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Diner Bros

Unless you’re looking for single-player gameplay or a co-op cooking game on the cheap, you’re better off picking up the more polished Overcooked instead.
Diner Bros Game Cover
86%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
story, grinding
90% User Score Based on 552 reviews
Critic Score 65%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

PCSteam DeckWindows
Diner Bros Game Cover

About

Diner Bros is a single player and multiplayer casual simulation game. It was developed by JAYFLGAMES and was released on July 6, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

Diner Bros is a fast-paced cooking and management game. Players work together to serve customers, cook meals, and upgrade their diner. The goal is to keep customers happy and complete each level's objectives before time runs out. Coordination and multi-tasking are key in this fun and challenging co-op experience.

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90%
Audience ScoreBased on 552 reviews
gameplay19 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions

  • Diner Bros is a fun and chaotic restaurant management game that shines in co-op play, providing hilarious moments and teamwork challenges.
  • The game features charming visuals, a variety of levels, and a range of recipes that keep the gameplay engaging and addictive.
  • It offers a unique twist on the cooking genre by allowing players to manage a restaurant and interact directly with customers, adding depth to the experience.
  • The campaign mode is relatively short, with some players finishing it in just a couple of hours, leading to concerns about replayability.
  • Controls can be frustrating, especially when using a keyboard, as players often struggle to interact with items and navigate the kitchen efficiently.
  • The game lacks online multiplayer options, limiting the ability to play with friends who are not physically present, which can be a significant drawback for some players.
  • gameplay
    64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is described as simple yet engaging, with a progression system that gradually increases difficulty, reminiscent of "Overcooked" but with a focus on restaurant management and upgrades. While it offers a fun co-op experience and unique mechanics, some players find the controls slightly sluggish and express a desire for more customization options. Overall, it provides a satisfying alternative for those who enjoy cooking games without the chaotic level designs of its inspirations.

    • “Gameplay is simple but entertaining and it progressively gets harder as you go at your pace.”
    • “It's indie Overcooked but still very worth a play in its own right; good pacing, a gameplay loop, and general enjoyment can be found here.”
    • “The gameplay has something different to offer here and it does it really well although I still would like the polish that Overcooked's mechanics do have but the controls work just fine in this game.”
    • “Much like PlateUp, the gameplay is mostly 'do things separately; there is no need for cooperation', and also like PlateUp, the progression is 'unlock new things that make the game harder in a way that's less fun'. This is really weird; in contrast, Overcooked progresses to harder levels with new tasks, not by the player-characters selecting to purchase things that make their own lives more difficult.”
    • “The only major downside to this game is that when you press a direction, the characters turn kind of slowly (50 milliseconds compared to 10 milliseconds in Overcooked), so sometimes the gameplay feels sluggish.”
    • “However, there is no gameplay direction.”
  • graphics
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally described as charming and simplistic, featuring an adorable art style that enhances the overall feel-good vibe. However, some users noted performance issues, with the game being difficult to run on certain PCs despite its minimal graphics. While many appreciate the cute visuals and engaging gameplay, there are mentions of jankiness and a desire for improved graphical quality.

    • “The graphics are adorable and simplistic, the different mechanics in both cooking and the customers you serve is fun and challenging, and the progress and challenge is nicely done with an upgrade menu after each level for you to spend your money on.”
    • “The graphics are nice and the overall feel of the game is one of a quality product.”
    • “Overall, Diner Bros offers a cute graphical style, nice not annoying music track in the diner, and addictive gameplay.”
    • “The graphics are a little bit janky, and the controls and mechanics are sometimes a bit wonky.”
    • “The game is hard to run on the PC, even more than Overcooked 2, and it has very simple graphics (for example, I can play Tomb Raider with good graphics, and with this, I need to put everything on low).”
    • “Despite it being graphically minimal and a much less intense game than Overcooked, this game will not run on a single PC in my house.”
  • music
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally well-received, featuring a charming soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, with standout jazz tunes that appeal to fans of the genre. While the opening song received some criticism, the rest of the soundtrack is praised for its quality and ability to complement the game's fun and addictive gameplay. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's feel-good vibe and engaging atmosphere.

    • “With charming visuals, upbeat music, and a variety of levels and recipes, it’s a fun and addictive game for casual sessions or co-op chaos.”
    • “Couple that with an adorable art style, great soundtrack, and overall feel-good vibe, this is a perfect game for people who like cooking games.”
    • “Whomever the composer is did a pretty good job with the music for the game as a whole.”
    • “The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel stale after a short while.”
    • “The soundtrack doesn't match the game's theme, which detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “I found the music to be quite annoying and often turned it off while playing.”
  • humor
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players enjoying the hilarious moments that arise from teamwork and challenges. While some find the humor charming and funny, others feel it lacks the charm of similar games like Overcooked. Overall, the game offers a mix of amusing scenarios, particularly in multiplayer settings, though opinions on certain characters vary.

    • “Playing with a partner is a blast, and teamwork leads to hilarious moments.”
    • “Big amount of content, humorous and challenging.”
    • “Some of the customers are funny and others rather annoying (but that's the charm).”
  • story
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story revolves around upgrading and expanding a restaurant through various quests and missions, which can be both engaging and frustrating due to the star rating requirements for progression. While the story mode offers a structured experience, players have noted challenges in achieving the necessary ratings to advance, leading to a potentially lengthy and difficult gameplay experience. Additionally, an alternative challenge mode provides a different style of gameplay reminiscent of "Overcooked."

    • “You will also get upgrades that you can obtain and buy once you complete certain missions and goals, which will make you more productive and ease your way around the levels as you progress.”
    • “I've tried story mode with my husband.”
    • “It's not super time consuming, but it is annoying if you needed that upgrade for the next day to fulfill the quest requirements.”
    • “There is a story mode where you slowly upgrade and expand your restaurant, and there is an alternative game mode called 'challenges' that is more like Overcooked-style levels.”
    • “I cannot tell you how long it takes to finish the story mode, as my husband and I failed to do so.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly after certain expansions that complicate movement and gameplay. While initially enjoyable, the experience can become frustrating, especially for solo players, as challenges are better suited for co-op play. Some achievements also require significant grinding, and occasional bugs can further detract from the experience.

    • “Not sure if it scales weirdly such that it would have been easier with more players; with two it feels like it gets almost impossible to 5-star pretty quickly, after you buy the first restaurant expansion which puts a tedious wall in the way of walking between the kitchen and customers. You can't even put things down because it's 100% bar-service and you're not allowed to set things down even on unoccupied tables, plus a drink machine in a poor location that forces you to walk that artificial hallway an extra time.”
    • “It's okay at first but becomes tedious and repetitive, and the challenges, which might break it up, are recommended for co-op only.”
    • “Some of the achievements are a bit grindy, and sometimes the game can be a bit buggy, but other than that it's a great game!”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while it generally runs smoothly, users report occasional bugs, particularly with item interactions and freezing issues that can disrupt gameplay. Some achievements may also require excessive grinding, adding to the frustration.

    • “It took me a long time to complete only because it is hard to satisfy the food critic when the entire game freezes every few seconds.”
    • “Some of the achievements are a bit grindy, and sometimes the game can be a bit buggy, but other than that it's a great game!”
    • “It can feel a little buggy (namely with picking things up off the ground) but overall runs very smoothly!”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers a decent level of replayability, particularly for fans of time management genres like Diner Dash or Burger Shop, with clear goals that maintain engagement. However, some players feel it lacks significant replay value after completing it quickly.

    • “Super fun and highly replayable.”
    • “As a solo player, I love this game. I finished it rather quickly; however, if you enjoy games like Diner Dash or Burger Shop, I find the replay value to be good.”
    • “The clear goals it sets are enough to keep it engaging, even if it doesn't have a lot of replayability.”
    • “It doesn't have a lot of replayability, but the clear goals it sets are enough to keep it engaging.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is widely criticized for its lack of optimization, with many users stating it is in dire need of significant improvements to enhance performance.

    • “This game is in dire need of optimization.”
    • “It is in need of some serious optimization.”
    • “This game is in dire need of optimizations.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization model is criticized for its lack of player agency, as users cannot create characters, customize their restaurant, or select the menu. Additionally, the absence of in-game advertising options limits potential customer growth, forcing players to pay for targeted advertising instead.

    • “You can't create characters, you can't choose the placement of anything in your restaurant, you can't choose the menu, and there's no in-game advertising for your restaurant to bring in more customers.”
    • “You have to choose which markets you advertise to and pay for advertising.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews highlight concerns regarding character development, particularly criticizing the use of cultural stereotypes and inappropriate attire for characters in culinary roles. Many users express disappointment over the lack of thoughtful representation, urging for a reconsideration of character designs to avoid perpetuating outdated and offensive tropes.

    • “I don't think characters making sushi or burritos need to be wearing cultural costumes instead of chef outfits or be characterized by stereotypes like a Fu Manchu. I really hope you reconsider the character designs; I am honestly a bit shocked to see this in this day and age.”
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20h Median play time
71h Average play time
7-250h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Diner Bros is a casual simulation game.

Diner Bros is available on PC, Steam Deck and Windows.

On average players spend around 71 hours playing Diner Bros.

Diner Bros was released on July 6, 2018.

Diner Bros was developed by JAYFLGAMES.

Diner Bros has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

Diner Bros is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!!, Overcooked 2, Overcooked, PlateUp!, Cooking Princess and others.