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Serial Cleaners, developed by Draw Distance, plunges players into the gritty underworld of 1990s American crime. However, instead of embodying a mafia kingpin or street thug, you control a small team of professional cleaners tasked with tidying up after the mob. This isn’t your typical office cleaning job; this is about making crime scenes disappear. As a sequel to Serial Cleaner, this game builds upon the original concept with a new cast and intriguing mechanics. This review focuses solely on the experience Serial Cleaners offers, without comparing it to its predecessor.

Cleaning up a crime scene in Serial Cleaners

A Unique Blend of Stealth and Puzzle Solving

While the game revolves around cleaning up after “hits,” the core gameplay isn’t about thorough sanitation. It’s about making the scene look pristine for the arriving police. Each level, set in diverse locations, begins with a few precious seconds to survey the area before the cops show up. Once they arrive, they patrol, guarding bodies and evidence. Your mission is to complete your grim task, regardless of the “obstacles.”

Police patrolling a crime scene in Serial Cleaners

To avoid detection, you must utilize tight spaces and shadows, memorizing patrol routes to plan safe and swift entries and exits. This is crucial, as the sheer volume of bodies and evidence necessitates multiple trips in and out of the scene. Distraction is key. Using noise-emitting objects like radios or TVs can lure guards away, creating opportunities.

Using distractions in Serial Cleaners

These noisy distractions also mask the sound of your vacuum cleaner, your only tool for cleaning up bloodstains. Adding another layer of complexity, Serial Cleaners features four playable characters, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. Each level assigns a different cleaner, forcing you to adapt your strategy. Bob, the veteran, can wrap bodies for discreet transport, while Lati, the artist, uses spray paint to temporarily distract police.

Character selection screen in Serial Cleaners

These character differences significantly impact gameplay, requiring a complete shift in approach with each switch. Each level in Serial Cleaners presents a unique puzzle, demanding patience and clever use of environmental elements and character abilities.

The game’s AI, however, is noticeably simplistic. Guards often react unrealistically to missing evidence, briefly questioning the disappearance before calmly resuming their patrol. While this defies logic, it’s a necessary concession for gameplay flow. Increased police presence or reinforcements would render many levels insurmountable. This quirk, while strange, adds a layer of unexpected humor and allows for a smoother, more enjoyable experience.

Missing Features Hold the Game Back

Despite its engaging gameplay, Serial Cleaners suffers from the absence of key features. A post-level performance evaluation system, tracking completion time, detections, and saves, would add significant replay value.

A crime scene in Serial Cleaners

Tying these evaluations to in-game currency, allowing for character upgrades and tool improvements, would further enhance the experience. This would also better reflect the game’s portrayal of crime scene cleaning as a lucrative profession.

The lack of a level replay function is another missed opportunity. The linear progression prevents players from revisiting previous levels to improve their performance or experiment with different strategies.

A character hiding in Serial Cleaners

In conclusion, Serial Cleaners offers a compelling blend of stealth and puzzle-solving within a unique setting. While the simplistic AI and lack of certain features detract from the overall experience, the core gameplay loop remains engaging and entertaining.