Cafe Murder Review

Themed restaurants are always in demand; from ninjas to movie props, they attract people in droves simply because they want to experience something different. Murder mystery dinners are especially popular, but what about a sandwich place where the customers run the risk of actually being murdered? Apparently that's also a big draw. At least as far as Cafe Murder's patrons are concerned.

After Chef Grizzle fell into the furnace it seemed like Cafe Murder was finished. However, there's a slim chance it can still make it as a death-defying diner. If Rainy and Stabby can keep their customers satisfied (and alive), they just might be able to turn it around. Players control Rainy as she dashes all over the place trying to scoop up sammich fixin's her chef buddy Stabby has cut up and tossed into the air. With the aid of her trusty bazooka she can launch each component to a prep station, then suck everything up and fire the finished sandwich into hungry customers' hands. Of course if she misses any ingredients they'll end up on the floor and gross everybody out. If she gets an order wrong they won't be too pleased, either. But what she really has to look out for is Stabby. He has a tendency to go on homicidal rampages that, while entertaining for the customers, can also be a tad fatal.

There's more depth to Cafe Murder I’d expected. Players have to watch out for falling ingredients, shoot them into the right spot, maintain a clean floor, keep customers from waiting for too long, prevent them from choking, and keep an eye on Stabby. It's all managed via a simple tap interface, thankfully. Stabby himself also adds a bit of depth to the gameplay as his rampages will entertain most of the customers (i.e. reduce their frustration) but will conversely puts their lives in danger. Both restaurateurs can also be upgraded with a bunch of different performance-enhancing items over time.

Stabby has another problem, and it's not the killing sprees. Perhaps it's just been bad luck, perhaps not, but I've had issues with him failing to provide the ingredients I need in a timely manner. And I don't mean he was busy chopping up stuff for other sandwiches; I've had moments where there was only one customer at the counter yet he went through four or five food items before providing the piece of cheese or lettuce that I needed.

Cafe Murder isn't the kind of place I'd ever want to eat at, but running it can be quite a bit of fun. Stabby is tough to work with sometimes, but he's never been problematic enough to ruin my good time.