Mouthwashing Review: A Fiery Fresh Take on Psychological Horror

Wrong Organ's Mouthwashing is the kind of game that lingers with you long after the credits roll, and it’s not just because of its eerie atmosphere or striking low-poly visuals. The game pulls you into a tense, unforgiving cage from the moment you hop aboard the Tulpar, a long-haul space freighter manned by five Pony Express crew members. But your voyage hasn't gone as planned; a sudden crash severely injures the crew's captain and leaves them stranded with dwindling resources. It's a dire setting, and it only gets more grim as the game progresses and the crew grapples with their isolation and the wreckage of the ship. 

The horror in Mouthwashing gets more intense throughout, but it kicks in at the very beginning, where you find yourself seated in the Tulpar's cockpit, presumably as the ship's captain... "0 days before the crash." Ominous. The screen in front of you lets you know that you're headed towards an asteroid and need to make a leftwards correction to prevent said disaster, but the only option for you is to steer right. Wait, you'll likely ask yourself, am I doing something wrong? Didn't it say left? Is there anything I can do to fix this?

As tension mounts, the true horror reveals itself: you’re not meant to avoid the crash—you’re meant to cause it. You must grab a key from the nearby cabinet, disengage the autopilot, and set the ship on a course for disaster. But why are you doing this? What’s happening? This overwhelming sense of uncertainty, that nagging feeling of being trapped in a nightmare with no clear answers, is a terror few games can pull off with such precision, but Mouthwashing manages to do so from the very start.

Once you do start to uncover those answers, though, they're no more comforting than the initial sense of uncertainty and dread. You don't have much time to process what just happened before the scene swaps to a time before the crash, putting you in the shoes of Jimmy, one of the crew's members. As you make your way throughout the ship, you'll meet the jaded veteran Swansea, optimistic intern Daisuke, and Anya, the ship's timid and anxious nurse. The crew's interactions feel authentic, their conversations tinged with the stress of their situation and the underlying tensions that begin to surface in the aftermath of the crash.

Then there's Captain Curly himself, who can be found lying on a stretcher in the Tulpar's medical room. Severely injured and with bloodied bandages everywhere but one eye, Curly lays beneath a perpetual sunset and beside a stack of dwindling painkillers. Anya is often in the medical room by his side. His condition serves as a grim reminder of how fragile survival has become for the crew, and the symbolism surrounding him becomes a recurring theme throughout the game.

It all plays out like more of a movie than a game as we get to know the members of the Tulpar and how they're coping with the crash, so I was intrigued enough by the characters and their interactions that I didn't miss the complex puzzles that are omnipresent in psychological horror titles but mostly absent here. For the most part, the game is a walking simulator with fetch quests, but I never minded that as I played. The crew's backstories, shaped by their demanding work for Pony Express—a company notorious for its harsh policies, like only permitting 4 hours of sleep per night and losing a third of its deliveries—add layers of depth to the narrative. 

In fact, the game excels so much in its storytelling and world building that it's when it introduces new gameplay mechanics that it slightly falters. Toward the end, a few sections add unique mechanics that, rather than enhancing the experience, feel more distracting and frustrating than fun. Some looping sections drag on just a little too long, and otherwise impactful portions can become mildly repetitive, weighing them down. These moments disrupt the otherwise immersive atmosphere and seem out of place, but they’re relatively minor issues in what is otherwise an engaging and captivating experience. 

Despite a few slow moments, Mouthwashing stands out as one of the most memorable, impactful, and unique indie games I've played in 2024. Its blend of unrelenting dread, unique setting, and psychological horror creates an unforgettable experience that won't leave a bad taste in your mouth.