Happy's Humble Burger Farm
- December 2, 2021
- tinybuild
- 7h median play time
A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.
Happy's Humble Burger Farm is a first-person, survival- horror game that combines fast food service with terrifying supernatural elements. As a low-wage worker at Happy's, you must follow customer orders, manage resources, and maintain cleanliness while dealing with sinister forces that lurk within the establishment. The game offers a unique mix of service simulation and psychological horror, where every shift could be your last.
Reviews
- Unique and interesting premise that combines fast food simulation with horror elements.
- Great atmosphere and sound design that enhances the overall experience.
- Fun core gameplay loop with engaging cooking mechanics and exploration.
- Tedious boss battles that can feel frustrating and uninspired.
- Generic lore and story that lacks depth and can be confusing at times.
- Some bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences.
- story198 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally praised for its intriguing premise and depth, with many players appreciating the unique blend of horror and fast-food simulation elements. However, some critiques highlight issues with pacing, predictability, and a lack of mystery, as key plot points are revealed too early. Overall, while the narrative offers engaging lore and character development, it could benefit from more refinement and exploration of its themes.
“The story is truly amazing, alongside the interesting characters and lore.”
“I came here for a casual horror game about having a job at a fast food restaurant; instead, I got a surprisingly good adventure/story and a song stuck in my head.”
“The story itself throws you for a loop, and the engaging gameplay combined with the endless mode is super fun!”
“The problems I have come with the story because there is no attempt to hide the big 'you're in a simulation' thing; since the beginning, it's laid out in front of you, and yet every character talks to you like you have no idea what's going on. It kills any resemblance of mystery.”
“The story ended up losing its way and focused more on the 'living in a simulation' aspect, rather than the haunted burger joint aspect that could have made for a much more fun time.”
“The story progression feels unpolished, as it oscillates between free roam and scripted encounters, which also negatively affects the pacing.”
- gameplay119 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a unique blend of fast-food restaurant mechanics and horror elements, creating a fun yet tense experience. Players enjoy the core cooking and management tasks, although some find the mechanics occasionally janky or lacking polish. While the game offers engaging exploration and a variety of challenges, some players feel that the horror aspects could be more pronounced, and the overall gameplay loop may become repetitive over time.
“The gameplay loop in endless mode is phenomenal.”
“The core gameplay loop is decent enough.”
“I love the fast food restaurant gameplay; it's pretty much why I bought this game.”
“As for the gameplay, it mostly consists of running around a small circular free roam city map and running a fast food place. You have to cook a bunch of stuff you'd expect from fast food and try not to die in the process, but I only ever failed one order, so it's not too hard for the parts you are required to work.”
“The gameplay itself is okay; cooking simulators do better when it comes to the cooking part, but the entire point of working at Happy's Humble is just to get money so you can buy things from vending machines to make bombs and keypad hackers.”
“There are still a lot of gameplay issues, most of them related to the backpack, such as the backpack being open randomly with the only way of closing it being throwing an item down and then holstering it, being unable to use the backpack properly while looking at interactable items, and crafted items disappearing from the backpack after a restart.”
- graphics38 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many praising its retro art style reminiscent of PS1 and PS2 aesthetics, which effectively contributes to the game's atmosphere and storytelling. While some users noted issues with low-resolution textures and performance, the overall charm and unique visual presentation have been highlighted as key strengths. The ability to customize graphics settings also received positive feedback, allowing players to enhance their experience according to personal preferences.
“The graphics are amazing in the sense that it is going for a PS2 art style.”
“The graphics were great and I loved the ability to change them; while I am a fan of the VHS look, it was nice to change it to something where I could see the screen a lot better.”
“The graphics are great, the game runs well, the audio was on point, and the soundtracks were good.”
“Clunky controls, cheap graphics, and general low quality lose their charm when you pay full price; especially when there are a ton of games just like this at the same quality or better for free out there.”
“Even setting the graphic settings to low did nothing to help compared to ultra (ultra did put me at 0-1 fps though), so I'd like to give advice to the game developer: changing the texture resolution does nothing for fps. I also noticed that most of the textures were super low res on the low setting, but some furniture pieces and the cooked burger patties (major one I noticed, to be honest) are higher res than everything else.”
“While this is a Unity game, the crusty graphics really add to the grimy minimum wage nightmare the player finds themselves in.”
- atmosphere34 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its unique blend of creepy, immersive elements and quirky humor, creating a captivating experience that keeps players engaged. Reviewers highlight the effective world-building, retro aesthetics, and a sense of unease that enhances the horror and mystery aspects, making it a memorable setting for gameplay. While some note a lack of polish in gameplay, the overall ambiance and storytelling are considered strong points that contribute to the game's charm.
“The world and atmosphere is great with an original story and concept, the crafting system and boss fights are also really fun and original.”
“Fantastic atmosphere, retro 3D graphics, neat audio, quirky story.”
“The atmosphere and storytelling of the game is very well done and sets the mood of the game!”
“The atmosphere and setup are solid but the gameplay lacks polish.”
“A very strange game that will keep you on your toes, with its oppressive and eerie atmosphere, the atmosphere of a fast food worker with obvious schizophrenia.”
“It lacks the same atmosphere and mystery of the old itch.”
- music30 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its unexpected quality and catchiness, enhancing the overall experience with engaging soundtracks that complement the gameplay. Players have noted the impressive variety and originality of the compositions, with some tracks evoking nostalgia reminiscent of classic themes like the Pokémon opening. While the soundtrack is celebrated, some users expressed frustration with the jukebox interface for browsing music, but overall, the sound design significantly contributes to the game's charm and atmosphere.
“Not really the kind of game you go into, expecting a good soundtrack... but it is!”
“In all honesty, this is one of the best soundtracks I've heard in any game I've played.”
“The music in this game is just so catchy and enjoyable to listen to, especially when trying to avoid death!”
“My only gripe is that there's so much music and radio stations according to the credits, but browsing music on the jukebox is such a pain compared to the albums in the older versions and really slow, and I didn't know you could change radio stations or maybe there's just a lot of programming if you keep listening.”
“The music in this game is just so catchy and enjoyable to listen to especially when trying to avoid death!”
“Especially during moments that are tense, the music and sound design really set the tone for what is about to happen.”
- humor26 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a blend of absurdity and dark comedy, often catching players off guard with its satirical take on corporate culture and horror elements. While some moments are genuinely funny and engaging, others can be hit or miss, creating a unique atmosphere that balances creepiness with humor. Overall, players appreciate the game's ability to evoke laughter while maintaining an unsettling tone, making it a memorable experience.
“The game satirizes corporate dominance and throws in some seriously messed-up elements that are both hilarious and creepy.”
“Genuinely a fun experience that had me hooked and was funny without trying too hard, one of the few gems of 2021 gaming.”
“It's simultaneously creepy and funny; it's a great mix and I love the overall aesthetic.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that the game's grinding mechanics are often tedious and frustrating, particularly during boss battles and various tasks, which detracts from the overall experience. Players noted that while the premise is interesting, the repetitive nature of grinding and lack of polish lead to a loss of enjoyment, especially as the game progresses. Many felt that the challenge quickly turns into monotony, undermining the intended horror elements.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“It's such a tedious game that requires you to keep up with a myriad of ridiculous tasks.”
“Decent premise but eventually just became frustrating and tedious, especially with the boss fights.”
“The game became tedious too easy, and that's when you can no longer be scared.”
- stability8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its stability, with multiple users reporting significant bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience. While some players enjoyed the gameplay despite these issues, many expressed disappointment, particularly regarding soft locks and the lack of a polished finish. Overall, the game's stability is a notable concern, with hopes for future improvements.
“The game is a smidge buggy.”
“But the only reason I don't find it a 10/10 is because it glitches so bad, especially by the restaurant.”
“This game is very buggy and broke quite a lot.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability, with many players noting that once completed, there isn't much incentive to return. While some appreciate the added features that provide a slight boost to replay value, the general consensus is that the game's short playtime and lack of engaging modes diminish its long-term appeal. Improvements could enhance replayability significantly.
“It adds some replay value to the game, which I really like.”
“I really enjoyed this game; however, I think with a few tweaks and additions, the replayability of this game could skyrocket.”
“The game was far shorter than I expected and not really much replay value in it.”
“I recommend checking it out, although it lacks replayability once beaten.”
“However, the game is not perfect; it has roughly around 9-10 hours of playtime but still costs $20.00, and I do not think that a game with only 9 hours of playtime and no replay value for the story should be worth $20.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for delivering smooth performance on ultra settings at 1080p with a GTX 1070, though some users note that it can be power-hungry and may require further optimization.
“Performance was butter-smooth on ultra at 1080p (GTX 1070).”
“The game can be good but is power hungry and needs optimization.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is engaging, with interesting character designs that enhance the overall atmosphere. The story is intriguingly complex, keeping players invested without overwhelming them, while the gameplay loop adds to the enjoyment of exploring the city and unlocking new areas. Overall, players find the character interactions and designs to be a highlight, contributing to a fun and immersive experience.
“The city was really interesting to explore as you unlock new areas of it, the gameplay loop of the restaurant is really fun, and the character designs are great.”
“I love the character design and the gameplay of Papa's Pizzeria.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect is positively highlighted through immersive in-world features like radios and TVs that deliver high-quality, entertaining content, reminiscent of GTA's zany programs and Adult Swim ads, enhancing the overall experience without detracting from gameplay.
Critic Reviews
Happy’s Humble Burger Farm
A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.
90%Happy's Humble Burger Farm (Switch) Review
Have a happy hamburger day!
75%Happy's Humble Burger Farm Xbox Series X Review
Happy's Humble Burger Farm is an indie horror gem with all the unnerving aspects fans love from these projects.
85%