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[Pixel Architecture]

Hey all! This is Chef RPG. It’s an open world pixel art game where you are a chef. You manage a restaurant, gather ingredients and recipes, and foster relationships with the townsfolk in order to create  your own unique culinary story. The goal for this game is that you have a lot of choices of how you play the game. Although the main goal involves running a restaurant, the player can spend their day gathering ingredients, hunting, exploring, or socializing.

Twitter if you want to see more frequent updates https://twitter.com/PixelArchitect1
Youtube channel for devlogs https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo57r5geuOTZzu1CoHbGbtQ


It is currently very early in development so I am still working on the base RPG systems before moving on to creating the main gameplay. However, I have created a video devlog to show the current progress.

Latest Devlog




Devlog #1




And here's a couple in-game screenshots. No clothing animations have been added yet so that's why the character is half naked  








Progress so far

• Created character walking animation
• Implemented inventory system for equipment, tools, and consumables
• Implemented furniture placement system
• Implemented world clock with seasons
• Created a day/night cycle and season changes
• Created vegetation that drops fruits
• Environmental animations

Next to do

• Create recipes UI
• Create skills tree
• Create NPC AI
• Begin developing restaurant gameplay

[Jayesh]

I love the visuals - consistent color palettes. Also like the use of lights. Are you using Unity?

[Islet Sound]

Looks great, keep it up

[Pixel Architecture]

I love the visuals - consistent color palettes. Also like the use of lights. Are you using Unity?

Thanks! Yes the game is made in Unity. I used sprite swapping for different seasons (bit more work on Photoshop but less coding I think) and Unity's Universal Render Pipeline for the day/night lighting.

[Pixel Architecture]

This game is a passion project that combines my love for food, architecture and gaming. I wanted to really emphasize these aspects through nice artwork.

Players can collect various recipes throughout the game. I wanted this to feel really rewarding, so pixel food art will be added to every recipe. There will be hundreds of these throughout the game to collect. Hope to create a kind of "Catch em all" experience.



On another note, I'm architecture major and really wanted to design some interesting sci-fi architecture for this game. Here's a time-lapse video for the making of one of the buildings in Chef-RPG.

[Jayesh]

On another note, I'm architecture major and really wanted to design some interesting sci-fi architecture for this game. Here's a time-lapse video for the making of one of the buildings in Chef-RPG.

Thanks for sharing the process video. I like the technique of using shadows to create impression of depth. It's fascinating how such a subtle detail improves the look of the image significantly.

Congrats on not succumbing to the 3d environment route, despite being an architecture major. It's difficult to project your vision of the world by projecting it on 2d sprites, but the extra work does create more appealing visuals in many cases. Your pixel art is very neat.

[Pixel Architecture]

Thanks for sharing the process video. I like the technique of using shadows to create impression of depth. It's fascinating how such a subtle detail improves the look of the image significantly.

Congrats on not succumbing to the 3d environment route, despite being an architecture major. It's difficult to project your vision of the world by projecting it on 2d sprites, but the extra work does create more appealing visuals in many cases. Your pixel art is very neat.

Glad you like it! Still experimenting with pixel art and hope to create some really unique environments in the end. Another reason I went with 2D pixel art is that I think it is more manageable for a one person team. It saves a lot of time if you only have to design one side of a building. 3D environments would also require 3D animations and it would just take too long to get nice looking visuals.

[Jayesh]

3D environments would also require 3D animations and it would just take too long to get nice looking visuals.

Wise words. I learnt them after wasting a lot of my time on 3D (maybe wasting is the wrong word, as I learnt a lot). I first created a 2D tower defense game with some minor success. Then spent next one year to create 3D version of it, eventually giving up

Now I'm back to 2D!

[Pixel Architecture]

Hey all  Began work on a market area. Here's another pixel art timelapse for a new set of buildings. My vision for this town is inspired by  modern Japanese countrysides, combined with Sci-Fi and cyberpunk elements. There will be many NPCs to interact with and eventually you would be able to visit them in their homes. (Still trying to develop a cohesive environment & architectural style so some elements may change in the future).





Also some updates on the game progress

- Created upgradable item storage with saving and loading systems.
- Implemented working shop systems - needs improvements

Next to Do

- System to manage and save all shop information and items
- Recipe unlock system and UI
- Restaurant management interface

[Chris Polus]

I really like the pixel art. Cool, detailed dev videos.

[Jayesh]

You are capturing the beauty of Ambient occlusion in pixel art. Great going

[Pixel Architecture]

I really like the pixel art. Cool, detailed dev videos.

Thanks Chris! Glad you like it.

You are capturing the beauty of Ambient occlusion in pixel art. Great going

Thanks! Hoping to keep developing the art to get a nice cohesize style by the end.


Update

• Managed to finish shop UI and a manager to save and load items from different shops
• Ingredient shop items change on a daily and seasonal basis
• Began working on the recipe database and creating some new food art

Here's a screenshot of a Shop and the updated UI.




And here's some samples of the food art available in the game. Aiming to have around 200-250 different recipes in the end.

[Pixel Architecture]

Hey all! Back with some major updates and a new video devlog! Closing in on creating the main restaurant gameplay.

Here is the video:






Updates

• Recipe tab completed
• Created a restaurant Manager UI
• Added animations for female humans, male androids and female androids
• Basic AI for customers - they can walk around, sit down, and eat
• Five restaurant operation modes

Next to do

• Character creation
• Restaurant Staff scripts
• Staff animations
• Scripts for cooking appliances
• Restaurant gameplay

Some new screenshots:

New restaurant design and new furniture pieces


Recipe tooltips

[Jayesh]

Great going. I like the cabinets and cooking appliances from the video. Also glad to learn about archigram. Looking forward to see how you include it in your design.

[dspencer]

LOVE IT

did you ever see the cooking rpg guy on youtube? different thing but you might get some ideas from their channel :D

[Pixel Architecture]

LOVE IT

did you ever see the cooking rpg guy on youtube? different thing but you might get some ideas from their channel :D

Aha thanks for the recommend! Love watching cooking shows and this one looks really good!

[TacoBell_Lord]

Really love the GFX style but the GUI is really sleek & smooth :-D looking forward to the progress.

[Pixel Architecture]

Really love the GFX style but the GUI is really sleek & smooth :-D looking forward to the progress.

Thanks TacoBell Lord!

Updates

• Created hotel interior
• Added around 40 clothing pieces with animations
• Added around 10 hairstyles
• Can now save instantiated objects
• Multiple save slots

Next to do

• Rigging clothing and hair animations
• Character creation screen
• Restaurant staff scripts

Don't have too much to show in terms of visuals, but here is a concept for the upcoming forest area.

[Pixel Architecture]

Here's another pixel art timelapse video, this time for a cyberpunk style fishing vessel. Eventually players will be able to go on fishing trips to harvest bulk quantities of rare seafood for use in their restaurants.

[Pixel Architecture]

Happy Halloween!

Here's a pumpkin house that only appears in the game once a year.