Is it ok to change the core of your project? - Yes!

My initial goal with Yes Chef! was to create a game that was a mix of tower defense and cooking management with a dash of wholesome animals. I went pretty far with this idea and made a somewhat polished prototype of the game - but is it fun? 

I dwelled on the project for a bit, let it cook if you will, and realised that there were two directions for the game moving forward. Either lean into the tower defense side or the cooking side. Striking a good balance was hard and I don't think I could do so and keep my relaxing, happy vibes. While I considered the tower defense side, maybe turning the raw dishes into food monsters that had to be cut down by the chefs before they wreaked havoc on the customers, it felt like it may be too hectic for the game feel and experience I wanted. Maybe for another project. I realised what I needed to do after playing the game for a bit, the most fun part for me was watching the waiters run around, not watching the chefs. 

What if the chefs ran around too?

This main idea fueled my ideas for YesChef 2.0. It was fun to watch silly little guys run around and have silly little jobs. I often say, 'Nothing is cuter than a dog with a job'. Before I got ahead of myself I redefined my core gameplay loop. I knew chefs would be running around, but what else could I do to emphasise the restaurant management aspect of my game? How would the chefs even run around - where are they going?!

I decided that there would be workstations in the kitchen that the chefs would have to bring the food to work on them. I also decided to keep the different skills (cutting, mixing, kneading, cooking) as it made the chefs more unique and gave the player a reason to buy more than just one type of chef. Then the chefs would bring the finished food to the pass where the waiters would pick them up. I gave the waiters a lot more responsibility - they seat customers, take orders, pick up food, and deliver it. I may add a host/hostess position to give those little guys a break! I

I knew my next design focus was leaning in more toward the wholesome cozy aspect. Inspired by titles such as Animal Crossing, I wanted each character to be unique, loveable, and culturally diverse. Food is universal and I wanted to show that through not only what food is available in the game, but through the animals and their attire. As the player is the owner of the restaurant, I might add a way for you to build friendships with your staff and learn more about them. I'm thinking of adding a staff room as well, so you can watch them interact with each other and relax at the end of a hard day of work. This all will come after I finalise and nail the core gameplay loop so everything is in the air.

While I have strayed away from my initial concept for Yes Chef! I think the game will be better for it. Rewriting what I've done is not restarting, it's like breaking a Lego house and building something new from it, I already have all the parts. I hope this inspires or perhaps is that push that one of you needs to change your game and make it into something amazing - even if it's not your original plan!