Is PlateUp Better Than Overcooked?

As a passionate gamer and creator in the gaming space, I get asked this question a lot recently – "Is the new hit cooking game PlateUp! actually better than Overcooked?" After diving deep into both games, I have some thoughts to share from my experience.

My Clear Verdict Upfront

While both are excellent co-op cooking games that provide chaotic fun, I believe PlateUp! has the edge for more dedicated gamers thanks to the roguelike elements that significantly increase replayability compared to Overcooked‘s campaign.

However, Overcooked still shines in local multiplayer accessibility and being easier to pick up for more casual players. So it depends on the type of experience you‘re looking for!

Gameplay and Content Comparison

Overcooked has a wider variety of well-designed kitchens, recipes, and campaign levels (30+ levels) compared to PlateUp!‘s more procedural approach. This leads to more unpredictable and surprising environments, but less control over difficulty progression.

PlateUp! only has around 15 recipes but combines ingredients in more advanced ways for dishes. And the roguelike restaurant setups keep things fresh over many hours and runs. I‘ve already played PlateUp! for 22 hours but could see myself easily quadrupling that!

My personal playtime statistics so far

Restaurant Management Gameplay

PlateUp! has a deeper focus on planning and optimization very familiar to restaurant management sim fans. Carefully designing kitchen layouts to meet increasing demand over multiple in-game days leads to very rewarding progression and mastery.

Overcooked‘s rounds are much shorter and action-packed without the same strategic persistence and base-building feel. This leads to more frantic, arcade-like restarts.

Difficulty and Single Player Experience

As a solo gamer, I‘ve found PlateUp!‘s roguelike difficulty modifiers make it more fun to tweak to my personal skill level than Overcooked‘s global assist mode. Overcooked definitely seems to punish solo players more by controlling two chefs at once.

However, PlateUp! could still benefit from more accessibility options for players with disabilities in a future update.

Multiplayer Differences

Overcooked supports online multiplayer which is a huge benefit for playing with friends. PlateUp! is local-only co-op which is quite disappointing. Nothing beats the mayhem of screaming at each other in person!

Both need excellent communication skills from the team while juggling a dozen tasks. Overcooked produces even louder disagreements in my experience!

Verdict Explained

So in summary – PlateUp! has more replayability, depth, and accessibility for serious gamers. But Overcooked provides that instantly enjoyable pick-up-and-play local multiplayer experience with more variety.

I‘d personally recommend PlateUp! overall as it better scratches that management sim itch. But hopefully the developers expand online options and accessibility assistance further soon!

Let me know your thoughts in the comments! What‘s your favorite crazy co-op cooking game?