Curly from Mouthwashing

For most of Mouthwashing, Curly is a haunting reminder of the consequences of his own actions. The game frames the captain of the Tulpar spaceship as the instigator of a crash landing that stranded him and his crew. His haunting burnt figure is mummified and he is left unable to speak, though he is kept alive and force-fed painkillers by his remaining crew as they try to survive the circumstances he ostensibly led them to.

While Mouthwashing adds a lot of nuance to Curly’s role in how everything went down, his design is one of the most striking of any video game character this year. His lone uncovered eye follows you through the room, you have to pry open his mouth to give him pills, and the visceral discomfort Mouthwashing creates every time you interact with him only grows as the psychological horror game goes off the rails in the second half. Mouthwashing turned out to be one of the breakout hits of 2024, and the image of Curly’s burnt figure has become one of the most iconic visual elements of any game this year. Despite its horrifying nature, Curly’s post-crash design has become a surprising cosplay trend online.