Let's talk about the conclusion first: This game looks simple, but in fact the numerical logic is quite clear. The core is just one indicator - net profit per unit time. You have to first understand the output ratio of each order before you can know which flavor of marshmallow to make first.
I started playing it for about ten hours and figured out the numerical rules in the early stage. The process of making marshmallows is: select sugar → put it on the machine → add decoration → delivery. Each step has a time cost, and the type of sugar and decorations directly determine the selling price. But note that the base cost of different flavors is different.
For example, the most basic original candy has a low purchase price and a short production time, but the selling price is also low. The purchase price of strawberry-flavored candies is about 1.8 times that of the original flavor, but the price of the made marshmallows can be about 2.5 times that of the original flavor. From a single profit point of view, strawberry is better, but if you take the production time into account and use "profit/second" to compare, the original flavor is not bad in the early stage - because the original flavor basically does not need to wait for the machine to cool down and can spin continuously.
So the first best strategy is: don't blindly pursue high-priced sugar in the early stage. First, calculate whether there is any window period in your marshmallow making cycle. If the machine is idling, no matter how high the unit price is, time will be lost.
Let's talk about decorations. The decoration system of this game is hidden in the details: for each decoration added, the selling price increases by a fixed percentage, but the decorations themselves need to be purchased with gold coins in advance. It is recommended to only buy high-end decorations that "increase the selling price by more than 20%", such as chocolate chips and rainbow candy needles. Others are not cost-effective.
The second strategy: spread the cost of the decorations over at least 5 orders. If the price of a piece of decoration is 200 gold coins, and the price of a single upgrade is 30 gold coins, it will take at least 7 orders to make back the money. The first 7 orders are actually a loss-making business. Therefore, save the gold coins when you have enough in the early stage, and then invest them all at once when you unlock high-level decorations.
The value of machine upgrades is also worth counting. With each level of upgrade, the production time is shortened by about 8%, but the upgrade cost increases exponentially. My suggestion is: Prioritize upgrading "Melt Speed" because this is the longest part of the process. Other links, such as sugaring and packaging, have very low upgrade benefits, so let's put them aside first.
Finally, let's talk about the business rhythm. In the game, customers have a "patience value", and if you wait too long, your satisfaction will be lost. If the satisfaction falls below the critical value, the income of this order will be directly discounted by 30%. I can see from the data that satisfaction drops by one level every 5 seconds, so the optimal strategy is to only take one order at a time, and then open the next order after finishing it. Don't be greedy for more. Dual-line parallelism seems to be efficient, but when the customer urges you, you will be in a hurry, and the total income will be unstable.
To sum it up in one sentence: Don't make decisions based on “single revenue”, make decisions based on “profit margin/time”. Following this idea, by the 12th level at the latest, your gold coins will grow at least twice as fast as playing blindly. My own record is that I started making steady profits at level 9, and then it snowballed at every level.
This game is essentially a management simulator for children, but if you really want to use it as a numerical sandbox, you can still get results. Suitable for players who like to settle accounts. 😉