The fourth week of June on Steam saw a surge of interesting new titles. We had the extraction shooter 'Sand Raiders of Sophie,' where you roam the desert in a mobile base, the 'Stronghold 4' demo, and the full release of the resource management puzzle game 'Orbs of Creation.' Amidst this, the charming tidying-up simulator 'Cozy Cleaner' really stood out.

We’ve all used the 'the cat did it' excuse when we’ve made a mess we’d rather hide. But in 'Cozy Cleaner,' the cat is the genuine culprit; you are tasked with cleaning up after a furry little chaotic agent. Across 30 stages, the excuses these cats conjure up are brilliant—things like 'the fish in the bowl was staring at me' or 'I was just sitting there, but the items on the table looked interesting.' They don't help, of course, but they do have the audacity to suggest, 'Shall we tidy up together?'

Your goal is to tidy a house that looks like a war zone. You're equipped with rubber gloves, a dustpan, and a mop to tackle the grime. The rubber gloves are your primary tool for binning trash—pizza slices, cardboard boxes, and food waste—while stray clothes go in the laundry and displaced objects head back to the shelves.

Tap the TAB key during gameplay to highlight interactive objects; trash is conveniently marked in red. The real challenge lies in re-homing displaced items. If you're unsure where something belongs, wiggle it around; shelves or fridges might expand or open up to reveal their intended spots. If you're still stuck, just hold an object for a moment—the cat will wander near the destination as a cheeky hint.

Once the clutter is cleared, it’s time for the dustpan and mop. The mop handles spills, while the dustpan is essential for gathering potting soil, dust, lint, and cobwebs. As you progress, you'll unlock tools like a watering can for plants and a hand cloth for wall stains.

After the primary clean, fire up the vacuum to handle the fine dust. This is also your chance for a bit of petty revenge: steer the vacuum toward the cat, and it will let out a 'meow' and bolt to the corner. It perfectly captures that specific disdain pets have for the vacuum cleaner.

Finally, it's time to finish up. You’ll need to reinstall items the cat completely destroyed. When the delivery truck arrives, unpack the boxes and place the new items in their spots. If you're lost, you can ask the cat for help again. You’ll be delivering pillows, cups, and—quite suspiciously—gold and dollars for the safe. Don't ask where they got the money.

Between cleaning stages, you'll find mini-stages. 'Gardening' has you harvesting tomatoes and watering flowers, while 'Fridge Organization' focuses on restocking. Set to a lo-fi soundtrack, there’s something genuinely therapeutic about clearing a room or tending to a garden.

'Cozy Cleaner' is currently sitting at 'Very Positive' (92% positive) on Steam. Players are calling it a 'charming cat cleaning game,' noting that 'the cat is cute and useless, but that’s just how cats are,' and praising the concept of 'cleaning up after a cat’s mess.' One user even found the translation of the player character as a 'butler' quite amusing.