Ever wanted to cook hot dogs in a post-apocalyptic world? If yes, then Doomsday Diner is the game for you. This game does a wonderful job of blending a cooking sim with a post-apocalyptic world and an art style that closely resembles that of Borderlands and Fallout. Between managing a lot of hot dogs, creating different types of hot dogs, and shooting all the bandits that raid your diner, Doomsday Diner is a video game that can go from calm and satisfying sim to chaotic and frantic really fast. It is, however, lacking in terms of longevity and meaningful goals to grind toward.
A Wasteland That Looks Familiar
If you put a screenshot of a Borderlands game and Doomsday Diner, chances are you will not be able to differentiate between the two at first glance. The art direction is confident, bold, and leans heavily on it to stand out from the rest of the cooking sim games. Whether you see it as a homage or a little too close to comfort will depend on your tolerance for borrowed aesthetics. However, there is no denying that the game executes the atmosphere and vibe extremely well. It makes cooking hot dogs in a post-apocalyptic world while shooting bandits dead feel natural.
Cooking, Combat, and Chaos in Equal Measure
Doomsday Diner allows for a seamless gameplay loop of managing a diner while sprinkling in moment-to-moment chaos through invading bandits. Each run starts slow, with simple hot dog recipes and few bandits. However, as each day passes, the complexity of recipes and the number of bandits that spawn drastically increases. The game does provide upgrades that allow players to handle the increased difficulty. There is an upgrade that allows you to grab more items than the default one. One upgrade gives you more time before orders are failed. Another upgrade allows for an additional option to deal with bandits that integrates well with the cooking loop.
There is rhythm to the entire gameplay loop. It is a surprisingly effective mix of a cooking sim, busywork, and light combat. It can also be stressful from time to time, when you get some really complex orders back to back. There are also some hidden mechanics such as deflecting bullets and slowing down time to make things more manageable. Doomsday Diner feels really satisfying when everything is going well, when orders are being completed quickly, and invaders are dying on the spot.
Great for a Weekend, Not Much Beyond It
There are also a few upgrades that are less effective and borderline useless. One upgrade increases the fire rate of the weapon, but it does not really matter as all the bandits can be killed with a single shot. The game does offer a skill ceiling, but there is a lack of replayability and meaningful goals to grind toward. The only meaningful goal that the game offers is its achievements. The most grindy achievement is to reach 90 days in a single run (which can take around 7-8 hours).
Some upgrades can be unlocked to buy early on in the next runs, but there is no upgrade that is activated automatically in future runs. The gameplay loop always stays the same in every run. Manage the kitchen, make orders effectively and efficiently, and shoot bandits immediately. Beyond getting all achievements, there is no reason to keep playing Doomsday Diner. The game could have benefited from customization options and cosmetics here. Reaching certain goals in different runs to unlock different cosmetics that you can use to customize your diner your own way could have been an amazing addition.
Final Verdict
If you are looking for a quick and satisfying simulation game that offers a blend of calm and chaos, then Doomsday Diner is the perfect game for you. It offers a unique art direction in the genre that leans heavily on the Borderlands series. The gameplay loop is satisfying and keeps things interesting through frantic days. There is a skill ceiling and, unfortunately, also a ceiling to how much time you can spend in this wasteland. The game could benefit from some cosmetic goals, but as it currently stands, Doomsday Diner is a great simulation game that you can play to relax (and stress) over the weekend.
