It's that time again for a new episode of Chichuki Views, the show where I go hands-on with upcoming games and show them off. Usually it's about an hour or so but I don't want to spoil too much of the game for you. Today, we're checking out Touhou Mystia's Izakaya on the Nintendo Switch. If you like games like Overcooked, then you'll be in for a real treat.
You play the role of Mystia, who runs her own izakaya restaurant along with her friend and coworker, Kyouko. You start off as an established restaurateur but that all changes when one youkai goes crazy inside your eatery and destroys it. However, after that happens, you encounter another youkai that rewinds time for you and you have to start from scratch. That being said, you also end up paying off Kyouko's debt to the Yakumo family bank for her. You'll have to pay off the debt or lose everything, including your knee caps. I really like the writing in this game as it feels like I have the same sense of humor.
During the day, you mingle with townsfolk and other youkai as well as collect different ingredients for food to cook at the izakaya that night. You have a set amount of time to collect and chat. Once that time comes up, you stop your plans and go to the store to prepare for the night ahead. You have the option to cook just about anything you have ingredients and a recipe for. You'll also need the right tools to actually cook the food as well. You can't cook soup without a pot or riceballs without a rice cooker. You also will have to be careful not to run out of ingredients too.
Things don't get too hectic at the izakaya but you might have rare youkai come in for a bite. You'll have to speak with them to figure out what they want to eat by getting small hints about their tastes. Cook the right meal and you'll gain some reputation and could get rare items. Cook the wrong thing and pay the penalty. I had Chen stop by and didn't have the right food for her. It felt like she cast a spell on my izakaya and slowed the rate of customers coming in for a meal so be careful.
I didn't know what to expect going into Touhou Mystia's Izakaya as I'm not usually into these types of games. I am happy to say that I'm pleasantly surprised with how much I liked playing it. I really like the characters and I really enjoyed the writing. I would like to thank the folks at Dichroic Purpilion/Phoenixx for the review code.