PlateUp! Review (Switch eShop)

The biggest challenge facing PlateUp! is the striking similarities to the other culinary stress simulator, Overcooked. Ghost Town Game’s hugely popular series has been fairly unique in its genre up until now. Making sure all orders are right, delivering dishes to tables in time, and washing up after — this rhythm will be familiar to anyone that has experienced the pandemic-era hit.

Such comparisons are more than apt, these titles are similar and both are just as stressful. However, where developer It’s Happening’s PlateUp differs is in the roguelite elements that offer incremental gains as a reward for failure. In addition, a progression system adds a layer of customisation that can make each time you flip the open sign feel fresh.

For anyone who needs a refresher on the serve 'em up, it tasks a group of players with keeping restaurant patrons fed and happy. Orders come in and ingredients each require different preparation methods and timings before they can be plated and sent out to tables. While this sounds simple, the reality of it is a form of chaos that can instantaneously ruin relationships and turn your living room into a new series Hell’s Kitchen.

Smart groups will assign roles so that everything flows seamlessly. Someone to prep food, another to serve, and a lowly dishwasher to keep the clean plates coming. However, one flashing timer or a moment of miscommunication later, and your delicate balance is ruined. It’s enjoyable, difficult, and horribly addictive.

The most notable difference between PlateUp and its peers (well, peer) is the minimalist aesthetic. Favouring simple, randomly generated floor plans and faceless chefs that recall the physics blobs of Gang Beasts. It’s a far cry from the overly stylised diorama kitchens and mascot-driven avatars of Overcooked. The leaner visual style works in its favour for the most part. It’s much easier to concentrate on getting orders right and seeing where everyone is, without a lot of visual clutter and cacophonous sound design.

Starting in a charming warehouse hub, players can plan each run by changing location, setting menus, and choosing floor plans. Cats are roaming around (you can’t pet them, but can flail your arms at them, which is close enough) that will dutifully sit at a dining table and allow you to practice recipes on them. The warehouse becomes more populated with features as you progress, one of the many incentives to keep grinding out levels.

Each day of service plays out in either a harmonious or disastrous manner, as you meet orders, clean up after patrons, and shout at your loved ones. After each successful round of business, a set of randomly generated items and upgrades will spawn. These items range from extra facilities to mechanical changes, like a dumbwaiter to transport dishes, or a service desk to speed up order time. Items can be re-rolled before starting the next day, but you’ll want to be strategic with what you buy as you might need the money for priority shifts later in the run.

These shifts come in the form of themes. After a certain amount of days, you can adjust the vibe of your restaurant, which in turn will add a collection of behavioural changes to your patrons and maybe even perks for your kitchen staff. Additionally, smaller milestones will offer a choice to make life harder or easier for XP boosts.

These thematic choices offer a variety to each attempt that sets this title apart from its obvious cousin. It also guarantees longevity, given no one attempt feels the same. It still stings to be sent back to day one, but closing shop brings new lessons and new tools.

The caveats come in how PlateUp feels and controls on Switch. The game originally launched on PC in 2022 and became highly popular and fortunately, the Switch port is visually smooth both docked and undocked. However, text size and general visual fidelity are lacking when undocked, with the hub area, in particular, requiring some squinting to make out some elements. Add the imprecise, grid-based targeting (far more suited to mouse control) and it’s a frustrating experience for multiple players on the go.

The UI outside of business hours feels cluttered, you can freely move furniture around before opening the restaurant, but grabbing and maneuvering things can be a chore. You’ll often find yourself straining to click on a bouncing blue upgrade envelope and accidentally pick up the fridge. The floaty jank of its controls might be part of the charm for some, but it’s hard not to be annoyed when you’ve failed to grab a plate from a table and a waiting guest tires of your sloth and triggers a game over.

A lot is going on with PlateUp. The unlock system tempers the rage of losing a run and it quickly starts to feel like something new waits after each attempt. There isn’t the constant stream of gratification around every corner that comes with games like Hades, but the roguelite elements encourage that ‘one more game’ compulsion.

There are some issues with the Switch optimisation, particularly with controls and UI, but otherwise, it feels at home on Nintendo's console. Docked couch co-op is great fun and there are online modes for those who like to disappoint (or dictate to) strangers on the internet.