Roguelike restaurant simulation, 99% positive demo reviews, a hot topic.
, an indie game with a unique concept developed by Swiss startup game studio Old Cake Factory, will be released simultaneously in early access on Steam (PC), iOS, and Android platforms on February 9th.
, a roguelike restaurant simulation game where you become a goblin chef and cook sushi for your colleagues, is attracting attention from indie game users, receiving 99% positive reviews out of 308 user reviews in the demo version released on August 30th of last year.
A fresh idea born in the Swiss gaming hub
Old Cake Factory is a new Swiss game studio that aims to create games with short, clear gameplay and compelling storylines. The development team has extensive experience in various projects and aims to establish itself as a sustainable studio in the Swiss game industry, creating a diverse range of engaging games.
The game is being published by Metaroot, a small publisher based in Zurich, Switzerland. Metaroot is known as a family-run company, with CEO Andri Weidmann, Nathalie Weidmann, and Flurin Weidmann.
Second attempt after the success of the programming game
Metaroot recently achieved significant success with The Farmer Was Replaced, a programming game created by Swiss developer Timon Herzog. The game was primarily popular in Germany, the UK, and the US between February 2023 and June 2025, but its regional influence expanded significantly after Metaroot’s participation, reaching China (19%), Japan (12%), Russia (10%), and Brazil (7%).
sold 160,000 copies during its six-month early access period and garnered over 6.6 million views on TikTok. On Steam, it received a 96% positive rating out of approximately 1,700 reviews.
The Metaroot team explained, “We’ve been keeping an eye on Steam’s ‘programming’ tag for a long time, and we’ve found that even relatively simple games in this space get surprisingly good responses. But there are very few of them. This isn’t a small niche; it’s a market with high demand and low supply.”
Gameplay: Chaos Goblin Sushi Restaurant
begins with a young goblin who dreams of becoming the best sushi chef in the cave after watching a real sushi chef on TV. Players must create a variety of sushi using everyday ingredients found in the goblin cave, such as grubs, slugs, chicken heads, and freshly ground toads.
The current Early Access version offers full roguelike restaurant management gameplay, including over 20 unique sushi varieties, three grilled dishes, three juices, and three poop variations. It also features 23 unique customers, over 100 upgrades, and over 15 special abilities, allowing for a variety of strategies and build configurations.
Customers come in a variety of forms, including Granny Goblins, Trash Goblins, Ghost Goblins, and Poop Goblins, and are more demanding and impatient than you might expect. PC Gamer said, “Goblin Sushi is as close to a classic cooking sim as you can get, complete with a cute yet disgusting aesthetic,” adding, “Customers are also attractive, like the Granny Goblin who brings a little dog, and the giant dog who brings a little Granny Goblin.”
The game’s core is centered around the goblin landlord, who appears periodically. Rent is due every two minutes and continues to rise, much like inflation. Gamespew explains, “Customers will get angry and leave if they don’t receive their food on time, but the landlord poses the real threat. He appears so frequently, and if you don’t have enough cash or can’t collect it within a few minutes, he’ll force you to close your shop.”
User reaction: “Addictive, cute, and disgusting all at once.”
Users who played the demo have generally responded positively. Gamers have described Goblin Sushi as “addictive” and “cute and gross at the same time,” comparing it to Good Pizza and Great Pizza, but noting that the addition of goblin and roguelike elements sets it apart.
Many feel that the project is already almost finished and are predicting that it will be a future hit in the indie scene.
On the Steam Community forums, some users have expressed concerns about the game’s pacing being too fast. One user commented, “I really like the concept, but the pace feels a bit too fast. The landlord’s asking price is rising too quickly, and so are the material prices.”
The development team emphasized active communication with the community, stating, “The studio is focused on developing games together with the community to create the best experience. Active communication with gamers greatly helps create fun games, and Early Access provides an opportunity to do just that.”
will remain in Early Access for approximately a year, with a slight price increase upon official launch. During this period, the development team plans to add more sushi, new food, and new locations, as well as incorporate community feedback.
The game supports 12 languages, including Korean, and will be released simultaneously on Steam, iOS, and Android on February 9th. A demo version will still be playable on Steam.
Steam Store Page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3734290/Goblin_Sushi/
