Mouthwashing Review: Minty Fresh Space Oddities
In space, no one can hear you bake. However, crash into an asteroid, and - no, you're done and on your own in Mouthwashing.
Mouthwashing is neither a promo piece for fresh, minty breath nor some dodgy slang involving gentlemen's relish (yeah, that wasn't a pleasant definition, but that's what the internet said). Well, that's not entirely true. There is an underlying thread about hygiene, but that's not the focus.
From Wrong Organ, this is a first-person psychological horror set in space. You're part of a five-person crew aboard the Tulpar - a long-haul freighter of the Pony Express line-up. On this particular trip, the ship collides with an asteroid and remains helpless and stranded, leaving its crew with only a matter of months until their supplies run out, and with no hope of a rescue.
Mouthwashing Review
Cue some mind games that flip the narrative almost immediately. Chaos reigns when a mutiny unholds against leadership, but the captain of the ship, Curly, is rendered practically lifeless, in constant pain and unable to communicate from the get-go. It's time for pal Jimmy to step up, but how will the remaining crew members take to him?
Mouthwashing has been one of my top five games of 2024 after playing the demo during Steam Next Fest. I bought it immediately (this isn't a review code), and it didn't disappoint. The atmosphere is unsettling throughout, and the visual style, with its' 'advanced' Goldeneye modelling and dithering techniques (subtle ones), caused little slivers of saliva to form at the corners of my mouth - the setup is tantalising.
Aye - it's a birthday party. Source: Screen capture
Curly Fries
As the crew are more or less doomed, it's up to Jimmy to take the lead and give hope to who's left. There's the sour alcoholic Swansea - a mechanical genius, but potentially stung too many times by corporate and could be one to keep an eye on. His subordinate is the surfer stereotype Daiskue - a lovely bloke but a plank. Anya is the medical officer, but she's a little work-shy and not keen on administering aid to those who need it. Finally, there's Polle - Pony Express' mascot, and simply a ray of sunshine like any mascot should be.
It's clear from the beginning that Mouthwashing is going to be a clusterfuck of sanity levels. Who can you trust? Yourself, even? The gameplay itself is simple. There'll be tasks such as locating a code reader to open doors, implementing culinary skills on par with The Jetsons, and boosting morale and feeding the animals. Sorry, Curly. It's very much on rails and doesn't offer anything in the way of challenge, but the narrative aspect and world-building are sublime, and that's all that's needed.
Gargle. Source: Screen capture
Rinse And... Repeat?
Though the gameplay is linear, the storytelling is not, thrusting back and forth before and after the collision, giving hints as to what will happen in the near future, and then some exposition to character behaviour. Maybe they were mad to begin with? Or is it you? There are plenty of questions to ask, though the pace in Mouthwashing is just right without practically no downtime to wonder what to do next. Like the recent Apartment Story, it feels like an interactive movie, and once it was over, aside from writing this up, I wanted to revisit it.
This might be premature, but there aren't multiple endings, and I was surprised at how many achievements had been missed on the first playthrough, making me wonder whether there are, in fact, a few different arcs here and there or perhaps a secret room or two. Regardless, I came away with a beam on my face, "Money well spent, and well worth the wait". I didn't say that at all, but for the sake of clarity, that's what I think.
Mouthwashing Review Summary
Mouthwashing is a super slick, surreal psychological affair that, for once, doesn't rely on Lovecraft but the sheer mess our minds create when faced with fear, danger, and rubbery cakes. In the context of my tastes - Who's Lila?, Critters For Sale, and again, Apartment Story - this is an immediate recommendation to anyone with the same sunny disposition.
