Viscera Cleanup Detail

Lore & Background

In Viscera Cleanup Detail, players are assigned as 'Space-Station Janitors' to clean and repair facilities after violent events. Tasks include disposing of debris such as dismembered bodies, shell casings, and broken glass; restocking first aid kits; repairing bullet holes; and cleaning blood splatter and soot from surfaces. Secondary bonus tasks involve stacking crates and filing disaster reports. Players use a mop, a sensor device, a PDA, and later a broom added via patch. Janitorial machines include an incinerator, bucket dispenser, bin dispenser, welding device, and item vending machine; these can malfunction, creating extra mess. Blood can spread through careless actions, requiring careful planning. Players can 'punch out' to end a level and view their performance in 'The Office', which displays a percentile score and news articles about oversights. Scoring below 75% results in being fired, resetting the office and any collected items.

Reader's Guide

Viscera Cleanup Detail gained attention for literalizing the cleanup metaphor common in action games, as noted by Eurogamer's Dan Whitehead. The A.V. Club's Chaz Evans described it as a commentary on first-person shooters, focusing on the consequences of violence. After commercial release, Philippa Warr of Rock, Paper, Shotgun included it in her top games of 2015 and noted that its multiplayer allowed players to learn about each other through their approach to mundane tasks. The game's early access phase received several reviews, and its expansions and DLC extended the concept to settings like Shadow Warrior's first chapter, Santa's rampage, a Halloween crime scene, and a supervillain's lair. The game's significance lies in its unique inversion of typical shooter gameplay, emphasizing methodical cleaning over combat.

Did You Know?

• The game was released on Steam Early Access on 4 April 2014, with full release on 23 October 2015.
• Two stand-alone expansions were released before the main game: Shadow Warrior (11 October 2013) and Santa's Rampage (13 December 2013).
• Players can be 'fired' if they score below 75% on a level, resetting The Office and any items collected.
• A Halloween DLC, House of Horror, was released on 29 October 2015, featuring an unsolved mass murder crime scene.