Coming soon to a PC near you: sweat, anxiety, long hours, and a dislike for the general public. Overcooked is here to bring the kitchen life to Steam on August 3rd.
The game will ship with twenty-eight single player missions, nine local multiplayer maps for up to four players, and fourteen playable chefs. There is no current plans for online multiplayer, as disappointing as that is. There needs to be more irrationally irate gamers on the internet.
The game is deceptively simple: orders will appear in the top left of the screen with a timer bar displayed above it. As a team, you will need to chop, mix, or apply the ingredients listed below the order in correct succession, and place the dish in the pick-up window to complete the order. Just like the real deal, there will be a myriad of complications preventing you from preforming the tasks. Food left too long on the stove will engulf in flame, dishes pile high, orders jammed, and maps will feature on-coming traffic, earthquakes, lava pits—anything to prevent the players from settling in to a comfortable routine. Only slightly less stressful than the actual practice.
From the perspective of a past line cook, the game’s pacing is marvelous. It applies the right amount of anxiety and tension that eerily mimics the intensity of a professional kitchen. The recipes are simpler, and you never need to dread whether or not the prep cook sliced enough salmon for the dinner rush, but the groundwork stays true to its source. Useful wisdom, do not play with a significant other. This game will join Mario Party as a primary reason for marriage counseling. Otherwise, it is a blast to play with friends, and has potential to become a social hit. Start figuring out which friends will be dishwashers, sooner than later.