WOW! This game is becoming something really REALLY special!
I had fun playing this last year, but I think now with a proper tutorial and a great first level, I can really see the kind of game this will become.
Firstly, I LOVE the art style and the creepy-cute aesthetics. It's all remarkably well done. Just the difference between the first two levels - cleaning up the mario-esque goomba corpses and then the little town area with its own bits of lore - was really exciting to see. I am imagining each level has its own little story to tell while you clean it up, and I think that's just so fun! I can imagine how the levels will progress and grow in scale, and it's definitely exciting.
The new coin-based progression system is also a really smart way to tie the game together. It gives a real incentive to be planting things rather than just cleaning up messes, and unlocking upgrades is very satisfying. Having the level be broken up into areas with their own cleanliness percentage, too, scratches my brain in all the right ways. Finally, someone made powerwash simulator for people who like gore!
I think I probably said this last year, but I'm always on the lookout for a good podcast game - A game I can play while I listen to a podcast or an audiobook. This is shaping up to be one of the BEST in that genre. I'm really digging everything about this!
Other than that, there was an issue with the UI of the notes in the second level - words were not properly fitting on the page. There was also a sliiight bit of chugging whenever the game launched - I think it was just the game loading assets, because it fixed itself pretty fast. Pretty small things overall, and I'm definitely excited to see more of this game in the future. REALLY REALLY good stuff! I gotta go back in there so I can find out what's behind that 200 coin door!
I'm curious to know if you're planning on adding multiplayer? Obviously that's easier said than done, but I could see people getting really into playing this together.
Played the game on stream at around 3:52:00