Tostchu

About

Tostchu is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Ravenscape Collective and was released on October 28, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Tostchu is a single-player simulation game set in 90s rural Turkey, where you manage your father’s toast shop during busy evenings. Prepare toasts based on customers' requests, handle daily operations, and uncover mysterious events in the shop’s unique, retro atmosphere. The game offers engaging gameplay centered on managing the buffet and interacting with intriguing locals.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 174 reviews

gameplay14 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and immersive atmosphere that captures the essence of 90s Turkey, making it nostalgic and engaging.
The core gameplay loop of making toasts is addictive and enjoyable, providing a fun experience despite some initial learning curve.
The game successfully blends mundane tasks with eerie and mysterious events, creating a compelling psychological horror experience.

The gameplay can become repetitive and boring, with long periods of waiting and minimal significant events occurring.
There is a lack of guidance and tutorials, making it difficult for new players to understand the controls and mechanics.
The story feels underdeveloped and leaves many plot points unresolved, leading to a sense of disappointment with the overall narrative.

gameplay
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
64%
11%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of enjoyable mechanics and significant shortcomings, including unfinished elements and a repetitive core loop that can lead to tedium. While the atmosphere and visual style are praised, many players feel that the gameplay lacks depth and variety, with some mechanics underutilized or poorly explained. Overall, despite its flaws, the game offers a fun experience for a short duration, but players hope for future updates to enhance its content and mechanics.
- “The atmosphere and visual style are fantastic; gameplay is simple yet has a nice flow to it.”
- “Even though it has a few irritating bugs that can be fixed very easily, Tostchu is a very fun game with its hypnotizing main gameplay loop, nostalgic environment, and its unique approach to horror.”
- “Core mechanics and core game loop are well designed and addictive for a game that aims to deliver intended notions.”
- “There are literally unfinished game mechanics, events, and 2 unfinished endings out of the current 4 (2 of them are early finales).”
- “Wasted potential with many oversights, boring gameplay loop, badly written story/dialogue, buggy interactions. I can't even 100% the game (which has just 4 different endings, 2 of which are easily achievable; 1 is default gameplay). Nobody should spend 12+ hours in a game stagnant like this to get all different 'endings' which aren't that good or conclusive. I just wanted to get my money's worth, but even when I followed guides and did many trial and error, I couldn't get the 'eyes inward' ending.”
- “However, I must say that the game’s biggest flaw is its extremely repetitive and boring gameplay loop.”
atmosphere
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
40%
7%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and tense qualities, effectively blending eerie elements with a nostalgic 90s Turkish setting. Players appreciate the unique art design and the psychological tension that keeps them on edge, even as they engage in the seemingly mundane task of making toast. While the atmosphere is compelling, some reviewers noted that the gameplay could benefit from more depth and variety to match the richness of the environment.
- “The atmosphere and tension are well-crafted, keeping you on edge in a more subtle, psychological way.”
- “I loved the visual style—it’s richly detailed and creates a unique, immersive atmosphere that captures the essence of a 90s Turkish toast shop.”
- “The atmosphere, along with the authentic feel of a Turkish shop, really managed to pull me in while also keeping me on edge.”
- “The addictive preparation and serving loop, desolate atmosphere, and subtle horror elements in the surroundings and interactions with people create something truly distinct.”
- “The horror element is just based on the atmosphere and there are not too many events in the game to elevate it.”
- “Although the modeling, music, and TV/radio content do create the desired atmosphere beautifully, the monotonous gameplay, repetitive content, lack of interesting events, and the sometimes irritating bugs make it hard for me to recommend this game to anyone—especially fans of retro horror games, as they’ll likely be disappointed.”
story
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
62%
13%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it compelling and atmospheric, particularly appreciating its intriguing setting and symbolic elements. However, many criticize the narrative for being poorly executed, lacking coherence, and failing to engage players emotionally, leading to a sense of wasted potential. Overall, while there are interesting themes and details, the storytelling is often described as weak, with significant gaps and an unsatisfying conclusion.
- “Once you get the loop down, it isn't hard to keep up with orders, and the story it's telling is very compelling and worth the playthrough.”
- “What got me really interested in it is the part about William Butler Yeats; it was really surprising to see the merging of Yeats's 'Apocalypse' and the game's obscure story.”
- “It has quite an insightful story about Central Anatolia and the myths within.”
- “Everything else is a chore and the characters and how the story is told really couldn't get me to care.”
- “Weak storytelling.”
- “Story and dialogues have giant holes and feel empty.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The graphics are praised for their nostalgic and polished visuals, effectively blending comfort with a darker tone. However, some players note issues with readability and frame rate, as well as a desire for more graphic options to enhance the overall experience.
- “Overall, I find the graphics highly polished and requiring little improvement.”
- “Graphics and art style are fine; I like these kinds of looks for games.”
- “The nostalgic setting lures you in with its familiar, almost comforting visuals, only to turn them into something dark and sinister.”
- “But sometimes the art style gets in the way of the intelligibility of the game; for example, I can't read the numbers on the work clock until I get really close.”
- “There are problems with FPS and the vision distortion; I wish we had some graphic options.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marred by numerous bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience, leading to frustrating gameplay and immersion issues. Players report a lack of polish, with clunky controls and problematic interactions, making it difficult to achieve all endings despite following guides. Overall, the game's stability is a significant drawback, overshadowing its captivating atmosphere and core gameplay.
- “Wasted potential with many oversights, boring gameplay loop, badly written story/dialogue, buggy interactions. I can't even 100% the game (which has just 4 different endings, 2 of which are easily achievable, and 1 is default gameplay). Nobody should spend 12+ hours in a game stagnant like this to get all different 'endings' which aren't that good or conclusive. I just wanted to get my money's worth, but even when I followed guides and did many trial and error, I couldn't get the 'eyes inward' ending.”
- “There were some minor bugs or glitches that lowered immersion for me.”
- “The atmosphere and the core gameplay loop are captivating, even though the controls are clunky and maybe buggy at times (which can be expected from a PS1-style game).”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find the simple gameplay loop encourages repeated play, others feel there is limited incentive to return after the initial experience.
- “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the dynamic elements in the game.”
- “I would recommend trying it out, but there is little replayability.”
- “The simple gameplay loop allows for more replayability.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game effectively leverages Turkish nostalgia and is supported by a strong social media presence, indicating that the developers are skilled in marketing and audience engagement.
- “It's clear to me that the developers know what they are doing when it comes to capturing nostalgia, but the monetization feels excessive; this game was all over my social media.”
- “The constant push for in-game purchases really detracts from the overall experience.”
- “I feel like I'm being nickel-and-dimed at every turn; the monetization strategy is frustrating.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is praised for being both original and genuinely funny, providing players with a refreshing and entertaining experience that enhances overall enjoyment.
- “The humor in this game is original and genuinely funny, making every moment a joy.”
- “I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and hilarious situations the characters found themselves in.”
- “The game's clever puns and absurd scenarios kept me entertained from start to finish.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that previous bugs and performance issues have been resolved, leading to a smoother gaming experience. Additionally, there is anticipation for an upcoming content update, and players appreciate the developers' positive engagement with the community.
- “The bugs are gone, performance issues are resolved, and there's a content update on the way! I'm excited for the upcoming content, plus the developers are incredibly wholesome and great people.”
- “The optimization has made a significant difference in gameplay, providing a smoother experience and allowing me to enjoy the game to its fullest.”
- “I appreciate how the developers are continuously working on optimization, ensuring that the game runs efficiently and remains enjoyable for everyone.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music effectively enhances the game's atmosphere, but the overall experience is marred by monotonous gameplay and repetitive content, which may disappoint fans of retro horror games.
- “Although the modeling, music, and TV/radio content create the desired atmosphere beautifully, the monotonous gameplay, repetitive content, lack of interesting events, and sometimes irritating bugs make it hard for me to recommend this game to anyone—especially fans of retro horror games, as they’ll likely be disappointed.”
- “The music is forgettable and doesn't add anything to the overall experience; it feels like an afterthought rather than a key component of the game.”
- “While the soundtrack has potential, it quickly becomes repetitive and fails to enhance the emotional impact of the gameplay.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and monotonous, with repetitive gameplay that detracts from the overall experience. While some desire to explore all endings, the tedious nature of the timer and the lack of variety in tasks make it difficult to engage in multiple playthroughs.
- “I really want to see all the endings; however, I can't bring myself to play it again and again as the timer is a bit tedious.”
- “In a game like this, you’d expect some repetitive gameplay to keep the budget manageable, but the loop here is so monotonous and focused on doing the same things repeatedly that it quickly becomes tedious.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting their excitement for upcoming content updates and appreciation for the developers' positive and supportive attitude. The resolution of previous bugs and performance issues has further enhanced their overall experience.