The Whimsical World of Muri: Wildwoods Preview | The Gamerheads Podcast

Trina
21 hours ago
2 min read

Colorful forest scene with cartoon vegetation. Text reads "MURI: Wildwoods" above. A character stands by large rocks, exuding adventure.

Ever since Powerwash Simulator came out, I’ve been looking for a game that would have that same meditative flow. Something that was satisfying yet relaxing. In steps Muri: Wildwoods, a game that provides that specific ‘zen’ with a productive dopamine hit every time an area goes from corrupted to beautiful. What I love the most about this cozy cleaning game is the relaxing beachy vibes paired with an interesting backstory. It takes the concept of cleaning up a level by keeping you invested in saving this island from corruption.

Whimsical forest scene with giant mushrooms, lush greenery, and a character cleaning with a power washer with bubbles. Bright and vibrant colors.

I played as Pelle, who was set out on a cleaning adventure, when all of sudden we discover a bird who appears to have an oily corruption all over their feathers. Quickly, I followed the bird to an island that is covered in this same corruption. I set out to explore the island, discovering more adorable little creatures along the way. Visually this 3D platformer revealed gorgeous vibrant colors as I cleared the grime from plants, shells, animals and more. I really enjoyed the small details like being able to pet the animals after I successfully cleaned them or flowers blooming after cleaning a plant. Another way the game kept me hooked was providing me with a sketchbook. It was an easy way to track my progress as I explored and made me want to fill all the spaces.

Character with mouse-like ears wields a power washer facing a large, rock surface covered in dirt surrounded by pink plants in a mystical forest.

I have played both the playtest and demo and have enjoyed seeing the progress that Speldosa Interactive has made on Muri: Wildwoods. The playtest had less storytelling and they built on that foundation and cranked it up a notch for the demo. The addition of the story, text messages, creatures you can pet and even the sketchbook were all great additions that add so much depth to the game. There were a few cleaning puzzles in the playtest that I would have liked to see more of in the demo, but since this is a demo maybe we will see them in the full release of the game. Overall, I found this game making it on my highly anticipated list and look forward to more cozy cleaning adventures in hopefully the near future.