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.
