A 2022 study involving over 8,500 players from nearly 40 countries, including the US and the UK, revealed that 72 percent of players reported an “uplift in mood” while playing PowerWash Simulator. This research, a collaborative effort between Oxford University’s Internet Institute and the game’s developer, FuturLab, is unique in its focus on how gameplay in a natural context affects player mood.

The study showed that after just 15 minutes of play, participants consistently experienced a boost in mood compared to how they felt at the start of each session. The findings of 162,325 “in-game mood reports” indicated that players generally felt more positive during their playtime than initially.

This mood improvement is likened to the mental benefits of other leisure activities such as reading, shopping, or listening to music. According to Matti Vuorre, the lead author and assistant professor at Tilburg University, as well as a research associate at Oxford Internet Institute, “At present, short-term changes in video game players’ moods are poorly understood.” Vuorre pointed out that prior research often used games modified for academic studies, typically played in a lab environment. This research, however, sought to understand how real, unmodified play in a natural setting might influence player mood on a short-term basis.

In other news, FuturLab announced the release date for their highly anticipated Shrek-themed DLC for PowerWash Simulator. Set to launch on October 10, the “swamp-squirting” expansion will be available across Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Players will soon be cleaning up iconic fairytale environments inspired by Shrek’s world, adding a new, playful layer to the already mood-enhancing gameplay.

This kind of data is a fascinating angle about the psychological impact of video games. It’s always interesting when a game’s purpose expands beyond simple entertainment and becomes a tool for mood improvement. Would this sort of research inspire any gaming-related article ideas?