Restaurats Review (PC)
Summary: Restaurats serves up chaos in the most entertaining way possible.
3.8
Kitchen Chaos
In Restaurats, you can play solo or with up to four players as a team of rat chefs in your own medieval restaurant frequented by orcs, skeletons, vampires, and other supernatural beings. From the first few minutes of gameplay, it’s clear that toR Studio leans into chaotic co-op hilarity rather than hyper-serious management simulation.
The co-op element is where Restaurats truly shines. Miscoordination and hijinks all feel natural when you’re working together, trying to juggle cooking and serving customers with beating imps with baguettes and having one of you occasionally transported into a shadow realm (yes, really). The game offers two modes: a “Career” mode that tracks reputation and upgrades, and “Friendslop” mode, which focuses on surviving for 21 days without running into debt or leaving too many unsatisfied customers. While there isn’t an actual story in either mode, the medieval fantasy setting is a great setup for a fun restaurant-management experience.
The simplicity of the cooking mechanics allows you to jump in quickly; however, there is not much depth compared to other restaurant games. The recipes require you to throw the ingredients onto a table to pack them together, place the dish in the oven or grill, or serve to the customer if it’s ready as is. If you choose to order ingredients that are already chopped and sliced, it’s even less work. Although with the chaotic nature of the game, at times, it is appreciated how easy you can make the game for yourself by ordering already-prepared ingredients. Aside from cooking, there is also blackjack and a wheel of fortune in your own little hidey-hole to return to when the work day is over.
Graphically, Restaurats’ chunky cartoon-fantasy look is extremely fitting. Character customisation is surprisingly robust, and you can end up with some delightfully fashionable looks. The environmental work is also exceptional, especially with the lighting in the tavern. That said, some animations like dish cleaning feel a little basic and repetitive after extended play. But given the game’s charm, the visual presentation succeeds where it counts.
Moreover, Restaurats does a fine job of capturing the ambience of a medieval tavern. The soundtrack leans into medieval tavern tropes with plucked strings and light percussion. However, there are moments where more distinctive voice-work would elevate the experience. For instance, more reaction sounds from rats when under pressure or when a customer leaves satisfied. Still, for what the game sets out to achieve, the audio design is more than adequate.
The major strength of Restaurats lies in its execution for group fun: the rodent chef fantasy combined with restaurant chaos is memorable and well designed. The visual style and co-op friendly design both contribute to an experience you’ll want to come back to. On the flip side, the depth of gameplay could disappoint players who want a simulation with layered mechanics. Particularly in solo play, the repetitive nature of prepping, serving, and cleaning means that after several hours, the novelty can wear a little thin.
Final Thoughts
Restaurats takes the cooking game formula and injects it with disorder and chaos. While its mechanics could be deeper, and systems could use more fine-tuning, its spirit is unmistakable. For what it is, a fun indie title with imaginative design and co-op friendly mechanics, it succeeds. It may offer less in the long haul for solo players, but if you’re looking for a quirky, cooperative management game to play with friends, Restaurats is definitely worth a seat at the table.
About the Author
Jade Darton Jade is a web developer and Computer Science BSc student from Suffolk, UK with a passion for games and writing about them.
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