Shokudo Underworld

About

"Shokudo Underworld" is a restaurant management simulation game with a unique twist: you run a sushi restaurant in a mysterious otherworldly setting, serving dishes made from cute monster-derived ingredients. The game features a 2.5D atmosphere with charming hand-drawn art, and the ultimate goal is to unlock the legendary Chawanmushi dish. Satisfy a wide range of customer tastes and grow your business through various upgrades.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 48 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The art style is absolutely adorable and the game features a charming, whimsical atmosphere.
Gameplay strikes a perfect balance between being challenging and frustration-free, making it a great way to relax.
The game offers a variety of unique recipes and ingredients, along with easy-to-unlock achievements and fun customization options.

The game is quite short, with many players finishing it in just a few hours, leaving them wanting more content.
Progression can feel grindy, as players often find themselves focusing on a limited menu to maximize profits rather than exploring diverse recipes.
Controller support could be improved, as some players experienced issues with controls that made gameplay less smooth.

gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The gameplay is characterized by its adorable art style and a generally enjoyable loop that balances challenge with relaxation, making it suitable for casual play. However, some players find it hindered by grinding, poor balance, and repetitive mechanics, leading to a mixed reception regarding its depth and engagement. While the straightforward nature of the gameplay allows for easy progression, the short loops may feel repetitive to some, impacting overall enjoyment.
- “The art style is absolutely adorable, and the gameplay strikes a perfect balance between being challenging and frustration-free—I really love it.”
- “The main gameplay loop was fun without being grindy, as it was fairly straightforward to obtain both the yen and the XP needed in a timely fashion to proceed to the next part of the game.”
- “The artwork is adorable and the game mechanics aren't stress-inducing at all, so it's a perfect game to play if you want to kick back, relax, and feed some little underworld ghost.”
- “A core issue with the gameplay is the menu mechanic (or more so, the gameplay balance).”
- “Repeating the same thing over and over again, especially when the gameplay loop is short, is a bad thing from a game design perspective.”
- “In other games, you may say that they have shorter gameplay loops, but it's not like it takes minutes to complete a single step in those games. In this game, it's just a few seconds: gather -> wait for chef -> serve -> repeat.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
78%
22%
The graphics are consistently praised for their adorable and hand-drawn aesthetic, contributing to a cute and relaxing gameplay experience. Players appreciate the creative art style and clean visuals, which enhance the overall enjoyment of the game. The combination of lovely graphics and a charming soundtrack makes it an engaging and stress-free experience.
- “The art style is absolutely adorable, and the gameplay strikes a perfect balance between being challenging and frustration-free— I really love it.”
- “Great hand-drawn aesthetic and humor.”
- “The graphics are lovely, as is the soundtrack, and it's something I can get lost in for hours playing.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that while the game has a charming aesthetic and potential for enjoyable gameplay, it suffers from a grindy progression system, particularly at the start. Some players find the grinding tedious, although others note that focusing on specific recipes can alleviate the grind's impact. Overall, the experience is mixed, with a balance between fun gameplay and repetitive tasks.
- “A cute game with potential for a fun gameplay loop, but is stymied by grinding and poor balance.”
- “It's a cute little sushi game, but it is a little grindy for what it's worth.”
- “You're met by a deity, kamisama, a cute fox who puts you to work in their sushi shokudo…yeesh even in the afterlife they got you grinding away the minute you float through the door :)”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The music in the game is generally praised for its loveliness and ability to enhance the overall experience, with players noting that it can be immersive. However, some users find the single soundtrack repetitive over time, which may detract from long play sessions.
- “The graphics are lovely, as is the soundtrack, and it's something I can get lost in for hours playing.”
- “Music is lovely, and the graphics are fun and clean.”
- “There is only one soundtrack to listen to, and it gets repetitive after a while.”
- “The music lacks variety, making the gameplay feel monotonous.”
- “I found the soundtrack to be quite dull and uninspiring.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The story is minimal, featuring a brief animated introduction that sets the goal of creating the legendary chawanmushi, but players express a desire for more narrative elements to enhance the gameplay experience and provide context between game loops.
- “There is a short animated scene that shows the plot, and we are given a goal to create the legendary chawanmushi at the beginning of the game.”
- “The story and gameplay are intricately woven together, enhancing the overall experience.”
- “The story feels underdeveloped, lacking depth and engagement, making it hard to stay invested.”
- “There is a short animated scene that shows the plot, but it doesn't provide enough context or motivation for the player.”
- “The narrative elements seem to be added just to fill gaps in gameplay, rather than enhancing the overall experience.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a charming hand-drawn aesthetic complemented by humorous and witty dialogue, making it both cute and entertaining, albeit short and easy.
- “Great hand-drawn aesthetic and humor.”
- “Super cute, super easy, super short, funny dialogue.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players appreciate the exceptional character designs and overall game aesthetics, expressing a desire for deeper exploration and development of the characters.
- “The character designs are so wonderful that they made me want to see more of them!”
- “The depth of character development in this game is truly impressive, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, their growth feels natural and engaging.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its wholesome and polished experience, evoking positive emotions and providing an enjoyable journey for players.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The atmosphere is characterized as cute, creating a charming and endearing environment that enhances the overall gaming experience.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly cute and charming.”
- “The game creates a delightful and whimsical atmosphere that draws you in.”
- “The overall ambiance is warm and inviting, making it a joy to explore.”