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Serial Cleaner

While occasionally frustrating and repetitive, Serial Cleaner is a violently fun puzzle game that provides hours of blood-filled entertainment and new challenges.
Serial Cleaner Game Cover
69%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay
Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, stability
80% User Score Based on 1,563 reviews
Critic Score 58%Based on 30 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchAndroidPlaystation 5Playstation 4XboxSteam DeckiPhoneWindowsPlayStationLinuxXbox Series X|SPCTabletCloudMac OSPhoneXbox OneiPadMobile Platform
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Serial Cleaner Game Cover

About Serial Cleaner

Serial Cleaner is a single player and multiplayer casual role playing game with a violence theme. It was developed by Draw Distance and was released on July 14, 2017. It received neutral reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

A stealth action game!

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Serial Cleaner screenshot
Serial Cleaner screenshot
Serial Cleaner screenshot
Serial Cleaner screenshot
Serial Cleaner screenshot
Serial Cleaner screenshot
Serial Cleaner screenshot
Serial Cleaner screenshot
Serial Cleaner screenshot
Serial Cleaner screenshot
Serial Cleaner screenshot
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Reviews

80%Audience ScoreBased on 1,563 reviews
story148 positive mentions
grinding20 negative mentions
  • Unique and fresh concept as a stealth game where you clean crime scenes instead of committing crimes
  • Strong 1970s-inspired art style and atmospheric, funky soundtrack enhancing the game vibe
  • Engaging and steadily challenging gameplay with varying enemy types, collectibles, bonus movie-themed levels and multiple challenges
  • Simple controls and game mechanics that are easy to learn and provide satisfying puzzle-like stealth action
  • Good replayability due to randomized placement of bodies and evidence, plus optional challenges and costumes
  • Concise story woven through entertaining interludes, adding depth to the setting and character
  • Repetitive gameplay that may become monotonous for some players
  • Lack of checkpoints forcing restart of entire level on failure, causing frustration especially in longer missions
  • Some design issues with confusing isometric visuals leading to difficulty distinguishing walkable areas and walls
  • Enemy AI pattern sometimes unpredictable or dumb, with illogical hiding mechanics diminishing stealth tension
  • Controls feel unpolished or clunky at times, occasional input lag or difficulty with interaction prompts
  • Buggy achievements and occasional crashes/restarts reported by some players
  • The use of real world data (IP address) for day/night cycle is concerning and poorly explained
  • Story perceived as shallow or poorly executed by certain players
  • Short overall gameplay duration without additional content or user-generated maps limits long-term replay value

  • story

    532 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    28% positive mentions, 66% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions

    The story in this game is modest and serves mainly as contextual flavor rather than a compelling narrative, with an overarching 70s crime-cleaning theme that includes homage to famous murders and subtle environmental storytelling. While some players found the plot intriguing and well-integrated with the game's atmosphere and style, many felt it was simplistic, repetitive, or even dispensable, often overshadowed by the gameplay mechanics. Bonus missions featuring movie references and collectibles add some extra narrative interest, but overall the story is considered lightweight and secondary to the stealth-puzzle gameplay.

    • “The story isn’t the main focus of the game and mostly serves as context between missions, but it’s surprisingly deeper than you might expect for a game built around this kind of concept.”
    • “The main story lasts 20 missions, plus there are 10 bonus contracts (unlocked by finding movie reels in the main missions) based on 10 movies, which are also fun in themselves.”
    • “Each mission may seem like a slice-of-life simulation, until the missions start adding up that there's a concerning, overall plot coming around, even helped by the news media if you're a bit explorative enough.”
    • “The game takes itself really seriously, but the story has no fun in it whatsoever; it is incredibly dull and doesn't match the general absurdity of the gameplay.”
    • “The story is almost nonexistent, and I quickly found myself skipping all of the dialogue until the last few contracts where finally something sort of interesting happens.”
    • “I'm not compelled to follow the player character Bob in any way because he lacks any kind of personality and the story is boringly simplistic at best.”

  • gameplay

    473 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    29% positive mentions, 59% neutral mentions, 12% negative mentions

    The gameplay of "Serial Cleaner" features a unique, stealth-based concept that involves cleaning crime scenes by hiding from police, collecting evidence, and disposing of bodies. Although controls are simple and mechanics gradually introduce new challenges, many reviewers found the gameplay repetitive, with clunky stealth mechanics, inconsistent AI, and occasional bugs detracting from the experience. Despite these flaws, the game's smooth difficulty curve, stylish 70s presentation, and addictive core loop offer a fun and engaging experience for fans of light stealth and puzzle gameplay.

    • “Firing it up instantly hooks you with its fast-paced, high-dopamine risk-and-reward gameplay.”
    • “The brilliance of the gameplay lies in its tense, reactive spatial puzzle design.”
    • “The 1970s-inspired art style and funky soundtrack give it a ton of personality, while the gameplay is tense, clever, and surprisingly addictive.”
    • “Great art and music, but a weak story and unpolished controls make the gameplay both tedious and punishingly hard.”
    • “The core gameplay, centered around sneaking past guards and cleaning evidence, quickly becomes repetitive and lacks depth.”
    • “The stealth mechanics are clunky, and the AI can feel unfair at times, making it hard to progress without a lot of trial and error.”

  • music

    311 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    69% positive mentions, 30% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The game's soundtrack is widely praised for its catchy, funky, and jazzy 70s-inspired music that perfectly complements the retro crime-thriller atmosphere and art style. While some find the music repetitive over time, most agree it enhances the game's mood, making the experience more enjoyable and memorable enough that many players recommend buying the soundtrack separately. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature and a key part of the game's charm.

    • “The game features a gorgeous, minimalist paper-craft art style and a smooth, funky lo-fi soundtrack that perfectly captures a retro crime-thriller atmosphere.”
    • “The soundtrack, packed with jazzy basslines and funky percussion, perfectly complements the theme, making each mission feel like a scene from a forgotten grindhouse flick.”
    • “Very replayable, incredible soundtrack, unique and beautiful artstyle, challenging levels, tons of collectables that are actually fun to collect and subtle humor.”
    • “The music was extremely repetitive, I had to mute it and play something else in the background.”
    • “Limited soundtrack and audio design: while the game's soundtrack and audio design contribute to its atmosphere, some players may find the selection of music and sound effects repetitive over time.”
    • “Music is also a bad fit.”

  • graphics

    303 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    51% positive mentions, 46% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions

    The game’s graphics feature a distinctive 1970s-inspired, minimalist art style with vibrant colors and stylized designs that create a strong retro crime-thriller atmosphere. While the visuals are widely praised for their charm and fitting aesthetic, some players find the art style and camera angle occasionally hinder gameplay clarity by making it difficult to distinguish walkable areas and obstacles. Overall, the graphics effectively contribute to the game's unique mood and style, though they sometimes impact level readability.

    • “The game features a gorgeous, minimalist paper-craft art style and a smooth, funky lo-fi soundtrack that perfectly captures a retro crime-thriller atmosphere.”
    • “Serial cleaner channels a groovy 1970s aesthetic through its use of bold, flat colors, stylized shapes, and exaggerated character designs.”
    • “With sharp, stylized visuals and a color palette straight from a ‘70s crime drama, the game nails its setting with flair.”
    • “Although the retro pixel-art style has charm, the visuals feel simplistic and don’t evolve much over the course of the game.”
    • “While there are options to change the resolution for the mobile app, all this does is scale up the simplistic low quality vector art assets used to make the mobile app, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
    • “The graphic style and visual perspective of the game makes it really hard to understand where the doors/pathways are, where you can hide, and where the walls are.”

  • humor

    68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    99% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 1% negative mentions

    The game's humor is largely praised for its dark, morbid, and cynical tone, blending well with its 1970s retro style and quirky premise of cleaning crime scenes. Players enjoy the witty writing, amusing in-game remarks, and clever references, which add charm and levity to otherwise grim subject matter. However, some find the humor inconsistent or repetitive, though the general consensus highlights it as a strong and entertaining aspect that sets the game apart.

    • “A brilliantly stylish, morbidly funny 1970s stealth puzzle that lets you play as the ultimate clean-up crew.”
    • “It’s a concept that oozes dark humor and originality, and it builds an entire gameplay loop around the tension of sneaking through active crime scenes, hiding behind furniture, and dragging corpses past patrolling officers under the blare of funky music and sirens.”
    • “The writing adds to this charm, with the protagonist’s witty monologues and the game’s tongue-in-cheek humor preventing the concept from ever becoming too grim.”
    • “Not funny, not very unique and not even interesting.”

  • atmosphere

    50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    60% positive mentions, 34% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions

    The game is widely praised for its stylish 1970s-inspired visuals and retro crime-thriller atmosphere, enhanced by a minimalist art style and a fitting lo-fi soundtrack that captures a chill, fun, and immersive vibe. While the soundtrack can feel repetitive over time, the overall atmosphere effectively blends humor, originality, and nostalgia, making it a standout experience in the stealth genre.

    • “The game features a gorgeous, minimalist papercraft art style and a smooth, funky lo-fi soundtrack that perfectly captures a retro crime-thriller atmosphere.”
    • “The game features stylish visuals inspired by the 1970s setting, creating a captivating atmosphere reminiscent of classic crime films.”
    • “Fans frequently praise how the visual and audio design elevate the atmosphere, giving even the grimmest tasks a tongue-in-cheek charm.”
    • “While this might be unrealistic, it actually adds to the somewhat silly atmosphere the game portrays.”
    • “The game's soundtrack and audio design contribute to its atmosphere, but some players may find the selection of music and sound effects repetitive over time.”
    • “Despite all this, the atmosphere is mostly okay; you can delve into this '80s, '90s feeling, even after so many retro-styled games.”

  • replayability

    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    33% positive mentions, 53% neutral mentions, 14% negative mentions

    Replayability in the game is mixed: while randomized elements, challenges, collectibles, and difficulty modifiers add some variety and incentive to revisit levels, many reviews note that once the main content is completed, replay value diminishes significantly. The game's shorter length and limited meaningful variation make it best suited for a few hours of enjoyable play rather than long-term replay. Overall, it offers decent replayability for enthusiasts of challenges and achievements but may feel repetitive after mastering the game.

    • “Very replayable, incredible soundtrack, unique and beautiful artstyle, challenging levels, tons of collectables that are actually fun to collect and subtle humor.”
    • “The replayability factor is high, thanks to the different challenges and hidden collectibles in each level.”
    • “The game also comes with dozens of challenge modes that add even more to the replayability of the levels.”
    • “Limited replay value once all content is completed.”
    • “Not much replayability - once you have beaten a mission, every time after that will be almost the same (some of the obstacles move around the map, but that's it).”
    • “The game will give you several hours of fun and joy, and then you can go back to 100% all the levels and finish the achievements, but that is about it; the game doesn't offer any replay value beyond that.”

  • grinding

    25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    8% positive mentions, 12% neutral mentions, 80% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game is widely seen as tedious and repetitive, especially when aiming for 100% blood cleaning or completing certain achievements. While some enjoy the initial gameplay and art style, the combination of random elements, restarts, and finicky controls makes extended play feel frustrating and unrewarding for many. Overall, grinding detracts from the experience, making it feel more like a chore than an engaging challenge.

    • “Some are a bit tricky to get but all are definitely doable and not too grindy.”
    • “As there are also no grindy achievements, it is fairly easy to 100% this game without wasting hundreds of hours with grinding.”
    • “I think my biggest gripe is the whole 100% blood cleaning part; it's tedious and unfun. It's all randomly generated, so you're just hoping it's in a good spot if you want to finish a level quickly. Not challenging, but about luck and how much time you'll need to spend dodging around guards while cleaning, which doesn't feel rewarding at all. Sure, you don't need 100% for level completion, but for those who want a challenge, it's there, but combined with the weak stealth mechanics, it makes it simply obnoxious.”
    • “Slightly randomized map elements (e.g., body locations) make replayability a bit less tedious, but all the unexpected, random deaths and restarts make it beyond annoying.”
    • “Re-doing entire missions would be okay if doing them didn't feel as tedious, but part of the challenge comes from the controls and unclear area of effects/finicky mopping, which just was not enjoyable for me.”

  • stability

    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    4% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 96% negative mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized for frequent bugs and glitches, especially affecting achievements, hitbox detection, and controller functionality, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences. However, some users note a stable framerate and occasional smooth performance, suggesting that while the core mechanics work, the numerous bugs significantly hinder overall enjoyment.

    • “A buggy mess that made me rage while completing achievements because of its problems and gameplay, but for the price and considering its age, it's still a fun game.”
    • “Game is fun for the first 5 levels and then the bugs and glitches start appearing, such as getting caught on objects due to bad hitbox detection, police hitting you from over 5 pixels away, police hitting you despite mashing the hide button, and level layouts suddenly becoming stupidly hard.”
    • “But I suffered through it... only to find achievements are buggy and some of them just stop being tracked by the game.”

  • emotional

    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    86% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 14% negative mentions

    The game delivers a strong emotional impact, with moments that can evoke tears and a wholesome portrayal of character relationships, especially between the protagonist and his mom. The music effectively sets the mood, enhancing the emotional atmosphere of each stage. While some find the story touching and subtly moving, others perceive it as boring or lacking emotional depth.

    • “Each track sets the mood of its area so completely that it quickly becomes an integral part of the stage, disappearing into and defining the emotional background of the contract.”
    • “Cut scenes with the main character's mom - in between scenes there are cut scenes and the interaction between the main character and his mom is wholesome.”
    • “The story is humorous and quite touching in some places; it includes subtle lines that touched me when I got invested.”

  • optimization

    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    33% positive mentions, 17% neutral mentions, 50% negative mentions

    Optimization receives mixed feedback: while some users praise the smooth performance and detailed effects, others report poor and uneven performance, as well as issues with control responsiveness, leading to a less satisfying experience.

    • “The blood effects and puddles are surprisingly detailed, and everything runs smoothly throughout the experience.”
    • “Performance wise, no issues.”
    • “Bad performance for such a simple game.”
    • “Sadly, this game runs really unevenly for me with poor performance and control recognition.”
    • “I wanted to like it but the poor performance, control response, and relatively simple and easy gameplay left me unsatisfied.”

  • character development

    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    60% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 40% negative mentions

    Character development in the game is visually striking, featuring bold, stylized designs that enhance immersion, but the narrative lacks depth and complexity, leaving some players wanting more meaningful progression and story engagement.

    • “Serial Cleaner channels a groovy 1970s aesthetic through its use of bold, flat colors, stylized shapes, and exaggerated character designs.”
    • “I really enjoyed the creative design of the levels, the character design, the art style and the controls were simple to get used to.”
    • “The attention to detail in the environments and character designs enhances the overall immersion and aesthetic appeal.”
    • “While the premise is intriguing, the execution of the narrative may leave some players wanting more character development and plot complexity.”
    • “Lack of depth in storytelling and character development.”

  • monetization

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    The monetization of Serial Cleaner is widely criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling it is an underdeveloped mobile app poorly repurposed for PC, lacking depth and polish expected from a full-priced game.

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Critic Reviews

58%Critics’ scoreBased on 24 critic reviews
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Play Times

6h Median play time
6h Average play time
4-10h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 9 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Serial Cleaner is a casual role playing game with violence theme. Common tags for Serial Cleaner include indie, trading, 2d, stylized, soundtrack and others.

Serial Cleaner is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 6 hours playing Serial Cleaner.

Serial Cleaner was released on July 14, 2017.

Serial Cleaner was developed by Draw Distance.

Serial Cleaner has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked Serial Cleaner for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Serial Cleaner is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include Party Hard, Aragami, 12 is Better Than 6, Party Hard 2, Spoiler Alert and others.