- K-Indie Joyful Joe’s New Release… Diverse Menu Added Including Gimbap, Stew, Rice Bowl, and Pork Cutlet
- Preparing ingredients, cooking, and serving with friends… A snack bar operation cooking and management simulation
Korean indie developer Joyful Jo released the official version of the cooking and management simulation game ‘Kimbap Heaven Simulator’ on Steam on November 9.
In this official version, a large number of new menu items have been added, including the signature gimbap, as well as snacks, stews, rice bowls, and pork cutlets, and a new online cooperative play mode has been introduced that allows up to four people to enjoy the game together.
Players become the owner of a neighborhood snack bar, personally purchasing ingredients and cooking meals to serve customers. In addition to single-player mode where you manage the bar efficiently on your own, you can also enjoy cooperative play where friends divide roles to run the busy kitchen together.
[Related Article] K-Indie Game ‘Kimbap Cheonguk Simulator’ Capturing the Vibe of Korean Snack Bars
A vibrant snack bar where everything from ingredient preparation and cooking to serving continues.
The cooking process begins in detail with the preparation of ingredients. Players must personally perform a series of steps, such as washing the rice and cooking it, stir-frying carrots or making an egg omelet, placing the ingredients on the seaweed, rolling the gimbap, and slicing it.
In the official version, the menu is further expanded to offer not only basic snack foods such as gimbap, ramen, tteokbokki, and jjolmyeon, but also a variety of Korean dishes such as kimchi stew, spicy pork rice bowl, omurice, hot stone pot bibimbap, and pork cutlet set meal.
As the menu expands, the kitchen handles a wide range of cooking techniques, including boiling, stir-frying, and deep-frying. All operations, from ingredient preparation to cooking, order processing, and serving, flow together as a single organic stream; making customers wait too long or burning food due to a failure in heat control directly impacts the store’s evaluation and overall operations.
Dividing kitchen roles with up to 4 people online
The game supports both single-player and online co-op modes for up to four players.
In Co-op Mode, you can divide roles such as ingredient preparation, cooking, and serving in a much larger kitchen. You can run the shop by handling all tasks seamlessly on your own or by coordinating with friends to handle the rush of customer orders.
Profits earned through operations can be reinvested to expand the store’s size. The key is to increase operational efficiency by unlocking new recipes and ingredients, and upgrading with the latest cooking equipment and kitchen facilities. According to the developers, more systematic store management elements are also provided, such as hiring staff to lighten the workload.
A faithful recreation of a Korean neighborhood snack bar… Supports PC and Mac
The game is set against the backdrop of familiar Korean streets and neighborhood restaurants. Jo Sang-hee, CEO of Joyful Jo, stated that she meticulously observed the appearance of Kimbap Cheonguk, a restaurant she frequently dined at, and incorporated it into the game. She expressed her hope that the game would convey a welcome sense of familiarity to Korean users and serve as an opportunity for overseas users to indirectly experience K-food restaurant culture .
It is characterized by including realistic cooking guide elements that can be used as a reference when making gimbap in real life.
The developer Joyful Joe is a Korea-based indie game studio. ‘Kimbap Cheonguk Simulator’ is available to play on the Steam platform for PC and Mac. According to the Steam store page, a total of 12 languages are listed, including Korean and English, and the interface and subtitles are officially supported for most languages.
From Early Access to the Official Version … 87% Positive Review on Steam
‘Kimbap Cheonguk Simulator’ was first released as an Early Access version on July 22, and following the announcement on the Steam store page, it ended Early Access and transitioned to the official version on November 9. Key changes in this official version include the addition of an online co-op mode for up to four players and significantly expanded menus and content.
Meanwhile, ‘Gimbap Cheonguk Simulator,’ which has officially launched with 87% positive feedback out of 39 Steam user reviews, is priced at 17,500 won according to the press release and is offering a 10% discount (15,750 won) for two weeks after launch.
The simple daily life of preparing ingredients by hand and welcoming guests in a steaming kitchen holds a warm joy that transcends language and resonates with everyone.
With the end of early access and the start of full-scale customer reception, attention is focused on whether ‘Kimbap Cheonguk Simulator’ can become a special channel that conveys heartwarming nostalgia to domestic users and the friendly warmth unique to Korean neighborhood restaurants to overseas users .
Kimbap Heaven Simulator
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Title | Kimbap Heaven Simulator |
| Development and distribution | Joyful Jo |
| Genre | Cooking and Management Simulation |
| platform | PC·Mac (Steam) |
| Official version released | November 9, 2026 (Early Access Ends) |
| price | 17,500 won as of press release (10% discount for 2 weeks after launch, 15,750 won) |
| Player count | Single player, online co-op for up to 4 players |
| Supported languages | 12 languages including Korean |
| Steam Reviews | 87% Positive (39 ratings, at the time of writing) |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
