Hey, friend. Do you like cleaning? Do you like cleaning for the public? I’m just going to assume you gave me an enthusiastic “yes” to both questions. That’s great! Because Wyrmhall: Brush and Banter is essentially about that thing, but in a more whimsical, fantastical way. Like if Willy Wonka had you scrubbing the grime off one of his child-mangling machines.

Wyrmhall is a part of that weird work-and-chat genre that’s been cropping up lately. It’s sort of like Papers, Please, but you probably won’t need to drink your anti-depressants afterward. You’re given a job, and throughout the process of performing that job, a plot unfurls. Wyrmhall is a pretty modest game, but it manages to check a lot of boxes.

BAKING SODA AND ELBOW GREASE

There’s something to be said about a game that knows exactly what it is and what it’s capable of. The market is rife with titles that over-promise and under-deliver, so it’s refreshing when Wyrmhall is just like, “Do this thing for two hours.” Which isn’t to say it doesn’t offer anything, it’s just trying to show you a good time without blowing you away.

You play as a little goblin who gets a temp job covering a relic cleaning stand while its normal proprietor is taking a needed vacation. It’s simple; weirdos show up with various items, and you use a modest but growing collection of colour-coded tools to restore them to sparkling condition. You have to rotate them to get a view of every nook and cranny and scrape the gunk off them until everything looks immaculate. Like actually giving something a thorough cleaning, a job well done is pretty satisfying.

The banter side of things is similarly subdued. There isn’t a heavy narrative weighing things down, and your customers aren’t going to talk your ear off. Some will spill details of their adventures, but no one dumps their life story on you. The overarching narrative unfurls gradually, but, like everything else, it’s not very heavy. It ties everything together, gives meaning to your work, but doesn’t try to impress.

CLEAN UP YOUR ACT

But, as I said, it isn’t that Wyrmhall doesn’t try to get fancy in some spots. In particular, the narrative can branch in certain ways, as seemingly innocuous actions can lead to catastrophe, and rather than hit you with a Game Over screen, it just rolls with it. In that way, it can be surprising. One of the best moments I had with Wyrmhall was destroying a relic with my very first action and watching the shocked patron throw their hands up and just walk away in shocked disgust.

Personally, I like when a game doesn’t stop the story when you screw up. If Heavy Rain did one thing right, it was making you live with mistakes large and small. I don’t even feel like I need to play Wyrmhall a second time, because the organic way it proceeds through the story makes it feel more meaningful. I actually made a mistake, and it was reflected in real-time. That’s something I love. Well, not in real life, but in video games.

It’s also very laid back about it. It’s not going to pretend that you didn’t just shit the bed, and you do get punished, but it’s in a way that makes it so you feel comfortable. These are very soft, diggable vibes.

BRIDGES LOOK COOLER THAN WALLS

The art style and music are well executed. I never would have guessed Wyrmhall was done in Unreal Engine 5, as it doesn’t demonstrate any of the telltale signs. It still has a defined art style, a unique shading effect, and minimalistic animation. It doesn’t reach for extravagance, instead just doing what is necessary to get its aesthetic across in a pleasing way.

Some of the objects that you clean do have some pretty great twists to them. While, once again, it doesn’t prime you to be blown away, it does ensure that you’re not bored by the end. There is a challenge to be found, even if it isn’t a tremendous one.

And that’s all there is to Wyrmhall: Brush and Banter. It’s an efficient and tight game without completely sacrificing imagination. With confidence, it ticks all the boxes it set out to, and that, in itself, is commendable. I doubt I’m going to be thinking very hard about it a few months down the line, but I’m happy I played it, and I’d gladly do it again. It’s laid-back and imaginative. It’s well worth trying out if you want something pleasant to unwind with on a quiet evening or lazy afternoon.

7/10

This review was conducted using a digital Steam version of the game. It was provided by the publisher.