Pizza Express

92%
Game Brain Score Based on 266 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Pizza Express Game Cover
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Pizza Express is a fast-paced restaurant simulation where you'll join the laborious Gastone and his wreckless friend Lucky in a tasty adventure which will bring you from zero to hero. Manage every aspect of your pizzeria and turn it into the best eatery in town!

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 266 reviews
story24 positive mentions
monetization34 negative mentions
  • The game offers a surprisingly deep and engaging restaurant management experience, allowing players to customize their pizzeria and create unique pizza recipes.
  • The nostalgic 8-bit graphics and catchy soundtrack enhance the overall charm of the game, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate retro aesthetics.
  • Players can adjust the difficulty level, making it accessible for both casual gamers and those seeking a more challenging experience.
  • The mandatory use of mouse controls can be frustrating, with small hitboxes and sluggish dragging mechanics that may lead to repetitive strain.
  • The tutorial is lengthy and tedious, often overwhelming new players with information and making it difficult to enjoy the game initially.
  • Some players find the gameplay repetitive over time, and the lack of hotkeys can make managing the pizzeria cumbersome.
  • story100 mentions

    The game's story is described as quirky, wholesome, and engaging, featuring a cast of lovable characters and a branching narrative that allows players to influence outcomes through their choices, including the types of pizzas they serve. While some players appreciate the humor and charm, others note that the story can be lengthy and is skippable, with some dialogue transitions feeling overly long. Overall, it offers a light-hearted experience that complements the gameplay, making it a fun addition for fans of simulation games.

    • “The story is wholesome and well-thought-out; I honestly can't wait to see how it progresses.”
    • “Surprisingly long story with diverging paths, challenging gameplay, and just really amusing writing and solid sprite work.”
    • “There's a branching storyline with many different characters to meet and choices to make.”
    • “If you plan on following the story at all, don't - longest dialogue transitions of my life.”
    • “Also, you can skip the story and you are actually encouraged to do so by huge letters telling you to skip the story, but there is no way to skip the tutorial.”
    • “For the story, don't expect something philosophical or complex really, it's just a simple linear story, but it still has a decent amount of surprises to keep you engaged until the end.”
  • gameplay62 mentions

    The gameplay in this pizzeria management game is a mix of planning and fast-paced execution, requiring players to create menus, manage ingredients, and serve customers efficiently. While the initial learning curve can be steep due to the abundance of mechanics, players find the experience rewarding and addictive once they acclimate. The game offers a high level of customization and a nostalgic retro feel, though some may find the gameplay repetitive towards the end.

    • “You can customize your pizzeria and pizzas heavily, and everything from which ingredient is on a pizza to the quality of them matters both in gameplay and in story.”
    • “The strength of Pizza Express still lies in that satisfying, addicting, one-more-day gameplay.”
    • “I'm still amazed that I have been entertained for so many hours... Pizza Express has that addictive 'one-more-turn' gameplay, and the enticement to see what will happen next in the storyline.”
    • “The music is not my taste, the gameplay feels like clicking buttons, and the text is not easy on the eyes.”
    • “As for the gameplay, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't like to deal with stress, as you need to deliver the orders as fast as you can to receive the best possible grade. Although you're free to develop your own menu with the desired names and ingredient combinations, it's advisable to remember about them, as checking it often consumes time.”
    • “The soundtrack is very good, but the gameplay can become a bit repetitive by the end of the game, yet it never is too much.”
  • music60 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy and nostalgic 8-bit chiptune style, while others find certain tracks repetitive or grating. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a highlight, enhancing the gameplay experience despite some criticisms regarding its repetitiveness. Many players feel that the music alone makes the game worth playing, contributing significantly to its charm and atmosphere.

    • “Loved the music choices.”
    • “Also, this is in my top 5 for greatest music in a video game!”
    • “What won my heart was the fantastic soundtrack.”
    • “The music drives you up the wall!”
    • “The tutorials make my eyes bleed, the music makes me wanna die, and the story is a little silly, but you can skip/modify those things so it becomes bearable.”
    • “The music ranges from slightly grating to quite inspired.”
  • graphics38 mentions

    The graphics of the game evoke a strong sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of classic 8-bit and NES titles, which some players find charming despite their simplicity. While not visually stunning by modern standards, the pixel art style and colorful characters contribute to a unique aesthetic that appeals to fans of retro gaming. Overall, the graphics are described as decent and fitting for the game's theme, with a score of 8/10 reflecting their enjoyable, if not groundbreaking, quality.

    • “I love the art style so much because it reminds me of the good old days when I was playing DOS/Win3x games on my dad's 386 PC back when I was a kid.”
    • “The graphics might not be impressive like other games, but their vibe feels like a rainy night drinking hot chocolate at home.”
    • “The 8-bit graphics are very nostalgic, the gameplay is fun, and the plot is interesting.”
    • “Graphically, Pizza Express does not stray too far from most indie games, using a very NES coat of paint.”
    • “Especially with this art style that, while holding nostalgic value, should have been consigned to the flames long ago.”
    • “While it may not be the most aesthetically pleasing game to some (art styles are a subjective issue after all).”
  • monetization34 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game allows players to fully manage their pizzeria, including menu creation, ingredient quality, advertising, and restaurant expansion. While players have the freedom to invest in various advertising options and customize their business, some reviews suggest that advertising may not significantly impact gameplay, leading some to ignore it. Overall, the game offers a comprehensive management experience that balances cooking and business decisions, though the initial learning curve can be steep.

    • “You will also manage advertising opportunities with radio, internet, flyers, etc., but on my second playthrough, I found advertising to not really be needed, and since most choices were expensive, I ignored it for the most part.”
    • “Advertising feels useless?”
    • “You can also buy a wide variety of advertisements with different prices, different levels of effectiveness, different times of day, and targeted at different demographics.”
  • humor18 mentions

    The humor in this game is widely praised for its quirky charm and entertaining storyline, featuring hilarious characters and funny dialogue that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the bright, endearing atmosphere and the clever integration of humor into the restaurant management gameplay, making it a delightful and engaging title. The combination of cute visuals and catchy music further contributes to its comedic appeal, making it a standout gem in the genre.

    • “The story is weirdly funny and has a unique charm to it.”
    • “The customization is insane and the story and the characters are hilarious; you should definitely buy it.”
    • “A simple idea (making pizzas) made fresh with the addition of cute characters, funny dialogue, colorful 8-bit era graphics, and catchy (if a tad repetitive) music.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be extremely tedious and time-consuming, often requiring hundreds of hours to achieve 100% completion. The slow-paced dialogue and tutorial system further contribute to the overall frustration, making the experience feel drawn out and monotonous.

    • “It's the most tedious, dire experience.”
    • “Probably have to invest hundreds of hours of grinding to get it to 100%.”
    • “The dialogue is quite tedious; it only displays about a half a sentence at a time, which makes the tutorials take forever.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    Overall, the game performs well at max settings (1080p) without any significant issues, indicating solid optimization. However, gameplay elements such as customer patience can impact performance during specific tasks, like pizza-making.

    • “Max settings at 1080p with no issues to performance.”
    • “The staple customer patience (like in Diner Dash) will, of course, affect the performance of your pizza making.”
    • “The staple customer patience (like in Diner Dash) will of course affect the performance of your pizza making.”
    • “The story is based on performance and dialogue options.”
    • “Max settings at 1080p have no issues with performance.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its wholesome and well-thought-out story, which engages players and leaves them eager for future developments. The characters, while simple, contribute to the overall charm, reflecting the developers' genuine enjoyment in creating the game.

    • “The story is wholesome and well-thought-out; I honestly can't wait to see how it progresses.”
    • “The characters are also pretty wholesome, but they're simple and come from natural game developers having fun with their concept here.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability, allowing players to revisit the main scenario multiple times and explore various choices. Additionally, it encourages players to test their speed, adding another layer of challenge and engagement.

    • “It has plenty of replay value if you want to test your speed, which is an important measurement of your abilities in Pizza Express.”
    • “Replayable several times with the main scenario, offering more than a few choices.”
    • “It has plenty of replay value too if you want to test your speed, which is an important measurement of your abilities in Pizza Express.”
    • “Replayable several times with the main scenario, more than a few choices.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The atmosphere in Pizza Express is heavily influenced by player upgrades, allowing for customization through elements like disco lights, music, and decorations. These enhancements not only elevate the restaurant's chic factor but also positively impact customer satisfaction and willingness to wait, ultimately contributing to the restaurant's success and profitability.

    • “You'll want to upgrade your parlor with decorations and features (arcade? music? disco ball? wifi? high chairs?), which can improve your parlor's reviews (atmosphere) and make customers willing to wait longer (which you will definitely want).”
    • “The management aspect of Pizza Express is pretty simple; each day begins with the opportunity to upgrade your restaurant with additional tables, change the hours of service, or improve the atmosphere with disco lights, music, air conditioning, etc. These upgrades enhance the restaurant's chic factor, helping you gain customers and improve your restaurant status while also allowing you to increase your profit if you pay attention.”
    • “The management aspect of Pizza Express is pretty simple; each day begins with the opportunity to upgrade your restaurant with additional tables, change the hours of service, or improve the atmosphere with disco lights, music, air conditioning, etc. These upgrades enhance the restaurant's chic factor, which helps you gain customers and improve your restaurant status.”
    • “You'll want to upgrade your parlor with decorations and features (arcade? music? disco ball? wifi? high chairs?), which can improve your parlor's reviews (atmosphere) and make customers willing to wait longer.”
    • “The management aspect of Pizza Express is pretty simple; each day begins with the opportunity to upgrade your restaurant with additional tables, change the hours of service, or improve the atmosphere with disco lights, music, air conditioning, etc. These upgrades enhance the restaurant's chic factor, which helps you gain customers and improve your restaurant status.”
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