Gateway Games – Introductory Video Games: Overcooked

Suggested Player Experience Level: Familiarity with at least one game that uses a controller. Initial Difficulty: Simple. Final Difficulty: Challenging. Difficulty Increases: Occasionally significant, particularly in the later stages. Learning Curve: Easy to start, with a moderate level of challenge to fully master. Visual Style: Playful, charming polygonal graphics. Narrative Style: Light-hearted, whimsical, somewhat superfluous, yet enjoyable. Controls: Well-designed for handheld controllers, with a feature allowing two players to use one controller (not advisable). Keyboard controls are adequate but limited to a single player. To play this on PC, you’ll need to purchase controllers and an adapter.

You succeeded! Despite the challenges, you were able to persuade your friend, who doesn’t usually play video games, to join you for a co-op gaming session. Excitedly, you begin to sift through your collection, searching for your beloved co-op games from previous years.

You take out Halo: Combat Evolved and reminisce about the fun moments spent tackling the co-op campaign with your closest friends in the past. Yet, you hesitate, realizing you don’t want their initial encounter with Halo to be against a poorly skilled version of the Covenant forces (on easy mode), and you thoughtfully return the case to its place on the shelf.

Next, you might think about diving into one of the beloved co-op classics from earlier consoles. There’s a treasure trove of unforgettable co-op games from past generations that you fondly recall enjoying. Yet, you can’t shake the concern that the outdated graphics and the notoriously challenging gameplay of those classic systems could make this gaming experience a fleeting one.

Eager to seize this chance, you choose to explore alternatives beyond your existing collection of games. While browsing online for the top cooperative games, you repeatedly come across an enticing title that catches your eye. It’s a frenzied cooperative cooking simulator known as Overcooked.

The intense monologue provided serves as a fairly accurate depiction of my motivation to try Overcooked. Eager to maintain the positive momentum from my highly successful introduction of Telltale’s The Walking Dead to my fiancée, I believed that exploring a cooperative game that was unfamiliar to both of us would be a sensible progression.

It appears I was correct! Overcooked became a significant second triumph in Meesh’s gaming adventure. Nevertheless, this doesn’t imply that there weren’t a few challenges to face throughout the process. In reality, I discovered that the most significant obstacle in the Overcooked experience was my own limitations as a cooperative player!

Before we delve into the details of each challenge and obstacle, it’s essential to understand how to prepare for this cooperative experience.

Getting Ready to Play Overcooked

Luckily, the necessary pre-game preparations for playing Overcooked are quite minimal.

Overcooked: Preparation Guide Before Takeoff

Graphics Options: PC ONLY – This game can be quite demanding on lower-end systems, so try playing a few levels and reduce your computer’s resolution until you achieve a stable frame rate. Audio Options: Music – 80%, Sound Effects – 100%. Control Options: No setup required. Gameplay Options: No setup required. Difficulty Options: No setup required. Profile Options: No setup required. Initial Launch: PC ONLY – Ensure you can connect both controllers and that the first level runs smoothly without crashing.

Although certain levels may lead to some lag on the screen, this problem is usually short-lived and primarily affects lower-end computers. Aside from this, the game is generally quite stable in both online and offline settings.

Gameplay Summary

The game features both players selecting from a vibrant array of whimsical and furry chefs, preparing dishes in some of the most outrageous kitchen designs ever conceived.

The game’s control system essentially boils down to just a few key commands:

• Movement
• Pick-up/Place
• Cut
• Dash
• Change Chef – Available for Single Player and Versus Modes Only

There are certain subtleties related to the pick-up and place mechanics that we will explore later, but the fundamental mechanics remain straightforward as the game advances.

Although the control mechanics in Overcooked are quite straightforward, the game offers a surprising level of complexity. This complexity is enhanced by the cooperative nature of the gameplay. Frequently, players find themselves separated, with specific tasks that can only be accomplished by one of them.

In one particular level, players find themselves in separate compartments of a spaceship, connected by a conveyor belt. The upper compartment is equipped with cutting boards and a delivery window, while the lower compartment contains the ingredients, stoves, and a sink. Mechanically, this setup requires that a single dish is handled by each player twice before it can be successfully delivered. This design encourages players to work together, leveraging each other’s strengths and compensating for weaknesses to achieve success.

Every stage is situated within a broader world map. Progression through the levels is linear, but players have the freedom to revisit unlocked levels whenever they choose. To unlock a stage, players must accumulate a specific number of “stars,” which are awarded for achieving set score targets in earlier levels. Each stage allows for a maximum of three stars, and players must secure at least one star in a stage to access the subsequent one.

Anticipated Obstacles and Hurdles

Although Overcooked offers an enjoyable experience for both newcomers and seasoned players, there are a few key challenges I would like to highlight.

The Challenge Gradient

Overcooked presents a significant challenge for players aiming for completion. While it’s possible to progress by achieving a few 1-star ratings here and there, the later stages of the game feature a world map with quite stringent star requirements.

While the game’s requirement for players to enhance their skills can be beneficial over time, it poses a significant challenge for newcomers. This challenge is intensified by the reality that numerous levels can make it nearly impossible for a single player to lead the team to achieve two or three stars.

Due to the interdependent nature of the game, I advise against introducing a completely new player to the intense challenges of Overcooked right away. This game is more suitable as the second or third title in a player’s gaming experience. Ideally, they should have a good grasp of the controller’s layout and some familiarity with joystick navigation. While it’s feasible to start a novice with Overcooked, the game’s difficulty escalates rapidly. It’s wise to have a more straightforward game on standby in case the new player starts to lose interest. As we know, sometimes taking a break from a game can be the best way to regain focus and improve.

Personal Story: Set It Aside and Revisit It Later

Meesh quickly became a fan of Overcooked, but she often found the game’s difficulty quite frustrating. She expressed her annoyance by saying, “I hate this game,” on several occasions. However, after taking a break for a few days, her enthusiasm for playing would always return. I made it a point to remind her that the game was genuinely challenging, and she mentioned that this reassurance encouraged her to keep playing.

Mechanical Curiosities

Although the control system in Overcook is generally reliable, there are certain mechanical nuances that may confuse inexperienced players.

Many of these peculiarities revolve around the pick-up and placement mechanics in Overcooked. Generally, these mechanics function as anticipated. For instance, you can set a burger on the table, add chopped lettuce to it, and then pick up a pan to add cooked meat. However, if you attempt to pick up the burger and retrieve the meat from the pan, the game will prevent you from doing so.

To add to the confusion, the capability to retrieve ingredients from a heat source functions seamlessly when you’re holding a plate. However, when it comes to pizza, the game specifically mandates that you remove the pizza by hand before placing it onto a plate.

I acknowledge that these are relatively small issues in an otherwise well-functioning game. Nevertheless, for a novice player, these peculiarities may not be immediately obvious, so it’s important to recognize that these features are indeed quite unusual!

Although these summaries aren’t intended as a strategy guide, the game doesn’t provide a thorough explanation of these mechanics. For those who prefer not to explore these aspects independently, I’ve outlined my top three mechanical peculiarities in the spoiler section below. If you feel confident in your ability to uncover these details on your own, simply refrain from highlighting the text in the concealed area below.

• Buns and tortillas serve as convenient vessels for neatly holding chopped vegetables and cooked meats in a single package.
• Plates can serve to extract ingredients straight from pots, pans, and fryers.
• The pizza must be removed from the oven manually.

The Disparity in Player Abilities

It appears that many so-called “co-operative” games available today are essentially single-player experiences that have been enhanced with some cooperative features. From a design standpoint, this often indicates that the game can be finished solo, making the second player merely a supplementary presence in the cooperative mode.

Overcooked is certainly not among those titles.

As previously mentioned, Overcooked is fundamentally a cooperative game. This indicates that it was specifically created to be enjoyed collaboratively. As noted earlier, there are many levels in Overcooked where a single player is unable to fulfill an order independently.

Although this interdependence presents intriguing obstacles within the game, it’s essential to also consider the difficulties it may pose beyond the gaming environment. Unless you possess extraordinary patience, it’s quite probable that your calmness may waver as tensions rise.

This is undoubtedly the most significant risk factor when bringing a new participant into Overcooked.

Personal Story: Mind Your Tone!

During the majority of my gaming journey, I’ve engaged in cooperative games with players of comparable skill levels. While I anticipated that the skill disparity would be a factor with Meesh, I believed my own “elite gaming skills” would enable her to perform beyond her usual capabilities, allowing us to explore a broader range of games. Generally, this proved to be true, but Overcooked turned out to be a frustrating exception.

I must admit, there were several times when we were a bit short with one another. I understood that she needed time to hone her abilities, yet there were moments when my demeanor changed from relaxed to frustrated as we navigated through the challenges. Ultimately, everything turned out well, and Overcooked remains one of her favorite games, but we certainly encountered a few bumps in the road, many of which were of my own making.

You may be able to prevent heated arguments, but if tensions do rise, be prepared to say you’re sorry if you’re causing anxiety for the new player. It’s crucial to keep in mind that both of you are engaging in this game for enjoyment. While games are naturally difficult—some might even say that the challenge is the essence of the experience—individual reactions to setbacks can vary significantly.

I would contend that a lot of individuals become anxious when they’re not doing well in any type of game, whether it’s a video game or a physical one. I would wager that many of you seasoned gamers who are reading this have attempted to play golf in real life and eventually decided to quit. I can certainly relate to that experience.

Learning a new and difficult skill can be quite frustrating, particularly when you observe others mastering it with apparent ease. One important factor in overcoming these obstacles is having a supportive and motivating mentor. Additionally, it’s crucial to help the novice understand that taking a break and revisiting the fundamentals can often be the most effective way to enhance their abilities.

If you notice that the player is struggling, encourage them to spend some time in the single-player mode. This experience can provide them with a comprehensive understanding of the game mechanics, ultimately enhancing their performance in cooperative play.

Although the advantages of practice are clear, persuading a beginner to engage in single-player mode can be more challenging than anticipated. They may feel uneasy with the idea of you observing and evaluating their attempts as they navigate the game mechanics.

Interestingly, one effective approach to address this issue is to engage in versus mode. If you can persuade the player that the experience is purely for enjoyment rather than competition, they may be more willing to treat versus mode as a kind of “practice session.”

Personal Story: An Unorthodox Approach

Meesh initially hesitated when I suggested that she attempt a few levels independently to improve her abilities. She much preferred to play alongside me (how sweet!), and the thought of me merely observing her gameplay didn’t appeal to her, even though I assured her that I was perfectly fine with it.

In the end, I managed to persuade her to give the versus mode a shot, claiming that we weren’t actually competing. I opted for the initial versus level, knowing that we wouldn’t be able to disrupt one another, effectively creating two separate single-player experiences that ran simultaneously. This turned out to be a fantastic way for Meesh to refine her abilities.

On our first night playing, we must have gone through the initial “versus” level at least ten times, thanks to Meesh’s insistence! After several rounds of difficulty, she realized that my scores were consistently 5 to 6 times greater than hers. This observation encouraged her to analyze my gameplay, sparking several insightful conversations about ways to enhance her skills.

By the conclusion of the evening, she was consistently achieving scores three times greater than at the beginning, and her performance in cooperative play mirrored this progress.

To ensure safety, if you decide to practice with versus mode, select a level where the two players cannot affect each other. The initial versus level is a suitable option, as it features each player confined to their own distinct kitchen.

Concluding Remarks

Overcooked stands out as an excellent option for a second or third Gateway Game. Its charming visuals, delightful humor, and engaging gameplay create an inviting experience for nearly all kinds of players.

Although the game significantly increases in difficulty, the challenge of overcoming obstacles is an essential aspect of a newcomer’s gaming experience. The final level of Overcooked is particularly intense, leading to a gratifying and, dare I say, monumental ending to the game.

After completing Overcooked, the only creature you’ll be concerned about feeding is the one next to you on the couch, now hooked on the game.

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