Mouthwashing comes from developer Wrong Organ, the talented team that created How Fish is Made. It is a psychological horror set in the claustrophobic confines of a doomed space freighter.
How’s the story?
The story in Mouthwashing is difficult to write about without giving too much away. The quick overview is that you are aboard the Tulpar, a Pony Express ship on a one year journey to deliver cargo. Things have not gone well for you. Your space freighter is losing power, food rations are nearly gone, and the sanity of the crew is rapidly dwindling. The game’s narrative is told mostly through a mixture of conversations with crew and exploring the ship. There are various posters, notes, and other items you can find that help provide more context to the Tulpar’s crew and their adventures. It is a story full of twists, unexpected turns, and a little bit of space madness.
Gameplay
While the game certainly fits the psychological horror theme it aims for, it felt much like a Walking Simulator to me. You will walk and run through the corridors of the Tulpar, completing various tasks for your crewmates with only the occasional environmental interaction. There is no combat in the game, and only a few areas that have a real feeling of a threat.
Where the game may lack in combat, it certainly makes up for in its atmosphere. The paranoia, hallucinations, and crew conflicts give the game a continual sense of dread. There’s a sense of optimism that slowly deteriorates as you progress. Things are bad, and they are only going to get worse. It’s a feeling of impending doom, and a countering hope that somehow you can set things right.
Pros and Cons
The pros: I found the claustrophobic nature of the ship to be a boon. It increased the overall sense of horror throughout the story. The more you observed and interacted with your environment, the more you were treated to immersive storytelling. The way the narrative unfolds as you explore the ship and interact with your crew keeps you guessing, and makes you question the reality of what you’re seeing. Each crew member is unique, with their own personalities and agendas. The second half of the game ramps up the horror theme, and it is glorious.
The cons: The limited interaction with the crew felt like a missed opportunity. Despite each crew member feeling unique, it seemed like they would only provide enough information to push the narrative forward. The ship suffers from the same fate, teasing you with moments of intrigue only to push you forward into the overarching story. This leaves the game feeling slightly rushed at times.
Final thoughts
Mouthwashing is an enjoyable psychological horror with an interesting narrative, but suffers from too little time spent fully fleshing out the story presented. The PSX style low-poly graphics are a great fit for the game’s aesthetic and atmosphere.
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