Chef RPG

Overall a nice novelty: even for Stardew players! TL;DR: A fair starting point for Early Access, with great potential for a cozy game, but hopefully it will become more well-rounded. For now, I'm kind of on the fence about whether you should buy it, mainly due to the fairly significant lack of guidance for the player and the lackluster progression of the city and the NPCs. Firstly, everything I liked: - I love the look of the town. A lot of thought and work has gone into making the market as charming as it is. The details of the buildings and the different levels connected via stairs are chef's kiss. You definitely get excited about this new world, exploring it and its people. - The minigames for cooking (initially). You actually feel like you improve and get into a rhythm with the same two minigames you have to do (to get a decent score for your dish) in the beginning. You get the auto-cook option, but I refrained from using it due to it negatively affecting the dish grade, so I only used it when my cooking level had sufficiently increased (which I think(?) is the reason auto-cook no longer gives a bad grade). - The improvement of the restaurant is something you very quickly become interested in. The new recipes, hiring more staff, increasing profits, and improving the city were all things I was very excited about. - That you could date Aylin. She's so charming. The cons: - Minor issues that are easily solved: NPCs phasing through buildings if you talk to them on their way to a shop; the recipe-development overview icons don't all have descriptions, and the same goes for some of the skill icons; sometimes you're unable to do a minigame for a recipe improvement or character event (the protein shake or birthday cake). Likewise some clipping of dishes when chefs put them down on a table and characters "floating" in the bathhouse. All minor issues that can easily be fixed, so I'm sure they won't be a problem later. Especially the untoggled running of the PC after every single time you interact with anything, which is super bothersome. - Likewise, all the character dialogue is the same, so I've started skipping through a lot of it, which is too bad, but I don't feel like they're saying anything new or that I'm learning anything about them. Likewise, the letters all contain the same "I want to visit" text, without even any gifts or things like that, so I don't see the purpose of them at all. - All the different mechanics are very poorly explained; for example, that cooking in your own kitchen is the main way to get recipes instead of trying to get them from shops. I also didn't realize that you had the option of developing a recipe without using a cooking utensil (because there was a box that hadn't been checked!). - The city upgrades are so lackluster: the most exciting thing was a copper mine. (There comes a barber shop, which is indeed cute, but it offers the same haircuts as in the initial character creation, or a new furniture store, which has about a dozen new items, making it a total letdown compared to the one already existing in the city.) - There is seemingly no increase in NPC shops for clothing, whether through shops or crafting, which is too bad. - Likewise, I need a lot more furniture, floor and also wall options. I think the current options are so limited and boring. - The dating aspect is very boring, for now, and doesn't bring anything to the gameplay as is. - There's no change in ingredients during the seasons, so I don't know if I feel like there's really any reason for them, besides looks. It would be fun to have different ingredients be accessible throughout the year, to also have to accommodate this in a changing menu. And also for example to have specific ingredients or temperatures be "trendy", as it is in real life - very few people want warm soup on a hot summer day for lunch - or have a celebrity write about a certain dish to make it more popular. - You're able to have ingredients sent to your restaurant, but you're left with very little to do to get more. So the late-game daily routine is just to go to the shops every morning to get the expensive ingredients that can't be shipped. - Things aren't highlighted, and you aren't told how to gather them, so collecting Waterleaf or Wild Rice in the swamp is something I only discovered in the last 10 hours of gameplay. - That changing your research stations costs so much! Eg. If you unlock a dish in another cuisine type, you have to spend so many resources changing the kitchen to just upgrade that one dish. Some heavier issues: I feel like I have sort of already finished the game(?). I have endless hours in Stardew, but the lack of character events, the monotone festivals (especially the Spring Festival minigame, which is several rounds of the same boring bet-or-bluff minigame), and the automation of the restaurant make the game feel shallow. It would be great to have more fleshed-out elements. - While automation is, of course, somewhat a goal for the restaurant—from auto-cook to hiring plenty of staff—I now feel useless in my restaurant. I wish the game gave you new problems to tackle, either through staff or customers (e.g., a picky customer who wants a dish cooked only by you), or gave you the option to run service without having to be there yourself (which I doubt is the solution). Minor spoilers incoming regarding later acts: - There is a general lack of guidance regarding what goals you should work toward to progress. Several times I've found myself without a clear direction for advancing the main story, and I still don't know what catapulted me from one act to another or how to initiate the bathhouse story. - Speaking of the bathhouse story, I don't quite see the point of it as it currently stands. I thought it would be different from the restaurant that I already have... but it's the same? - There end up being SOOOO many different minigames, which seemingly don't have a purpose. In Act 2(?) you get a bath bomb minigame... I don't understand at all why it's there, as I still don't know when or how this mechanic is incorporated into the game. - I hoped the bathhouse story would include new furniture, clothes for the PC and staff, maybe the potential geisha performance on a platform, or that the customers desire specific things, just anything to make the space unique. So while written out it might seem like a game I wouldn't recommend, but I've played it a lot so the new-ness has worn off a bit. But I AM super excited for what's to come, and I can tell a lot of love has gone into the game initially, so I just hope it carries into the future <3

Minigames used for the cooking are not well advertised in store page. I absolutly hate ddr style minigames (click the correct key while they fall past). Didn't get far enought to not recomment or recomend, but beware it has tons of these "mini games" that just ruin it for me. Marking not recommended if you don't like random ddr style minigmes to do many tasks. Update: Yes I know there is auto complete, but you have to unlock the auto complete. There are other very clunky aspects to the game also that just make it unenjoyable for me. It had promise, but falls very short for me, it's nothing like what I was looking for even though it seemed like it would be based on it's store page.

loving the gameplay and the intense hunting, lmao. it got me squealing. the mini games when cooking are cute too. the research actually got me using my brain, lol. i’m excited to find more recipes! the only thing is... why do I have to keep clicking "run" every single time I forage or hunt? i’ve gone to the hospital multiple times because I keep forgetting to click the run button TT

love a good cozy game. the steam summer sale came around and Chef RPG has been on my wish list for a while. finally picking it up i found a fun little cozy style game in the same vein as Stardew Valley. (although to its credit, chef rpg gives you the reigns to do everything pretty fast unlike SDV) i've come across some jank and some bugs but in early access they weren't huge. people being stuck in walls when i enter their home (i think it was Bea and their kids) but hey, that's early access :P also i saw people complaining about the hunting and the animals running away? honeslty, unfounded and stupid. yeah animals run when you lodge an arrow in their ass. follow them and finish hunting them its easy xD im SO eager to see more of the game and, more furniture, more stations, more to everything as the games developed :)

It's definitely fun for an early access. Biggest gripe right now is you're stuck with useless tools for a pretty long time it seems like. If you want better tools your options are to full rush befriending npcs and ignoring all content at all costs if you don't want to scythe one lettuce 50 times which is a bit dissapointing. Would be nice to have an OK tier above it that isn't NPC quest related that way you have "bronze" tools then you have to interact with the npcs to upgrade further perhaps. - Update: Made a new character with this social rush strategy and now the game breaks. The game has the talk->gift pitfall to unlock everything in its current state and the unlocks are massive. We’re talking about better tools being hidden behind characters, a delivery system to your kitchen, cheaper prices and I managed this all by day 10. It feels that the progression of the game is too heavily reliant on spamming close friend status all the merchants in Ash Harbor rather than it being from the fruits of your labor THEN or AND you can experience fun character stories. In stardew valley terms it feels like everyone is Shayne, you rush his marriage for blue chickens and you’re done with him which is a shame. Would very much prefer that characters have super late game unlocks or fun/gripping narratives that provide a benefit rather than regular tool upgrades or machines. - If there were a nerf/overhaul to relationships definitely more gift variety and gift fatigue when giving the same exact item and probably one dialogue a day towards friendship progress. What would be nice is that the bulletin board has the option to create take out meals, being able to gift take out meals on my own would be great. - The greenhouse is fun albeit basic, a workshop for sale would also be nice to store all the machines we receive like the furnace and fermentation machines that way the home stays as a home and the workshop/barn is for all other the machine stuff. - Hunting is extremely strong and immensely profitable more than even running your restaurant. If you rush max friendship with Pomarine you buy an upgraded bow then hunt everything to extinction and you’re pulling in about 4-5k a day at around day 13~. I mention this because this strategy is so much more lucrative than running your kitchen, working on your greenhouse, foraging and especially mining. - Mining could use a big overhaul. The feel of early game mining feels bad because the animation is soooo long. Pickaxes in other life sim games (not just SDV) feel fine because the animation to pick 5 times is so quick rather than watching your character do long drilling animations 3-4 times for ores. - The recipes and minigames for cooking are fun I like them. Some minigames like the recipe finding could be slightly more clear about filling in and flavors but I caught on after a bit of practice. - Not sure if I’m missing something but maybe buff auto cook a little bit? I’m able to consistently 90-100 dishes but auto cook puts out 50s-60s. - Being able to train staff or having staff npcs with storylines and upgrades would be nice. I understand you can eventually have multiple restaurants and it would be nice to build up a community of trusted cooks and waiters to help with your other establishments. - I actually really love the portrait work and I’m a big fan of their animations. I was wondering as you grow closer with the citizens of Ash Harbor could their portraits be slightly friendlier? Namely Prisca is who I’m thinking of because she’s intense to start then very quickly is friendly in her dialogue but her portrait is still intense. Something like that would be cool to see evolve. - As for the kitchen it would be very helpful to see how many portions I have of everything before starting service. - The romances are a bit underbaked and fast. What I hope to see from a romance and an overhaul NPC update is a build up like SDV/Sandrock Stranger -> Acquaintance -> Friend -> Good Friend -> Close Friend -> Dating -> Close Couple -> Married. Since interactions with NPCs are just spamming talk and shoving gifts there's not much build up. I think Sandrock's version is best (albiet maybe too expensive to develop for this game) where you get all the 2-4-6 heart cutscenes that SDV provides but you get their story, you build a friendship and you advance their personal storyline then you can date them. Sure it makes it so not everyone is instantly romanceable but it does make it fun that some characters are locked behind personal story/acts so people who are really involved with a character can really chase after them like Logan, Fang, Nia who are locked behind further progression. - I think the character's storylines are underbaked but that is clearly because they are unfinished in terms of dialogue I'll mention Sandrock again but I really hope this game doubles down on character storylines, strong friendships and deep romances. Since there isn't that much interaction with characters because the story is unfinished I can't "see" characters perform their archtypes. I know Prisca feels there's a lot of weight on her shoulders but I can't get to know that my leveling up my connection with her. Bianca is also stand-offish but she's trying to protect herself but she doesn't reveal that until you date her. Would be nice to find character development during the Friend -> Good Friend -> Close Friend stages. I hope to see future blogs on how character storylines and romance will be planned. All this to say I still find the game very fun and am hopeful for the future updates coming to the game.

As of now, the game is in 0.8. It's nearly finished. The game feels more or less complete as it is though. I have yet to complete the available main story chapters at 77 hours in. If I had rushed things, I probably would have but I've been taking my time. -Story: The narrative is simple and straightforward. You play as a talented young chef who's been gifted the deed to an abandoned restaurant by your former culinary professor. You work hard to revitalize the once great establishment and repay the trust and expectations your mentor has given you. Many of the townsfolk are happy to help you as you get your footing. They also want to see this restaurant make a comeback. -characters: There are a diverse range of colorful characters in the game. Each one holds their own staunch beliefs and principles. There's a cutthroat grandma who hunts wild game for a living. She'll sell you weapons and tools. There's a butcher who is just a tad too invested in his work. There's a goth mechanic that WILL be paid a fair recompense for her services. There's a malfunctioning kind android woman who has a very loose grip on reality. She sells boba tea for a living. -gameplay: Most of the early game will be spent outside the kitchen. You'll hunt, forage, and fish for ingredients while getting acquainted with the town. Because of this, I recommend not putting any starting skill points into gathering or endurance. Those will level up faster than the other two; cooking and social. Your social skill especially will lag behind. If you choose to be an android you should dump all your skill points into social at the start. The game doesn't tell you this but most of your progression is locked behind becoming friends with the NPCs. You won't be able to afford groceries at lower levels which are essential to transitioning from gathering your own ingredients to running the restaurant full time. You'll also not be able to purchase over half the items on a merchant's catalogue until you become friends with them. Midgame is all about cooking. You manage your ingredients, your staff, and your restaurant layout during your off hours and cook for your customers during service. The cooking minigames are engaging and interesting and the game rewards you for choosing to play them. You can however, choose to use the autocook feature which will lower your average tips but let you skip the minigames. Cooking also comes with the research mechanic. You can alter recipes to use an ingredient you have too much of or add one that will raise the price of the dish by multiple times. Each ingredient also comes with it's own flavor modifiers that can influence how the customer reacts to the food. I very much enjoy the concept of being free to alter the menu to my liking. There's a clear and tangible difference to my choices that aren't strictly governed by the games presets. The endgame content is still in development and I'm unsure of where I'm at in terms of the complete narrative so I won't make a comment on it. -setting: A rundown seaside town with a diverse ecosystem featuring a swamp, a series of beaches, a forest, a volcano, and a jam packed downtown area. The timeline is in the future some 80 years from now. Androids are common place. The architecture is reminiscent of a neo-Asian style. Along with sci-fi elements there are also ghosts and other supernatural entities being mentioned. -production value: The music is interesting. It gives a feeling of a call to adventure. It heightens the experience and adds to my drive when playing the game. It features mostly techno style. The art style is mostly pixelated. It's charming and has character but doesn't break any standards. With the way the sprites are designed it can be difficult to tell them apart. I sometimes lose track of my own character among my staff while managing my restaurant. The UI and HUD are decent but some parts seem unfinished or simply don't make sense. The framerate can drop dramatically while multiple things are in motion. This happens primarily while gathering, farming, and during service hours. I feel like the primary reason for this is probably due to items having their own physics. Each time you pick a plant, a sprawling number of items pop out in an explosion. Each one has it's own hitbox that can collide with map barriers and the player. It eats up my RAM and feels unnecessary. -bugs/complaints: Crashes have been rare but I believe they may become more frequent as I scale up my restaurant. Animals will sometimes get stuck on certain objects. This is especially true in the mines. They also occasionally clip through walls. Dropped items can also clip through walls or be dropped in an unreachable area. The process of collecting dropped items is time consuming, tough on the frame rate, and frustrating. It's too easy to accidentally click a dialogue option while attempting to speed up the chat window of NPCs. There's no way to repurchase what has been sold to a vendor if you accidentally sell an item you didn't mean to. There is no way to easily check an item's value nor an easy way to know whether it can be sold and to whom. There is no item shipping box like in Stardew Valley so simply dumping your unneeded items is very difficult without taking a loss. This is especially problematic because you have very limited inventory space in your home and restaurant. The targeting system is finnicky and difficult to get a read on. Combat feels especially clunky. There's too much RNG related to non guaranteed items. getting enough seeds for a crop is a gamble. Amethyst is especially rare despite it being needed for some fairly early game machines. There's no way to get another composter. -overall impressions: There are a lot of things I like about this game but also a lot of things that frustrate me or need some polish. because it's still in development and the devs have been consistent with their updates I'll give it some slack. It's worth the money even as it is currently. I do very much hope for further improvements though. 8/10

Had been following this game for a while before I got the chance to play. It was everything they promised and more! The gameplay loop is very addictive, the graphics are nostalgic of early 2000’s DS games with vibrant colour and beautiful music. If you like games such as Stardew Valley then you will not regret buying this game. Every early access update was fantastic and provided great quality of life changes and additions. 🍔🍟🍳🍜🥘🍲🥗 It had me hooked from the first day with a great storyline. The NPCs feel like your friends and yes, you can date them. I loved collecting recipes, hiring staff and decorating my restaurant. Fishing 🐠 is easy, a nice catch method. Mining is simple, no enemies just mining for iron, coal, silicone and other gems 💎. Combat is only triggered when you attack an animal first. It is simple combat with a bow and arrow 🏹 which i love! No swords but that’s no issue, allows for combat at distance. The cooking mini games are very fun. Easy to understand and if you perfect the cooking mini game, you will serve up a 100% dish. Increasing customer dish satisfaction 🍽️ . You can auto cook during a service which is a great feature. Hiring staff and customising their uniforms makes the game stand out so much more🧑‍🍳👩‍🍳. Runs perfectly and never had any issues with performance. I’m looking forward to the game releasing out of early access. Bring on Billboard City 🌆Credit to the developers for making such a fantastic game, listening to the players and truly making a unique game. 🫰🏻

本来想给好评，但是存档太差了，只有一个档，按save按钮约等于没按，按过了保存以后退出的游戏，之后进来，居然还是几个小时以前的数据，几个小时白玩，让人一下子没有继续玩的兴趣了，多做几个存档格子是很难的事情吗？？？？非要全部覆盖在一个存档上面。真的人才。

Such a good cozy game. The mini games are not complicated and I love that the skill tree is refundable if you need to redo it for any reason. The fact that you can change the recipies is also an amazing touch. I can not wait for them to continue updating this game and making it even better.

i don't ever really write reviews for games, but i have to for chef rpg. even in early access, it is an INCREDIBLE game. there's so much life, the minigames in the restaurant keep gameplay interesting, and the grind of gathering ingredients speaks to my soul in a weird way. this game truly fills that cozy gaming hole left in my heart by stardew, there has not been another "cozy" game that has sucked me in as well until chef rpg waltzed its way into my library. i'm so excited to see what this game will look like once out of early access.