Kitchen Sync: Aloha!

I love cooking games and I love dating sims, so this game caught my eye and I bought it AND played it the day I saw it despite my ever-growing backlog, lol. My first session with this game was an 11-hour all-nighter, so uh... whoops? Great game guys LOL. I don't feel the need to go into detail about the gameplay mechanics or story, as the store page and a lot of the other reviews have already done so; all I have to add is that everything is extremely well implemented. The gameplay loop is super fun - I equally enjoyed setting up my kitchens beforehand and playing the actual days themselves - and stuff is also well-balanced on top of that. My gaming tends to be mostly VNs or casual games, and I don't really consider myself "good at video games", but I was still able to complete the achievement for getting S+ rank in all kitchens on hard difficulty with a combination of levelling up my chefs/equipment and utilizing the game mechanics well. It wasn't easy-peasy, but it wasn't agonizingly difficult, either. I also really loved the story, and I think the romances are all thoughtful and each given equal weight + have unique storylines and art. After my original run, I went back to get every one of them and it was absolutely worth it! Hugely recommend this game if you like cooking games, dating sims, and/or Fire Emblem.

[h1]It's unbelievable how little reviews there are for Kitchen Sync Aloha.[/h1] [h2]As an avid fan of the cooking genre with games like Overcooked, PlateUp and Chef Life, Kitchen Sync Aloha brings all the fun elements of the cooking arcade mechanics, added a unique hawaiian story, along with truly making it their own. [/h2] For the quality of this game, it's actually pretty baffling how many reviews it has for it. For instance, the game itself is completed with a story, along with an endless mode and varying difficulties for the player's replayability. [h3]1) Steam Deck Compatibility[/h3] Played the game on Steam Deck LCD, during my playthrough, there were no lag spikes or stuttering issues. It is a pixel game after all, haha [h3]2) Story[/h3] You play as a pair of siblings (you choose male/female at the beginner of your playthrough) and start the story by inheriting your family's restaurant in Hawaii. Without much spoilers, the story is mainly about growing your restaurant with others and truly embodying the aloha spirit. It's about growing together, and overcoming challenges with the people around you. This is a heartwarming and well-thought out story plot which allows the player to naturally progress throughout the game. [h3]3) FOOD? [/h3] Of course, a cooking game cannot go without delicious looking food! In the context of Kitchen Sync Aloha, all the 2D graphics were chef's kiss. The food looked incredible and it was thoughtful to touch on the backstory behind certain dishes with hawaiian roots. :) [h3] [/h3] [h3]4) Plethora of activities[/h3] Apart from the main minigame, players can engage in side stories as well as minigames like fishing and hiking. If you wish as well, you can develop relationships between your unlocked chefs and even ship them together at your own will <<< This may be an enticing game mechanic for all the dating game lovers haha. [h2]THE VERDICT?[/h2] While I did not get hooked into the social aspect of the game, since I was mainly here for the food >:( I cannot deny how well-made and thoughtfully designed the game is. It truly is a gem that should have more traction. If you're on the fence on whether you should purchase the game or not, let me help you decide. YES if you: [list] [*]Love cooking style/foodie games [*]Enjoy matchmaking aspects from games such as Love Ghostie [*]Like having variety in your gameplay (Different minigames/flexibility in how you play) [/list] NO if you: [list] [*]Didn't enjoy games in the same genre i.e. Plateup [*]Looking for an arcade style game, this game forces you to unlock levels and progression based on the written story and some cut scenes do drag a bit. [/list] Game is solid 8/10. 50/50 on whether I would get this full-price or on a discount though.

This game is the definition of a hidden gem. For a first game from a small indie dev, it's incredibly polished and everything from art, gameplay, music and story, is so... satisfying. I was hesitant to pick up at first because of the price and the official pics/trailer doesn't communicate the gameplay very well. I'm glad I looked up a short play-though and noticed it has similarities to other cooking games like Plateup, Overcooked, etc - just instead of controlling a single character, we're managing the flow of a kitchen and the actions are automatically completed at the stations. It only took a couple runs to pick up the gameplay loop and I've been hooked since - something like a demo would probably help similar players get into the game. The story is also quite charming - although it starts off a little too "cozy" and slow-paced, it develops more depth than I was expecting. The visual novel aspect was utilised well to progress the main story and to learn more about the supporting characters. I also love the attention to details with cultural dishes and general respect to Hawaiian culture - hoping to return someday to try out these delicious dishes!

This game is absolutely AMAZING. I am a huge fan of cooking games, and I played this one for hours until I finished. The cooking mechanics are snappy and feel polished, and it's a unique mechanic that I haven't seen before. The relationship supports and the game in general are wonderfully written. There were actually some story beats I wasn't expecting, which is really good for a game like this as they tend to be predictable. The idea of modifying your recipes to make them tastier and more unique makes the game feel so much more customizable! I absolutely recommend this game, but for the devs, there were a few minor things that I feel could be improved upon if you ever make another Kitchen Sync game (PLEASE do!!! I will buy it immediately!!) The music can get grating after a while, since there's no variations you have to listen to the same 3 songs all the time. The characters, although written well especially through their supports, I think need to be more unique. They're very stereotypical and generic, which makes their personality predictable and less engaging. And really, the last thing I recommend is giving us more! This game was not long enough for me personally, but that's coming from someone who likes to sink 30+ hours into one game. Having more characters, more dishes, and more content would make this game one of the best cooking games I;ve ever played, and I play a LOT of cooking games. I wish you luck on your future games, Lemonpepper Games!! <3

Such a sweet and uniquely styled game! I'm playing with the 'cozy' mode on, and I love that you can spend as much time as you'd like without really stressing. You can be as patient as you'd like and you can also edit the mode to make the time pass continuously as you cook, and I'm so pleased that the option makes it perfect for different preferences! It's one of those games that you can immerse yourself in nicely and you won't want to put it down once you get into it <3

한글은 없고, 유니티 게임이라 기본적으로 리패처로 번역기가 돌려져서 플레이 했습니다. 사실 그렇게 복잡할 것도 없어서 영어로 해도, 플레이에 큰 지장은 스토리적으로도 없을 듯 하네요. 정말 힐링 게임 그 자체에요. 편안하고 따스한 분위기에고 그에 걸맞는 스토리라인이고, 게임으로서 재미도 소소하게나마 쏠쏠합니다. 느긋느슨하게 플레이할 게임 찾으시면 딱 맞을 수도 있습니다. 저는 만족스럽게 하고 있습니다.

its so cute its so chill its so perfect it really is like fire emblem the reviews said it was but i didnt get it u dont cook in fire emblem but it is like fire emblem it even has crit cut ins like how its about cooking you cant crit while cooking hina i want you to grow some confidence and believe in urself ur wonderful and the world is going to see it one day and i can only hope u will be proud when it comes u sweet little button its a good game

I really enjoyed this game. It really immerses you in the culture and has a nice plot alongside the expanding gameplay. All the different chefs, skills, recipes and stations means you have to find your own best strats. There's a cozy mode to take the pressure off if you want to :)

This game makes me so hungry. They ought to get kickbacks from Hawaiian barbecue chains because since starting I've spent more on those places than I did this game. The food illustrations are beautiful. I am hungry again. Send help.

This is a fun cozy game! The mechanics are fun and you can easy be a go hard with the settings or make it just an easy breeze to enjoy at your own pace! The art is very cute too!