A survival tycoon game, offering a realistic street vendor management experience, from managing materials to coping with police and yakuza pressure.
“Street Takoyaki,” a survival tycoon simulation game developed by indie game developer Hermit Hollow, will be released via Steam on February 2nd (local time). It will be available in Korea starting February 3rd.
The fierce takoyaki business unfolds on the streets of Japan.
Street Takoyaki is a unique simulation game where players run their own takoyaki stall on the streets of Japan. Beyond simply cooking and selling food, it’s designed as a survival-focused tycoon game where players must manage ingredients, set prices, upgrade equipment, and even manage pressure from the police and yakuza.
The developers emphasized in the game’s introduction that “there is no easy victory. Just like in real life, you either adapt or go out of business,” suggesting that the game reflects the realistic difficulties faced by actual self-employed people.
Strategic choices determine survival.
The core of the game is strategic decision-making. Players can choose from several locations to operate a stall, building reputation and unlocking new locations. Each location has a different customer base and profitability, so deciding where to open your business is a crucial strategic decision.
The material management system has also been meticulously implemented. You’ll need to manage your supplies to ensure they don’t run out, set daily recipes, and balance your toppings. As your business grows, you’ll be able to upgrade your stalls and equipment, and random events and special locations will add to the variety.
The game page specifically emphasizes the phrase “MSG FREE!” (no chemical seasonings added), humorously expressing the concept of pursuing healthy takoyaki.
Secretly enjoying ‘window mode’ games while working from home
What’s interesting is that the developers intentionally encourage playing in windowed mode. The game description includes the rather hilariously instructive instruction: “Run in windowed mode, hide it on a secondary monitor, or hide it behind your ‘work’ window, and pretend you’re working from home. No one will notice while you grow your takoyaki business.”
This is interpreted as emphasizing that the game has an idle element that can be played in the background, and that it is a game that even busy office workers can enjoy without burden.
Design inspired by classic tycoon games
‘Street Takoyaki’ is inspired by classic tycoon games. Its pixelated 2D visuals and text-based interface evoke a retro feel while also featuring modern gameplay mechanics.
Looking at the tags that Steam users have attached, it includes ‘Indie’, ‘Time Management’, ‘Shop Keeper’, ‘Management’, ‘Cooking’, and ‘Simulation’, which shows that the game is centered around business simulation and time management elements.
“Street Takoyaki” is notable for its focus on takoyaki, Japan’s signature street food, and for its intricate portrayal of survival and management, rather than simply a cooking game. The inclusion of realistic (and somewhat dark) elements like pressure from the police and yakuza is interpreted as an attempt to reflect the real-life challenges of running a street stall.
‘Street Takoyaki’ will be released on PC (Steam) on February 2nd local time, and will be playable in Korea from February 3rd.
Steam Store Page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4308920/Street_Takoyaki/
