PlateUp!
- February 15, 2024
- It's happening
- 20h median play time
In "PlateUp!", up to four players work together to build and manage a restaurant, cooking meals, serving customers, and expanding the kitchen. The game features chaotic kitchen action, strategic planning, and roguelite elements, with progression unlocking new dishes, appliances, and challenges. The goal is to successfully run the restaurant for 15 days and unlock a new franchise.
Reviews
- gameplay562 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "PlateUp!" is characterized by its engaging blend of cooking, restaurant management, and roguelike mechanics, offering a satisfying loop of preparing and serving dishes while managing upgrades and layout. Players appreciate the game's accessibility, strategic depth, and the chaotic fun it brings, especially in cooperative play, though some mechanics can feel unintuitive and may require external resources to fully understand. Overall, the game is praised for its addictive nature and replayability, making it a standout in the cooking simulation genre.
“The gameplay loop is pretty simple in concept, but the mechanics allow for pretty deep strategy.”
“The ever-evolving gameplay keeps players on their toes, ensuring that no two sessions feel the same.”
“With its intuitive controls, engaging gameplay, and mouthwatering visuals, it's a must-play for anyone with a passion for food and a love of gaming.”
“The only downside I noticed during my playthrough was that some mechanics felt unintuitive and tricky to understand at first.”
“Gameplay is mildly repetitive, but only in the sense that a real restaurant would be, as the difficulty naturally ramps up as you get more and more upgrades to combat the change.”
“The instant-loss mechanic for missing even a single order is infuriating.”
- replayability254 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The game is widely praised for its high replayability, with many players noting that the roguelike elements, randomization of maps, and extensive customization options keep each playthrough fresh and engaging. Whether played solo or with friends, it offers a satisfying experience that encourages repeated runs, making it a standout choice for fans of cooperative cooking games like Overcooked. Overall, the combination of strategic depth and variety ensures that players can enjoy countless hours of gameplay.
“Whether playing solo or with friends, it's just a really satisfying and fun game with tons of replayability.”
“The addition of different restaurant themes and customizations allows for a personalized experience that adds to the game's replayability.”
“The roguelite mechanics really help with replayability.”
“The roguelike element of this game really isn't all that great and the replayability is lacking.”
“Game has 0 replay value.”
“We usually play games like overcooked together, but the set levels really take away any replay value.”
- humor198 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in this game is consistently highlighted as a major draw, particularly when played with friends, leading to chaotic and hilarious moments that often result in laughter and friendly banter. Players enjoy the combination of frantic gameplay and comedic mishaps, with many noting that the game's challenges become even funnier when shared with others. Overall, the game's ability to create memorable and amusing experiences through teamwork and unexpected failures makes it a standout in the party game genre.
“There are times I am laughing so hard at mishaps that I am crying.”
“Insanely frustrating when you play it by yourself but with a friend by your side it's incredibly fun, you get into this rhythm and everything is going so smoothly and then you mess up one little thing and everyone is panicking and laughing.”
“The chaos that slowly builds up throughout the run, by the end you'll either be screaming obscenities at each other or you'll be laughing so hard you can't even see the screen anymore through the tears.”
- graphics166 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of "PlateUp!" are characterized by a charming, colorful, and cartoonish art style that enhances the game's fun and engaging atmosphere. While some players find the visuals basic and reminiscent of older games, many appreciate the vibrant aesthetics and smooth animations that contribute to the overall enjoyment. Despite some critiques regarding clarity and variety, the graphics effectively support the gameplay, making it accessible even on lower-end hardware.
“The vibrant visuals, the insanely addictive gameplay, and the sheer chaos that 'plateup!' brings make it a standout experience.”
“The game's bright and colorful visuals make it very appealing to the eyes, and the variety of dishes and appliances available make for an exciting gameplay experience.”
“The art style is vibrant and appealing, perfectly capturing the hustle and bustle of a busy kitchen.”
“Graphics are pretty basic, but it's charming.”
“Graphics: pretty plain and unappealing, most models and sprites feel like placeholder stuff that would be polished and changed for the full game.”
“I did not expect to like this game that much because the graphics were too simple for my personal taste.”
- music91 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as catchy and enjoyable, enhancing the overall atmosphere with its lively tunes, though some players find it repetitive due to a limited number of tracks. While many appreciate the soundtrack's ability to create a relaxing backdrop for gameplay, others have noted that it can become annoying over time, leading some to mute it. Overall, the music is seen as a charming complement to the game's visuals and mechanics, despite calls for more variety.
“Its soundtrack, a lively ensemble of tunes, complements the bustling kitchen atmosphere perfectly, enveloping you in the game’s world.”
“The vibrant and colorful visuals are a treat for the eyes, and the delightful background music complements the gameplay perfectly.”
“The music is amazing and will stay with you after you close the game, which by the way is not easy, because you want to keep trying and trying.”
“The music gets quite repetitive after a while, but these are fairly minor gripes and I definitely enjoyed the gameplay despite these.”
“Music: only 2 or 3 tracks for the entirety of the game, they sort of feel like songs you'd hear in a commercial or company PSA video.”
“The art is bland and basic, the music is basically just stock music, the gameplay is a little wonky, the RNG is too strong in determining your run success, and many more issues.”
- story70 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with many users noting that it lacks a traditional narrative or campaign mode, making it feel similar to "Overcooked" but without the storyline. While some players appreciate the freedom to create and manage their restaurants, they express a desire for a more structured story or missions to enhance the experience. Overall, the consensus is that the game prioritizes gameplay mechanics over storytelling, resulting in a fun but story-light experience.
“Embark on a gastronomic odyssey unlike any other with 'PlateUp,' where culinary artistry meets immersive storytelling in a feast for the senses.”
“The plot is rich, unpredictable, and touching.”
“With its captivating storytelling, breathtaking visuals, and immersive gameplay, it proves that the journey from farm to table can be as thrilling as any epic quest.”
“There's no story; no rigidity to the system.”
“Sadly there isn't a storyline, and there isn't a ton of skill progression as the minute another dish is added the extra steps usually cause you to lose and start over.”
“There is no dedicated singleplayer experience/story mode to be had.”
- optimization47 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's optimization aspect is a double-edged sword; while it offers a rich and engaging experience centered around kitchen layout and automation, many players report significant performance issues, including stuttering, desync, and lag, particularly in multiplayer modes. Despite these technical shortcomings, the core gameplay encourages strategic planning and experimentation, making it a rewarding challenge for those who enjoy optimization and teamwork. Overall, while the game excels in providing a fun and chaotic optimization experience, its technical performance leaves much to be desired.
“Getting to min-max automation, or planning what route you would take to make things run smoothly can be both fun and challenging.”
“The restaurant customization aspect of the game makes for a very fun experience as you experiment and alter the layout to get your restaurant as optimized as you can.”
“There's constant room for improvement, optimization, and even experimentation - I didn't realize how many ways there were to play until after I played with 4 different groups that all played differently (and could all still win!).”
“Tons of stuttering while playing on a gigabit connection, tons of desync and dropped connections.”
“Unoptimized gameplay and mechanics with recurring server lag and issues.”
“I seriously am raging at this game because it's so badly optimized and it's so hard to move around and pick things up.”
- grinding43 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often requiring significant effort to unlock new content and achieve progression. While some enjoy the satisfaction that comes from grinding for recipes and upgrades, many express frustration with repetitive gameplay and the slow pace of advancement, particularly in solo play. Overall, the grinding can detract from the enjoyment, making it feel like a chore rather than a rewarding experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The level progression in this game is slow and grindy.”
“Making single player people give up since the content begins grindy and repetitive as hell.”
“The game manages to be both tedious and tense in a way that just felt awful to play.”
- stability36 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting significant online connectivity issues, including lag and glitches that hinder multiplayer experiences. While some users have found the game to be relatively bug-free during solo play, others have encountered frustrating bugs that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in cooperative modes. Overall, while the game is enjoyable and has potential, its stability issues, especially in online play, remain a notable concern.
“Pretty bug-free gameplay, at least in my experience. :D”
“Plate Up is well-made and runs great; I bought 4 copies for my friends based on the strength of the first few runs.”
“Clean, bug-free, no glitches or pre-release shenanigans; it's just a really, really great game.”
“The game is fun, and is great for local play, but holy cow is online buggy.”
“Game is buggy and when playing with others the lag is unbearable, even with gaming PCs and high-speed internet.”
“My only complaint is that on a couple of occasions, we've lost runs to some devastating glitches.”
- emotional29 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of wholesome enjoyment and intense frustration, often leading to moments of joy and tears. Players appreciate the heartwarming themes and whimsical graphics, which create a fun atmosphere, but also experience significant stress and rage during gameplay, especially when playing with others. Overall, the game evokes a wide range of emotions, from laughter and nostalgia to frustration and heartfelt connections.
“To the developers, I extend my heartfelt appreciation for crafting a game that stands tall in the pantheon of my gaming experiences.”
“This is the only game that has ever made me cry.”
“But from just an 'emotional' standpoint, this has been one of my favorite games of all time.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a vibrant and cozy environment that fosters laughter and camaraderie, enhanced by colorful graphics and whimsical character designs. The lively soundtrack complements the chaotic yet inviting kitchen dynamics, allowing for both strategic and relaxed gameplay experiences. Overall, players appreciate the game's ability to create a welcoming atmosphere, despite occasional frustrations with gameplay mechanics.
“The chaos of managing a kitchen, coordinating tasks, and racing against the clock creates a dynamic and fun atmosphere that fosters laughter and camaraderie.”
“The colorful and vibrant graphics, combined with whimsical character designs, create an inviting and enjoyable atmosphere.”
“Its soundtrack, a lively ensemble of tunes, complements the bustling kitchen atmosphere perfectly, enveloping you in the game’s world.”
“The queue is horrendous, the atmosphere weirdly welcoming from the outside at least.”
“Not to mention the careful planning necessary just doesn't fit a big group atmosphere.”
“Nothing like trying to serve food in a sea of trash in a sedated atmosphere that makes you wish you could move.”
- character development5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, while the game's colorful and whimsical character designs contribute to its inviting atmosphere, many users feel that the character development could benefit from more depth and effort. The vibrant graphics and quirky aesthetics are appreciated, but some players desire a more substantial approach to character design.
“The colorful and vibrant graphics, combined with whimsical character designs, create an inviting and enjoyable atmosphere.”
“The colorful, cartoonish art style and quirky character designs add a delightful charm to the game, making it visually appealing and enjoyable to play.”
“I don't like the character design.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth.”
“The quirky character designs and silly sound effects detract from the overall experience.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is criticized for being underwhelming, as it lacks intrusive ads and in-app purchases, which some players feel would be more appropriate given the game's price point. Additionally, there is a sentiment that the game could benefit from a free-to-play model with optional purchases, especially for co-op features that enhance its appeal.
“It's too expensive for a game that could run for free on your phone, with in-game purchases and ads; that would make more sense these days.”
“Despite advertising a single-player mode, the solo experience is rather disappointing.”
“Its lack of intrusive ads and in-app purchases is a positive aspect.”