Old friends on the forum, long time no see. I haven't been busy with projects recently, and I have been idle for more than half a month on games. I searched all major platforms but couldn't find anything that suits my taste. As a result, I randomly clicked on "Candy Forest Escape" before going to bed last night. I originally thought it was another skin-changing match-3 game, but I didn't expect that I would play it for five hours. Not to brag, this game did give me a little surprise.
We have been in this industry for a long time, and when I see the word "escape" in the name of a game, my first reaction is to find the key, decipher the password, and hide in the room. But this game takes a completely different approach. It does not allow you to escape from a certain place, but starts from a small restaurant in a county town, allowing you to use decades of catering experience to "escape" from a mediocre life. This setting is quite interesting to be honest.
The core of the game is restaurant management. You started from a small street shop. The mottled walls almost reminded me of the first time I ate Shaxian snacks. Then as the level increases, you will unlock more and more regions and cuisines - from the snack street to the neon lights of the Bund, from the skewers stalls in the Western Regions to the warm cabins in the snow village, the details of every scene are done in a stylish way.
There is one detail that makes me particularly emotional. After arriving in the Western Region in the game, the background music was replaced with ethnic instruments, and then the cooking system was also changed. The preparation of mutton skewers and naan was completely different from the previous ones. It was not just a change of skin. This kind of level of care is really rare in the current mobile game market. Nowadays, many major companies just set up a template and launch it online. Just change the name of the dish and say it is new content. If "Restaurant Simulator" from the Nokia Symbian era had this detail, it would be a masterpiece. 😂
I have to talk about the game's upgrade rhythm. The problem with many game operations is that the level is stuck, which makes people feel depressed and makes you wait for a long time. But the game's rhythm control is very comfortable, and you will basically not be stuck in the early stage. You can expand the store and change the menu smoothly. Moreover, the dish research and development system is in-depth. It is not just a matter of two clicks. The specialties of each region have different recipe combinations, which require you to use your brain. This reminds me of the time when I played online games and researched equipment.
In terms of graphics, the overall style is cartoonish, but it doesn't make people feel younger. The store decoration can be freely matched. I spent almost an hour there studying how to decorate the store on the Bund in a more stylish way. This time was spent willingly. The music is also very particular. Each region has its own theme song. The sounds of vendors selling food and the sound of spatulas turning make you feel like you are standing on the streets. But let's be honest, the BGM may feel a bit monotonous in the later stage. If you play with the sound turned on, it is recommended to turn on the in-game notification sound.
If we talk about the shortcomings of the game, it is probably that there is not much content in the currently open version. After all, it is a newly launched work. I read the developer's announcement before, saying that the subsequent version will be released in overseas regions and have more plot lines, so you should be able to look forward to it. The payment model is free download, with no in-app purchases. It is very rare these days to encounter a business game that can be played smoothly without spending money.
To be honest, I have been playing games for thirty years, from playing Snake with a black and white screen to various masterpieces now. I have seen too many games release paid DLC when they become popular, and then start selling various props. The attitude of honest content production like Yunbu Interactive Entertainment was not unusual more than ten years ago, but it is indeed worthy of encouragement now. I don't know if there are any fans in the forum, but I'm waiting for them to come up with new scenes, and then I'll come back and write a detailed guide.
By the way, if you want to get involved, remember to leave some game currency. The decoration of the Bund in the later period will be ridiculously expensive. Don't ask me how I know that. 😤
Let's just stop writing here. I'm getting older and can't stay up too long at night. I will study the hidden recipes of Xuecun when I am fishing at work tomorrow. If I find any special dishes, I will report them to you.