Undusted: Letters from the Past Review | Cleaning Up Memories

In real life I hate cleaning as I’m sure many of us do. But in a video game, I find it oddly satisfying. I love games like PowerWash Simulator and was looking forward to Undusted: Letters from the Past from developer 5minlab Corp. which promises a cozy and relaxing experience. And while I did like the cleaning parts of the game, I was surprised by how sad the game’s story was. 

In Undusted: Letters from the Past, you play as Adora, a young woman who has come to her family’s old home to restore some of the objects inside. Each object is full of memories and has Aodra reminiscing about her past, her parents, her old passions and much more. She even discovers items she’s never found before and learns things about her parents she never knew. 

In terms of gameplay, players will have a new object to clean each chapter with a bar at the bottom that will tell you how much progress you’ve made. In the beginning, you’ll start with just a tool or two - a sponge, a toothbrush, rag - in order to clean, and you’ll notice that some parts of each object need a bit more elbow grease than others. As you get closer to finishing your cleaning, you can use the highlight mechanic which will show you where any leftover dirt or rust may be that you missed. Once you’ve hit at least 99% cleanliness, you can move on to the next level. 

Each time you clean an item, Adora will have a memory from her past to give players context to why that item was significant in her life. You’ll learn about her parents and her relationship with them as well as their relationship with each other. I believe that Adora is looking for a kind of closure and by cleaning each object and making them like brand new she gets a closer to understanding her parents and some of the things that went wrong in her life. 

Some of my nitpicks with the game come from how perfect you have to clean things before you’re able to move on. I spent probably an extra half hour of the game’s 2ish hour playtime just randomly going over and over items that I could not find a speck of dirt on. Even using the highlight button didn’t reveal a speck of dirt and yet I would be stuck at 98.5%. It could be a bit unforgiving and there were one or two times that I almost gave up from frustration. 

Undusted: Letters from the Past is an enjoyable game, but not one without its minor flaws. Overall, its cleaning mechanics are enjoyable and relaxing, but there are times when you may find yourself stuck and unable to find that final speck of dirt or rust. In terms of story, the game tells a realistic story of family struggles, but one that is quite sad, something unexpected for a game that’s meant to be cozy. It looks gorgeous, the ambient sounds are great, but I wanted a bit more happiness for Adora, personally. 

Breakdown

Game: Undusted: Letters from the Past

Developer: 5minlab Corp.

Publisher: Toge Productions

Game Length: About 2 hours

Reviewed on PC

Final Thoughts

Undusted: Letters from the Past is definitely a satisfying cleaning game. The game’s mechanics are easy to learn and cleaning each item is simple and fun. The game’s story, while rooted in reality, is sad and left me feeling disappointed. Not all stories can end how we want them too, of course, but Undusted may not be the relaxing experience players expect from a game labeled as “cozy.” I wanted more for Adora’s story (and frankly, I wanted to clean more too!).