Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends [PC] | REVIEW

Gamers are hardly short on cosy life sims these days, but as a fan of the genre (and an even bigger fan of sushi), I had to give Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends a try. I’m glad I did too, with its easy-going and charming gameplay loop keeping me hooked in for hours on end.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends sees players take on the role of a special Sushi Bot which has one dream: to become a world-renowned chef. What better place to do this than in the small yet delightful town of Rolling Hills? With plenty of sushi to serve, a host of whimsical characters to meet, and a gorgeous locale to uncover, it really is easy to find yourself rooting for Sushi Bot from the get-go.

It’s worth noting that you won’t be going through the stress of actually preparing meals for your customers in your restaurant à la Overcooked, with your trusty Sushi-Matic doing all of the cooking for you – you just have to serve it up to your customers. However, you do have to gather recipes and ingredients for meals as you play, with this improving the scope of the offerings in your restaurant. It’s a good job too, because you’ll get bonuses for providing your customers with the right meal, with each giving an indicator of the type of sushi that they want. The repercussions of not meeting their needs aren’t severe so it never feels like a stressful process, but it’s definitely worth taking their preferences on board if you want to make the most of each serving session.

The serving process becomes more complex as you expand your restaurant, with the increase in both your menu and the number of customers that can visit keeping players on their toes. It comes with benefits though, with the more customers served also equating to more money and experience earned to continue to build upon your success. Again, the game never gets so complex that it becomes stressful, but there is a small difficulty curve in place that rewards players who serve their customers more efficiently. I really enjoyed the sense of progression found in the gameplay loop, and as mentioned, Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends is never so difficult that it ever feels stressful, with even the more complex serving sessions always able to be taken at a pace that suits you.

“The game never gets so complex that it becomes stressful, but there is a small difficulty curve in place that rewards players who serve their customers more efficiently.”

And hey, there’s nothing better than earning the cash required to upgrade your restaurant, with players able to fine-tune the layout and add furniture to give it their own personal touch. Best of all? Certain furniture will apply different bonuses and keep customers happy, meaning they do more than add to the aesthetic.

Whilst the core of Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends revolves around running your restaurant, you’ll also take the time to explore Rolling Hills and, if the game’s name didn’t give it away, make friends. You’ll share plenty of interactions with your neighbours, grow your relationship, and even complete side tasks, which in turn will eventually lead to the player unlocking a variety of cool bonuses that’ll help out whether scavenging for items or when in the middle of a busy shift in the restaurant (being able to stop time temporarily will DEFINITELY help you out when the restaurant is packed). There’s even a narrative to see unfold across the town, and whilst it’s nothing too exciting, it does make your progression through the game feel more meaningful.

The only downside to this is that whilst there’s plenty of charm to be found when exploring the town, it is more limited in scope when compared to similar titles. There’s not a whole lot of depth to the side tasks you’ll complete, whilst the town itself is quite small. It can definitely feel on the simple side, and whilst that’s completely fine, it might feel a bit TOO simple when compared to other cozy life-sim titles out there.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Honestly? It wasn’t a problem for me. Part of Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends’ charm comes from how easy-going it is and how it allows you to play at your own pace, with the simplicity of the gameplay tying into that. I had a ton of fun playing, with all of the game’s little mechanics allowing a steady sense of progress with a difficulty curve that suited me.

The game is gorgeous to look at too, with the vibrant visuals and cute art style ensuring that Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends is a very, VERY pretty experience. It also plays great on the Steam Deck, which is where I spent all of my time playing – whilst there were a couple of stutters here and there, I managed to play it at a consistent 60fps frame rate whilst keeping the graphic settings on high. It feels like the perfect game to play handheld too, with the easy-going gameplay perfect for quick sessions here and there (though I’m not ashamed to admit that mine lasted for a few hours at a time…)

Developer: Catch & Release
Publisher: Humble Games
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), Xbox One
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1235100/Rolling_Hills_Make_Sushi_Make_Friends/