PlateUp!

[b]My Playtime:[/b] 33.5h (100% achievement, finished the game) [b]Grindy Achievement(s):[/b] Yes (1+ achievement). [b]Optional Achievement(s):[/b] Yes (25 achievements). [b]Difficult Achievement(s):[/b] No. [h1]Intro[/h1] [i]PlateUp![/i] is a restaurant management roguelite where you and possibly your friends manage a restaurant until it closes. You'll take orders, cook their food, serve them, and clean their plates, doing fast enough so the next customer don't wait for too long for their turn. [b]Pros:[/b] - Different playstyle when played solo or coop - Different recipes with different difficulty - A lot of room to experiment - Accessibility options for those who want to make the game harder or easier [b]Cons:[/b] - Smaller maps limit you from going further after the endgame [b]Specs[/b] AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 16GB RAM, AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT [h1]Should you buy this game?[/h1] [i]If you enjoy playing restaurant management game that focus on cooking and serving the customers, buy this game.[/i] [hr][/hr] [h1]In-Depth Review[/h1] [h3]The Game[/h3] [b]Gameplay[/b] [i]PlateUp![/i] is a restaurant simulator roguelike where you run a restaurant. Your main goal is to make sure that it's not closed, which is achieved by serving all available customers without running out their patience. Each day has a certain number of customers that will increase on the next day. The game has 15 main days in total, which will extend into overtime days after you finish it, allowing for endless runs. In [i]PlateUp![/i], you do everything: arranging your restaurant, taking the customer's order, cooking their food, serving the food to the customers, and even cleaning up the tables and washing the dirty plates to use it on the next order. All of this will be done by you, and possibly your friends too if you play in co-op. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3391067364 The game changes significantly when played solo and co-op. In solo, it's all about automation—how you can do all or at least some of the tasks without lifting a finger because you'll be overwhelmed otherwise. In co-op, especially 4 person, it's all about dividing your roles and trying to focus on that. Sometimes it will be chaotic, but it's meant to be played that way. The game will balance itself based on the number of players, giving more customers if you play with more people and less if you play with less people. However, it doesn't seem to accommodate a save that was initially played solo and then moved to co-op play. There would be a lack of upgrades and money to cater to the influx of customers, with some people ending up doing nothing but watching the restaurant close without being able to do anything. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3574586115 [i]PlateUp![/i] offers a lot of customizations. You can choose one out of several main recipes that your restaurant can serve and the restaurant's layout. A bigger layout would always be preferable if you are planning for extended play, especially since you need to buy items to either try to automate some tasks or get more seats for your hungry customers. Playing the game with different recipes will always make the game fresh. Each recipe requires different ways to prepare, forcing you to plan differently. Moreover, the upgrades that you must take after a few levels might or might not add more menu items to your restaurant, increasing its complexity. This forces you to always rearrange your restaurant to adjust to the change. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3394328374 The upgrades that come after a few levels will make the game harder. You are forced to choose between two options: one is usually a recipe addition to your restaurant, and the other is usually something that will make the game harder, such as decreasing the customer's patience. Taking a new recipe will reduce the number of customers you get the next day, although it might not be worth the hassle of adjusting to a new recipe. At the end of the day, it's all your choice and preferences, though you might not always have the luxury to choose the option that you want since you might lose if your restaurant isn't designed to handle the outcome. [b]Length and Difficulty[/b] I finished the game mainly in 4-player co-op. We finished all 15 main days in 4.5h, and it took me 33h to get all achievements. I reached the overtime day 15 that is needed for an achievement in co-op and grinded the rest of the achievements solo. The game's difficulty will depend on how many people are playing and what recipe you are doing, and if that's not enough, the game's newest update allows you to increase or decrease the game's difficulty even further. [h1]Conclusion[/h1] [i]PlateUp![/i] is a chaotic restaurant simulation game that can be played with up to 4 people. Its gameplay becomes vastly different when played singleplayer and co-op. Personally, I prefer it more on co-op since it is more chaotic and fun, although the automation gamestyle in the singleplayer mode is also interesting. If you enjoy playing a restaurant simulation game with a focus on cooking and serving the customers, this is your game.