Laundry Store Simulator is a first person shop management game from Indonesian studio Akhir Pekan Studio, published by PlayWay and released on 9 December 2024. You start with a small laundromat, a handful of second hand machines and a stack of decorations you can sell for startup cash, and you build it into a business with coin operated self service, a minimart, a screen printing bench, carpet and shoe cleaning and a bakso cart out front. Progress runs on a Laundry Rank that rises as you serve customers, and each rank up hands you a challenge asking for a set number of repetitions of a specific task before it unlocks. Machines matter more than they first appear: the starting Cheap Used washer costs eleven dollars and takes 45 minutes a cycle, while the Waffles Series 77B costs 786 dollars, needs Rank 8 and cuts that to about 20 minutes. There are 75 achievements, a skill tree, phone based quests and a rotating cast of troublesome customers, and the whole thing is far denser than the storefront screenshots suggest.
Combat in Laundry Store Simulator rewards knowledge over reflexes. Understanding how each mechanic works (and how they interact) is what turns a struggling player into a dominant one. New here? Start with our beginner's guide for the basics.
Core Combat Mechanics
1. Laundry Rank and rank up challenges
Every completed transaction awards experience, and hitting the threshold triggers a challenge rather than an instant promotion. The challenge asks for a set number of repetitions of one task, such as washing a certain number of loads or serving a number of customers, and only completing it raises the rank. Ranks gate almost everything worth having: the minimart employee needs Rank 6 together with the storage room unlocked, and the Waffles Series 77B washer needs Rank 8.
Why it matters: This is the foundation of all combat. Everything else builds on this.
2. Washer and dryer tiers
Washing machines run from the Cheap Used unit at eleven dollars with a 45 minute cycle up to the Waffles Series 77B at 786 dollars, which drops the cycle to roughly 20 minutes. Faster machines cost more but they also break down less often, so the real saving is fewer repair interruptions rather than the raw time. Dryers work the same way and become the bottleneck once your washers are quick, because clothes queue between the two stages.
Why it matters: The most underrated mechanic. Players who master this early have a massive advantage.
3. Coin laundry self service
The Coin Wash Room is the single best early unlock because coin washers earn without you touching them. They run from 39 dollars to 201 dollars with cycle times from two hours down to one hour twenty, and customers pay a fixed rate no matter which machine they use, so the cheap ones are not obviously worse per transaction. Customers also leave clothes behind in coin machines, and those can be sold at the secondhand shop across the street for a dollar or two each.
Why it matters: Unlocks a new layer of gameplay depth once understood.
4. Employees at two dollars a day
Every employee costs two dollars a day, which is trivial against what they earn, so hiring early is close to free money. They are not equal: Ellen handles folding and ironing well enough to be the first hire most players make, Tannahill runs the cashier position and becomes far more useful once the 1,100 dollar minimart upgrade is installed, and Alva is slow enough at washing and drying that many players skip her. Special employee upgrades let staff handle minimart stock, fur removal and other tasks they cannot do by default.
Why it matters: The tactical edge that separates average players from advanced ones.
5. Side businesses and the minimart
The laundry itself is only part of the income. A minimart sells retail products at prices you set daily, screen printing lets you make custom shirts with variable ink costs, carpet cleaning and shoe cleaning unlock as separate services, and a bakso cart sells food to a separate customer type. Fully upgrading the bakso cart unlocks a dedicated bakso employee. Setting up the minimart early is the standard advice because it produces steady income that does not compete with your machine time.
Why it matters: The endgame optimization mechanic. Small improvements here compound into massive gains.
How These Mechanics Combine
Understanding how mechanics interact is where real optimization happens:
Laundry Rank and rank up challenges + Washer and dryer tiers
Every completed transaction awards experience, and hitting the threshold triggers a challenge rather than an instant promotion. When combined with Washer and dryer tiers, washing machines run from the cheap used unit at eleven dollars with a 45 minute cycle up to the waffles series 77b at 786 dollars, which drops the cycle to roughly 20 minutes. This combination is the core of every effective build.
Coin laundry self service + Employees at two dollars a day
The Coin Wash Room is the single best early unlock because coin washers earn without you touching them. Paired with Employees at two dollars a day, every employee costs two dollars a day, which is trivial against what they earn, so hiring early is close to free money. This is why the tier list favors builds that leverage both.
Side businesses and the minimart as a Multiplier
The laundry itself is only part of the income. A minimart sells retail products at prices you set daily, screen printing lets you make custom shirts with variable ink costs, carpet cleaning and shoe cleaning unlock as separate services, and a bakso cart sells food to a separate customer type. Fully upgrading the bakso cart unlocks a dedicated bakso employee. Setting up the minimart early is the standard advice because it produces steady income that does not compete with your machine time. This system amplifies everything else. The better your Side businesses and the minimart optimization, the more your other mechanics pay off.
Combat by Build
Each build approaches combat differently:
Cashier (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Cheap Used washing machine Primary mechanic: Laundry Rank and rank up challenges
Cashier offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Washing and drying staff (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Waffles Series 77B washing machine Primary mechanic: Washer and dryer tiers
Washing and drying staff offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Folding and ironing staff (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Coin washer Primary mechanic: Coin laundry self service
Folding and ironing staff offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Minimart clerk (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Dryer Primary mechanic: Employees at two dollars a day
Minimart clerk offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Bakso vendor (A-Tier)
Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key equipment: Screen printing press Primary mechanic: Side businesses and the minimart
Bakso vendor offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.
Advanced Combat Techniques
Damage Optimization
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities
- Exploit Laundry Rank and rank up challenges for maximum damage windows
- Chain Washer and dryer tiers and Coin laundry self service for combo damage
- Use Employees at two dollars a day to create openings
Survivability
- Learn enemy patterns before committing to attacks
- Sell the decorations that come with the starting shop before your first customer arrives, because furniture resells for roughly ten percent of its purchase price and that first lump of cash buys your first proper washer.
- Position using Laundry Rank and rank up challenges to control spacing
- Save defensive options for guaranteed survival, not comfort
Boss Combat
Bosses test your understanding of every mechanic. See our boss guide for fight-specific strategies.
- Phase awareness: Most bosses change behavior at health thresholds
- Patience over aggression: One extra hit per opening beats dying to greed
- Build preparation: Swap gear and equipment for specific fights when needed
Common Combat Mistakes
- Button mashing: Committed attacks have recovery frames. Mashing locks you into animations.
- Ignoring Washer and dryer tiers: This mechanic exists for a reason. Players who use it take significantly less damage.
- Wrong equipment for the situation: Check our weapons guide for situational picks.
- Not learning from deaths: Every death teaches something. If you don't know why you died, you'll die the same way again.
- Overcommitting: Trading hits works in Coin Wash Room but will get you killed in Secondhand shop across the street.
More Laundry Store Simulator Guides
- Laundry Store Simulator Laundry Store Simulator Overview
- Laundry Store Simulator Best Builds
- Laundry Store Simulator Tier List
- Laundry Store Simulator Walkthrough
- Laundry Store Simulator Beginner's Guide
- Laundry Store Simulator Tips & Tricks
- Laundry Store Simulator Weapons Guide
- Laundry Store Simulator Boss Guide
- Laundry Store Simulator Maps & Locations
- Laundry Store Simulator Crafting Guide
- Laundry Store Simulator Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Laundry Store Simulator, check out these related guides:
- Stardew Valley Combat Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
- Satisfactory Combat Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
- The Sims 4 Combat Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
