Leonid Gorbachev | CEO of Mind Control Games on Building Cash Cleaner Simulator

Honestly, I didn’t dream about it for a long time — it felt unreachable. But one day I stumbled upon the Valve Handbook, and it inspired me. I loved the way creative work was organized within their team, and suddenly it all felt… possible.

Later, a close friend and I started developing a board game around New Year’s, and that was the first time I truly felt the joy of game design and playtesting.

We’ve always aimed to deliver original experiences through systems. We tend to think beyond genre, searching for the best way to express an idea through mechanics. It’s a more difficult approach, but it gives us the opportunity to create something truly unique.

The second key focus for us is immersion — we want players to feel free, and for the answer to “Can I do this?” to always be “Yes.”

Back when we were developing Cartel Tycoon, we had a money-laundering mechanic. Our designer, Rita, joked about it one day — and that joke somehow evolved into a real idea. We decided to focus entirely on the experience of handling physical cash and lean fully into that fantasy.

We also wanted to build a calm, pressure-free game where the atmosphere is never interrupted — just the player and their money.

We put a lot of care into making the core interactions feel satisfying. We also intentionally avoided timed objectives or progression for its own sake, so players — especially those with attention challenges — never feel pressured or punished.

Our goal was to support as many playstyles as possible and reward initiative. It may not be revolutionary, but players seem to genuinely appreciate that freedom.

Toward the end of production, we suddenly ran out of funding and had to look for new partners in a difficult market.

On the technical side, we faced major challenges as well — we wanted to implement the latest Unreal Engine features, such as Chaos and Lumen. Getting those systems under control took a significant amount of time and effort.

We talk things through and try to find balance together. There’s no universal formula — every situation is different.

I think trends emerge when a great game appears — and a great game can come from any genre. In the end, it’s about talent and a little bit of luck.

AR and VR still face barriers — most people don’t enjoy spending long hours in headsets.

AI, on the other hand — especially large language models — already plays a big role in early development. It saves time and helps streamline smaller processes along the way.

We want players to reconnect with their inner child — and feel what it’s like to have way too much money!

Relaxation and joy!

We have plenty of ideas, but personally, I’d love to make a detailed strategy game about the American Mafia one day. For now, though, we’re focused on simpler, more playful concepts. Making games is fun!

Right now, we’re focused on additional content and a console release of Cash Cleaner Simulator.

Looking ahead, we’re carefully reviewing player feedback — some ideas don’t fit into the current game, but they’re definitely inspiring what might come next.

We’re entering an era of great design — development time for interesting ideas has dropped dramatically thanks to new technology.

And visuals are no longer everything. Gaming culture has shifted — players don’t need the most cutting-edge shaders to have a great time.

It’s not just about what’s in the game — it’s about what players imagine is there. People naturally see life in inanimate things, so our job isn’t that difficult. We simply help by filling the world with small, believable details.

Personally, I’d love to exchange ideas with the Crusader Kings team at Paradox.

As for a real collaboration — that’s harder to answer. Every studio is its own living organism, and every developer can reveal a different side of themselves in a new environment.

Learn to start new things easily — and quit what doesn’t work just as easily. Time is your most valuable resource.