The Way of the Tray is a Really Fun Take on the Restaurant Sim Genre
That guy just ordered enough food for like ten people. You know what, I respect that.
From developer Who is Terry? and publisher Targem Games, The Way of the Tray is a cooking and restaurant sim based in the world of Japanese yokai. While you don’t know anything about cooking or running a restaurant at first, the more you practice, the more you’ll master the art of it and the faster you’ll earn the trust of your yokai patrons.
In the game, you play as a young man who, after accidentally falling into the mystical world of the spirits, finds himself in a very difficult situation. In order to find his way home he’ll have to work in a local restaurant. Develop your skills as a waiter to earn tips, solve puzzles, and keep patrons’ food balanced on your serving tray in order to do what you can to earn your keep and escape from this strange place.
The first thing you’ll learn in the game is the art of balancing your tray. In The Way of the Tray one of your main tasks is to carry all of the food that your patrons have ordered so that none of it falls and gets wasted. Sounds easy, right? Not so much. When you’re back in the kitchen and the chef is done making the food, you'll position your hand at the bottom of the tray and attempt to catch all the food as it falls from above. Sometimes it can be pretty forgiving and things that probably shouldn’t be able to balance, will balance just fine. But it can also be really difficult depending on the amount of food, the shape of it, and more.
As you level up throughout the game you’ll be able to get trays that are longer, allowing you to balance more food easily, as well as abilities that will make it not as extreme of a challenge. Once you’ve got your food all balanced, you’ll return to the restaurant to serve it to the customers. If you keep your customers happy, you may just learn more about them and, if you get everything just right, they may offer to help you with your goal of getting back home.
The Way of the Tray is a really unique, fun and silly restaurant sim. Its balancing meaning game is challenging and keeps things interesting as you learn how to expertly run this restaurant. The unique characters you’ll meet sometimes have lots to say and you might just learn a thing or two about Japanese culture along the way. Not to mention, delicious looking menu items like onigiri, sushi and ramen. Grab the game if you’re a fan of cooking sims or Japanese culture - this one might just be your next favorite.
The Way of the Tray is out today on Steam.