Developer: Crisalu Games
Publisher: Team17
Genre: Clean up sim, Midevil
Price: $19.99
Release Date: Sept 18th, 2025
Where to buy: Steam
In a genre oversaturated with brave knights and legendary quests, Goblin Cleanup dares to ask the essential, yet often overlooked, question: Who cleans up the mess? The answer, delivered with a brilliant blend of chaotic co-op mechanics and razor-sharp humor, is the underpaid, overworked, and surprisingly well-dressed goblin cleaning crew. Goblin Cleanup flips the fantasy trope on its head, presenting a fresh, addictive, and laugh-out-loud experience.
The premise is pure gold: you are an employee of the “Goblin Cleanup Company,” hired by dungeon management (like the Dark Lord himself) to reset the sprawling deathtraps and bloody crypts for the next batch of hapless adventurers. This isn’t just a simple chore game; it’s a high-stakes simulation where the environment itself is your greatest adversary. Tasks range from the mundane (mopping up viscera with your trusty Slimop, a living slime mop) to the bizarrely challenging (feeding chopped-up limbs to a hungry Mimic chest and restoring complex traps without getting skewered). The juxtaposition of the mundane cleaning job with the grotesque, chaotic setting is the foundation of the game’s unique charm.
Gameplay: Chaos and Co-op Camaraderie
While playable solo, Goblin Cleanup truly shines in its cooperative multiplayer mode. This is a game where teamwork is technically required, but unintentional (and intentional) sabotage is the source of endless entertainment. Trying to clear a corridor lined with traps while your friend accidentally triggers a laser-orb or, better yet, throws a Mimic at you, is the heart of the “hilariously dangerous” experience. The simple act of cleaning is complicated by realistic physics and persistent messes. Throw a limb to your teammate? It splatters blood on the wall, creating more work. Accidentally get killed by a trap? Now your friends have to mop up your pieces. The game encourages a healthy mix of efficient cleaning and slapstick comedy, ensuring no two runs are ever the same. The use of unique tools, like the ‘Slimop’ and ‘managon’ (a magical tool for levitating heavy objects), adds satisfying complexity to the cleaning mechanics.
Style and World-Building: A Charming Twist
Visually, Goblin Cleanup is gorgeous. It manages to balance the grim aesthetic of a dungeon with a whimsical, cartoony style. The goblins themselves, with their customizable maid and butler outfits, are utterly charming, completely subverting the typical brutish fantasy portrayal. The world-building is delivered in subtle, humorous ways—notes left by previous adventurers or the very environment itself, which details the hilarious-yet-deadly efficiency of the dungeon’s owner. It brilliantly leans into the absurdity of the fantasy genre’s logistics, creating a world that feels both familiar and refreshingly new.
Verdict: A Must-Play Masterpiece
Goblin Cleanup is more than just a novelty or a simple cleaning simulator; it is a meticulously crafted co-op experience that elevates the genre. It offers deep, satisfying mechanics, a constant supply of chaotic moments, and an art style that captures the perfect dark-comedy tone. The core loop of
cleaning, restoring, and trying desperately not to become part of the mess is addictively fun. For anyone looking for a fresh, engaging, and genuinely hilarious multiplayer game that celebrates the unsung heroes of the fantasy world, Goblin Cleanup is an absolute triumph. It is a masterpiece of messy mayhem—a flawless five out of five.
