Hi everyone!
TinyTeams Stream
Last week PlateUp! was featured in the TinyTeams festival! Thank you all for your support! This was the first time the game was played by anyone other than friends. It was great to see Kirsty and Briony have a lot of fun playing, and amazing to see all the positive comments!
If you didn't catch the stream, you can see it here:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1115989886?t=1h2m27s
Or if you just want a quick bite, check out this quick reminder of why you should prepare the whole table's meal before starting to serve them!
https://www.twitch.tv/yogscast/clip/BlindingBovineDonkeyWholeWheat-Lz5TnGKmaCzpfvrb
Game Updates
Whenever I wasn't watching the TinyTeams streams I've been working on getting more stuff into the game, ready for the ever-expanding platetest. This week, I've been playing with the layout generator that builds your restaurant layouts, and working on tidying up some of the interface bits and pieces.
The layout generator at the moment builds you four little layouts, which you get to pick from on the table before you start. The idea is that each time you play you'll have a unique floorplan to work around -- maybe one time you'll have a large dining area ready for lots of customers, and the next you'll have an expansive kitchen space for complex cooking. By giving you some choice in your layout, I hope you'll be able to play the game how you want to, but with a different twist each time.
The layouts start out small to keep things straightforward, but I'm planning to add franchise upgrades that give you bigger layouts and more options as you get more experienced. If you're planning on building the fast food chain of your dreams, maybe you'll tailor your layout upgrades towards having lots of open spaces. But if bespoke destination dining is your dream, you might want to opt for scenic luxury instead!
I think there's lots of potential in how you can upgrade your franchise, but it's important to get it right. I don't want players to feel stuck in one playstyle because of the choices they made, but at the same time, I want you to feel like you can really progress towards your dream restaurants. I'd love to know what you all think!
What's Next
As I slowly allow more people into the platetest, more and more of you will get your hands on the game to try it. If you do get admitted, I'd be really grateful to hear any feedback you have so I can make the game as good as it can be.
Aside from testing the game, PlateUp! is going to appear in Steam's Next Fest in October, where everyone will be able to try a demo version of the game.