Cook'N'Slash

The Day the Vegetables Rebelled

...or "Spill the smoothies!" ...or "I'll make cutlets out of you!"

Pick a slogan that combines fierce slashing and peaceful work in the kitchen - it fits our Cook'N'Slash game. It's wild action mixed with humour and cooking fun. It's an Alien Shooter (or Vampire Survivors) in 3D and about vegetables, as one reviewer put it.

As usual, it all started on Ludum Dare. Having learnt from past jams, we decided not to aim for complex or deep projects. The challenge for the team was to come up with something that was both simple and fun. We wanted to test the new Ludum Dare game in public, gather feedback and release the full game as soon as possible.

We decided that cooking mechanics could be fun. Let's say a cook has 10 seconds to cook a meal.

Firstly, because the very idea of chopping up food (which will be running around the level and fighting) and then dragging it over to the pan and making a dish sounds fancy.

Secondly, the theme of Ludum Dare really was Every 10 Seconds! We went to work with triple the enthusiasm.

As a result, our game made it into the top 50 of Ludum Dare in terms of humour and fun. Something to be proud of, with over 2,000 players around the world jamming with us!

Getting ready for release

As you can imagine, the Ludum version of the game is not even halfway to release. We have had to redo almost all the art, write new music, create new enemies, add bosses, tutorial levels and much, much more.

We plan to release Cook'N'Slash on Steam and PlayStation 5 in late spring 2023 - and we're ready to show you some of the work in progress.

New weapons

Cutting vegetables with a knife is fun. But now every knife is unique. Want to slice tomatoes? Buy a tomato knife! An onion coming at you? Throw an axe at it. Salt or pepper it!

Bonuses and modifiers

Players can pick up special items in the levels or buy them in the shop. These items temporarily increase combat efficiency or other characteristics.

Bosses and new enemies

There will be several bosses, each with their own unique behaviour. We have also significantly expanded the enemy camp. Exploding pomegranates, cowardly grapes, spinning cabbages and more can now turn against the chef.

The plot

Initially, the game did not have a coherent story and we immersed the player in the game immediately. Now things are different.

A wealthy corporation has invented a fertiliser that increases the growth of plants and fruit. Farmers rushed to buy the fertiliser, but they didn't know about the side effect of using it.

It turns out that the fertiliser not only makes plants bigger, but also makes them more aggressive. Only a chef from a small Italian restaurant can save the town. He'll know what to do with the evil food!

Gameplay

The player must unlock the game one level at a time, gradually working towards defeating the boss of the corporation. Along the way, he'll have to earn money (the town pays for every enemy he kills) and complete side quests.

Food delivery: Deliver the food you've prepared to the correct address before the fiendish enemies destroy you.

• Area sweep: Destroy all enemies in the area.

• Cooking: Fight off enemies while cooking the food in a pan.

• Boss battles: Take on special levels and fight some unique bosses.

Release date

TBA

Right now you can play the Ludum Dare version for free: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/51/cooknslash

To support the project and be the first to know when it launches, add it to your Wishlist on Steam.