I have been waiting to be let into Reshine’s playtest for weeks now, each day more eager than the last. Because after stumbling across a short video of what it would be like to restore an old trinket in this cosy sim, I was convinced that this may be the best cleaning and restoration game I’ve ever come across.

Thankfully, I was let into the playtest yesterday, and after immediately jumping to download it I was greeted with an hour of pure bliss as I worked my way through tidying up three old yet beloved items.

Set in a cosy, slightly dusty attic studio, you’ve got your work bench and all the tools you need to restore antiques and beloved toys. The first project I started was a seriously rusted butcher knife in the shape of a fox, it was in such bad shape that I didn’t actually know what it was meant to be at first.

But that didn’t matter. I started by disassembling the knife, removing the nails from the handle so I could separate the wood from the metal. Then I got to work dusting, sanding, and polishing all the materials with the various tools present in the studio.

This part is perhaps the most satisfying. Like other cleaning simulators, you work slowly and methodically in Reshine to remove the grime, dust, and rust from each section. Some dust comes off with just a blast of air, but other marks are more ingrained and need a sharper, more precise tool. It’s not a guessing game, though, Reshine always arms you with the right gadget for the task.

After cleaning it up I set about popping a base layer of paint on the wooden handle, then I chose a deep red for the overcoat—it’s meant to be a fox’s tail after all, so I thought it was the right colour for the occasion.

The next tasks I had in my workshop was refurbishing an old rotary telephone and a cute little wooden toy in the shape of an elephant. The elephant was pretty easy going, all it needed was a bit of sanding and a fresh coat of paint, but the telephone was a bit more complex.

Alongside having several little parts to dissect and clean individually, each needed various tools to get the job done. Alongside the sand blaster, polisher, and air blower, the phone also required a laser to get all the deep rust off. But all of that just meant I had more time to relax and clean up some old treasures.

The cosy attic location, the slow cleaning process, and the calming and soft music all make Reshine an incredibly rewarding and mindful game to play. I knew I’d love it from the first video I saw, and I was right. There’s only three tasks available in the playtest right now, but I can’t wait to head back up to the attic and get to work restoring more antiques.