Yes, Chef: The First Shift
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Yes, Chef: The First Shift

Yes, Chef: The First Shift was created in just two weeks for a Galaga-clone game jam. But instead of copying the retro arcade aesthetic, we decided to change things up. I posed a simple question: “What if cows shot milk?” That one line launched us into a creative spiral, eventually culminating in a chaotic culinary shoot-em-up inspired by the absurdity of the St. Frog anime and the commanding energy of Gordon Ramsay.

Designing a Funky, Functional Shmup

As the game designer on a six-person team, my core responsibilities centered on gameplay flow, enemy encounter design, and game feel. I crafted a pacing structure based on three escalating enemy waves, with intentional breaks between each to insert narrative beats and build rhythm into the experience.

Mechanically, we stayed true to classic shmup roots, with enemies spawning in waves and power-ups that escalate the chaos. However, we reimagined the experience through the lens of a surreal kitchen battlefield, pitting Frogden Ramsay, an intergalactic culinary emperor, against us. We introduced a “cook-to-power-up” mechanic: between bursts of action, players must cook dishes to activate upgrades, such as increased fire rate or special damage types. This bridged moment-to-moment combat with the player needing to find a good time to cook upgrades.

Systems Tuning + UI Implementation

With only two weeks, iteration speed was critical. I worked closely with our UX/UI Designer and Programmer to rapidly test and tune the core mechanics, adjusting enemy behaviors, spawn rates, and difficulty curves to keep the game challenging yet fair.

While our UX/UI Designer led on layout and experience planning, I took on the technical implementation of the UI in Unity, handling in-game menus, HUD feedback, and input responsiveness. This division enabled our team to maintain momentum without compromising polish. I also created visual assets for the game’s Itch.io page, ensuring our public release was thematically consistent and clearly communicated.

Outcomes + Reflections

This project is a celebration of:

  • Fast, collaborative ideation
  • Rapid implementation and iteration
  • Cohesive theme-mechanic integration
  • Scrappy polish under tight time pressure

Yes, Chef: The First Shift was a blast to build and a great reminder that sometimes the weirdest ideas are the most memorable ones.

Credits
Game Jam Project, premade assets sourced via Unity AssetStore, original UI by UX/UI Designer Megan Eaton, Programming by Andrea Mendez, Narrative by Irwin Daye
Disciplines
Game Design + Systems Design + UI Implementation

More Work

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About me

I’m a systems-minded thinker and proud visual nerd drawn to the weird, wonderful challenge of making games feel just right. My work lives at the intersection of storytelling, interface clarity, and player-centric worldbuilding.

I have a multidisciplinary design background, where I led cross-functional teams and built experiences across digital, branding, and interactive spaces. Now, I’m channeling all of that into crafting immersive UI, building modular systems that support gameplay flow, and creating environments that reward curiosity. I believe good design should get out of the way, but great design sticks with you, not because it shouts, but because it understands what you need before you do.

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