Midnight Ramen

100%
Game Brain Score Based on 59 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Midnight Ramen Game Cover
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"Midnight Ramen" is a narrative dialogue game where players operate a late-night ramen stand, cooking for a variety of customers and helping them cope with their problems. With intricate ramen-making mechanics and heavy themes such as death and loss, this game is reminiscent of titles like VA-11 Hall-A and Coffee Talk. Players must carefully combine broths, noodles, toppings, and seasonings to satisfy each customer's unique preferences.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

100%
Audience ScoreBased on 59 reviews
story32 positive mentions
  • The game features a beautifully written and emotional story that deeply connects players to the characters and their struggles.
  • Gameplay is relaxing and stress-free, with no timers or penalties, allowing players to enjoy the cooking mechanics at their own pace.
  • The art style and music create a cozy atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience and making it a delightful game to play.
  • The game is relatively short, which may leave players wanting more content and depth in gameplay.
  • There are some grammatical errors and typos in the dialogue that can detract from the immersion.
  • The game deals with heavy themes such as death and loss, which may not be suitable for all players, especially those currently grieving.
  • story83 mentions

    The story of "Midnight Ramen" is beautifully written and emotionally engaging, focusing on the interconnected lives of its characters as they share their personal narratives with the player. While the gameplay is simple and secondary to the storytelling, the rich character development and poignant themes resonate deeply, often evoking strong emotional responses. Despite its brevity, the game offers a compelling experience that emphasizes the importance of connection and acceptance, making it a must-play for fans of narrative-driven games.

    • “The story of each character is in depth and rich, with some even bringing me to tears.”
    • “In all, Midnight Ramen is a short but wonderful story of accepting that sometimes you can't change your circumstances, and that's okay; as long as you keep moving forward and do not give up, you will make it through.”
    • “The story takes you on some twists and turns, and you learn more and more about the customers you serve and the world you're in.”
    • “The game ultimately focuses on the story; there isn't much of a simulation-like experience when serving ramen and drinks compared to other cooking games.”
    • “I certainly didn't speed-run or skip any of the story, but even with earning all of the achievements and watching the best ending, I still finished it all in under three hours.”
    • “The game is mainly narrative; you listen to and talk to the customers, but you do not make any choices that influence the story.”
  • gameplay22 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a relaxing and simple mechanic centered around cooking ramen, interspersed with narrative-driven interactions with patrons. While the visual novel style may not appeal to everyone, the occasional gameplay elements provide a pleasant diversion from the dialogue, though some players desire more substantial gameplay to enhance replayability. Overall, it offers a zen-like experience that balances light mechanics with an emotionally engaging story.

    • “If you like relaxing games with simple gameplay and a little bit of story, you'll like this game.”
    • “Mechanically, this game is similar to both of those; it's narrative-driven based on conversations with patrons to your ramen stall and broken up by a very simple mini-game where you make the ramen.”
    • “I like the options and the ability to mix it up when you want to, and the fact that it is a simple mechanic but at the same time really interesting to do.”
    • “Also, unless I wanted to re-experience the story from scratch, the gameplay wasn't enticing enough that I'd want to replay chapters just to serve a few dishes.”
    • “The gameplay is also rather easy, so it's only there as an occasional diversion from what's otherwise a visual novel.”
    • “There's not much gameplay.”
  • music19 mentions

    The music in the game is predominantly mellow and calming, enhancing the cozy atmosphere and emotional depth of the story. While the soothing lo-fi soundtrack effectively sets the mood during various scenes, some players noted a lack of variety, leading to repetitiveness over extended play sessions. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's comforting and immersive experience.

    • “For the most part, the background music you hear is mellow and calming, a pleasant tune to enjoy in a place where you'd enjoy comfort food.”
    • “During intense moments of the story, the music changes accordingly, playing songs that amplify the current mood, whether it's sorrowful or spooky.”
    • “The music fits the game very well and also adds to the emotions felt in certain scenes.”
    • “The soundtrack can be repetitive.”
    • “I would have liked to hear more variation; some of the tracks repeated too often for my liking, so after about 6 hours, I muted the soundtrack and listened to something else.”
    • “The music is pretty much all lo-fi beats, which also gives the game those comforting coffee talk vibes.”
  • emotional17 mentions

    The game is widely praised for its emotional depth, with many players reporting strong emotional reactions and even tears due to its touching narratives and well-developed characters. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to create a heartfelt connection through its storytelling, though it also addresses sensitive topics that may affect some players. Overall, it is recommended for those who appreciate emotionally evocative experiences in gaming.

    • “It is short, but it is amazing how quickly the game builds a world for you and brings you into it, fully invested emotionally.”
    • “The stories are deep and touching.”
    • “A story-rich game with memorable characters, each with heartfelt stories.”
  • graphics11 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a simple yet effective art style, featuring bright, cartoonish visuals and expressive anime-style characters. The animations and user interface are well-executed, complementing the beautifully crafted artwork and enhancing the emotional depth of the story. Overall, the visuals are praised for their charm and ability to convey key moments effectively.

    • “The art style is very cute and the characters are very expressive due to the animation style.”
    • “Beautiful art style with a well-written story that does not disappoint.”
    • “Midnight Ramen features very bright, cartoonish visuals with anime-style characters.”
    • “The artwork, animations, and user interface are all very nicely done.”
    • “The art style is simple but effective.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development is praised for its rich and interconnected stories, compelling character designs, and an overarching narrative that fosters strong emotional attachments to the characters and their struggles, highlighting the quality of the writing.

    • “The patrons' stories are rich and interesting and interconnected; the character designs are captivating, and there's a compelling overarching story.”
    • “You just get attached to the characters' stories and struggles, which is a sign of great character development and writing.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers moderate replayability, primarily through the exploration of different story paths and the pursuit of achievements, despite being considered somewhat short in length.

    • “The game might be a bit on the short side, but there is definitely some replayability.”
    • “Replayability value: to witness different story paths and for achievements.”
    • “Might be a bit on the short side, but there is some replayability.”
    • “Replayability value: to witness different story paths and for achievements only.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by a cozy and warm ambiance, enhanced by its engaging music, art, and well-developed characters, creating an immersive experience for players.

    • “The music is very cozy and the whole atmosphere of the game really envelops you in warmth.”
    • “Good atmosphere, story, art, characters, and music.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The game's humor is highlighted by its ability to evoke a range of emotions, from laughter to warmth, often through comedic scenarios like serving meals with incorrect or missing ingredients. Players are encouraged to pay attention to orders and recipes, adding a layer of fun and challenge to the gameplay.

    • “This game has made me laugh, cry, and filled my heart with warmth all in the same playthrough.”
    • “You can hilariously serve a meal with wrong or missing ingredients without being warned, so it's a good idea to pay attention to what they ordered, how they ordered it, and the written recipes.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others report issues such as frame rate drops and long loading times. Overall, the game's optimization appears to vary significantly across different hardware configurations.

    • “The optimization in this game is outstanding, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end hardware.”
    • “I love how the developers have fine-tuned the performance settings, making it easy to customize the experience for my system.”
    • “The game runs flawlessly after the latest optimization patch, significantly improving load times and frame rates.”
    • “The game runs poorly on even high-end systems, making it frustrating to play.”
    • “I experienced constant frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the immersion.”
    • “The optimization is so bad that loading times are longer than the actual gameplay.”
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