Most of the characters in the game are named after people who worked on it, and I think that that’s just a nice little Easter egg that the devs put in for a little laugh. I mean, I can imagine them playing this and laughing at the fact that their UI designer got eaten, or that their QA Lead saw the rampage and had to get taken out. It feels like a labor of love, and it shows because the game has so much personality.
You play through 7 days, and in total the game’s not more than 40 minutes long! It’s a quick, fun, solid free game that I highly recommend people try out. And did I mention that it’s free? Unlike Kyle, you’ve got nothing to lose!
