‘PowerWash Simulator’ players are aiding mental health research

This version of the game is available exclusively on Steam for owners of the original, and can be found in the Beta’s menu under ‘Properties.’ Once downloaded and booted up, there are two types of data which will be collected by the researchers as people play along.

The first is anonymised, meaning that information will be relayed on in-game progress, item purchases, and other activities as part of a ‘base telemetry’ dataset. The other is based on personal feedback and responses, and will require players to answer ‘extremely short’ questions on cue.

There’s also a ‘tell us how you feel’ button, which is available for use once every 30 minutes and allows for more long-form input. To avoid concerns that this may be anything other than a behavioural study, FuturLab will not have access to these specific records.

On the player side, while answering prompts is optional, it is encouraged through special cosmetic rewards that will carry over to the base version of the PowerWash Simulator – it should be noted that general progress doesn’t, however.

If you’re interested in providing data for this study, head to Steam to learn more about the project. Reportedly, the beta will run until around November time before the results are sent for analysis by the Oxford Internet Institute.

Given the leisurely nature of the game, it won’t be surprising if the majority of multiple-choice data points to its soothing affects. What’s more interesting, in my opinion, are the revelations to come from the open ended feedback.

To date, studies conducted into the potential benefits of gaming on mental health have thrown out mixed results, so it will be conducive to get another point of reference.

The latest study, including 40,000 participants, speculated that gaming may have no affect – positive or negative – on people’s mental health.

Why not contribute and help us all get closer to a definitive answer? Lock and load!