Game Makers Yorkshire and the North

GaMaYo 22 Showcase #5:
Kopi is served at GaMaYo

GaMaYo is near.
Thursday 23rd May 2024 at Tileyard North, Wakefield.

What games await us on the big day? Well lets take a sneak peak right now shall we!

The fifth GaMaYo highlight that’s ready to be served up for you is…

Kopi

This is being developed by the team at Dream On A Stick and Jan Machacek was kind enough to tell us more…

What would be your description of Kopi?
Kopi is a cooking game where you make more and more elaborate drinks and dishes for more and more demanding customers. It’s not over until the customer leaves happy. 

It is a casual, family-friendly, single-player or co-op game. It works great on small screens of hand-helds like the Steam Deck, and it is also wonderful to share on a big TV.

How did development start? (Were there any key inspirations or ideas that drove you?)
“Before starting Kopi, we tried building other game prototypes: complex, plot-driven games. But we quickly realised that we should make a game that we and all our friends enjoy playing together.
Besides, we both enjoy coffee, so one summer afternoon in a cafe in Manchester, Kopi was born.

Tell us about the team behind Kopi?
“The two of us started as software engineers in the software consultancy business. But when playing games together, we were always plotting about what to do next. Make a game, of course!

We had to learn a lot, but really enjoyed how making games allowed us to explore the brand new world of art and music, but also left us the chance to dip back into the creature-comforts of C++ from time to time.

What kind of experiences do you hope to bring players?
The great fun we had playing together with friends. Either complete chaos, where the score doesn’t matter at all; what matters is the laughs and the ridiculousness of what can be cooked.

Toffee with marshmallows? Yes!
Fried egg in a burger bun? 2 Michelin stars!
Instant coffee in cold water? Magnifique!

… Or the determination of professional baristas chasing every second to serve as many drinks and dishes as possible to get the 3 stars. Kopi has it all.

“Along the way, there are little traps that no sensible establishment would have: sink right next to the customers so you can accidentally pour away your freshly made coffee instead of serving it; ingredients as far away from the place where you need them, demanding customers that tip over whatever they don’t like or didn’t order leaving you to clean up the

mess. And that’s on top of the wonderful background of things boiling, grinding, cooking, smoking, steaming, mixing, frying, catching fire…”

In 10 words or less, highlight the appeal of Kopi?
“‘Easy to start, difficult to master, team-work makes wonders.


What’s your favourite feature from games as a whole?
It’s not over until the customer leaves happy–as you cook or brew each order, the stakes get higher and higher. Towards the end of each round, you can almost feel the customers staring back at you–”where’s my order?” and “this is not what I ordered!” 

Casual games in our eyes are all about different players experiencing the game differently. The game doesn’t give any pressure, the challenge comes from within the players exploring different ways to apply the same core gameplay mechanics. A few simple rules, a little bit of time pressure, combined with the players’ game style grow into lots and lots of unexpected situations and interactions.



That’s all from our talk with Jan, but look forward to seeing Kopi and trying it out in person at GaMaYo, May 23rd, Tileyard North, Wakefield.

If you would like to come to this event and/or join the GaMaYo network and develop games or support the games industry – then visit our Discord or Facebook group.

 

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