Inevitably, a game like PlateUp! will be compared to Overcooked, purely because both are restaurant-based games. Where PlateUp! differs from any of its foodie stablemates is that it has roguelite progression, and encourages players to stray away from chaos rather than embrace it.
You and up to three others (locally or online) have to manage a restaurant past day 15 of it being open, without any customer being dissatisfied. Customers will become disgruntled if you make them wait too long for a seat, wait too long to be served, or wait too long for their food.
It’s often hard to tell from the small picture above a customer’s head exactly what they’re asking you to prepare them. Ingredients can be prepared and combined in a multitude of ways, so failing to identify the correct dish may have you running back to the kitchen to cook another. This adds another layer of urgency; if you have already served a companion of the diner, you have a small amount of time to get the dish of everyone else on the table out. It feels like you’re constantly balancing on a knife edge in the best possible way.
Successfully completing days in the restaurant means upgrades and items are available to buy for your establishment. These are randomly generated, and can be anything from a bookshelf to increase customer patience to a new counter.
As with all roguelites, the reward with PlateUp! is persistence and perseverance. Playing over and over again gives upgraded gear, menu items, and equipment which makes life easier going forward. If only things were that simple. Over the course of each 15-day run, the menu will become more and more complicated, requiring more equipment and throwing spanners into the works of a previously perfectly functioning kitchen. You’re able to renovate and rejig the layout between each day, in case you decide you hate the oven next to the dishwasher.
PlateUp! is a thoroughly enjoyable, addictive, and oddly calming experience. The background music is strangely soothing, and the repetitive nature of the tasks is comforting. Where others in a similar genre cause arguments, PlateUp! has the true spirit of collaboration.
