đč Game Review: Bobalicious!
Submitted by: recycledfunk
đŻ First Impressions
Alright, a boba shop sim? Letâs go. Ten customers in, no money, and I canât make anyoneâs order... but wait, I can flip them off? Okay, now youâve got my attention.
This game immediately hits a quirky note with its irreverent mechanics—most notably the option to "politely" tell customers to leave by flipping them off. While I did run into some soft-lock-style frustration due to unavailable ingredients and RNG-based progression barriers, that absurd gesture mechanic was oddly satisfying and kept me invested just long enough to start making progress.
đ„ Fun & Engagement
While this genre (fast-paced order fulfillment) isnât usually my cup of tea, I could still recognize the hook—and that hook was definitely the hand gestures. Flipping off customers and even petting a few? Delightfully weird and surprisingly fun.
That said, the early-game RNG softlock—where customers demand items you donât have yet and you canât earn money to unlock them—was a major pacing issue. Once I got past that hump, things became more playable, but the initial grind was a drag.
đ Suggestions for Improvement (Gameplay):
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Avoid progression blocks based solely on RNG.
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Consider adding a tutorial or a light onboarding mechanic to help players understand the serving order system faster.
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Introduce stakes earlier—add a countdown, progress bar, or clear indicator that rent is due (e.g. "2 Days Left" marker).
đš Theme Use
A bit of a stretch, but technically it ties in: you have âjust one more dayâ to make $500 or be evicted. The theme is there in spirit, even if itâs not overtly reinforced through gameplay. A little narrative framing could really drive this home—perhaps a landlord text message pop-up, or daily progress reports.
đ Visual Presentation
The visuals were charmingly chaotic. I could tell the ingredients apart, and the expressive hand postures were a highlight. That said, some of the image assets had visible white halos and jagged pixel edges, likely from unclean transparent backgrounds.
đ Suggestions for Improvement (Visuals):
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Clean up imported assets using transparency tools (magic wand/eraser in Photoshop, Aseprite, etc.).
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Match pixel ratios for consistency.
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Consider soft parallax movement or animated background details to liven up the shop space.
đ Sound & Music
The sound design showed promise. The bell sound was crisp, and customer mumbling added a fun touch of chaos. It would be great to expand on this:
Ideas for Audio Juice:
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Squelch sounds for adding ingredients.
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Pouring or sloshing sound for tea/milk.
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A sassy or garbled insult when flipping someone off.
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A cat purr or meow when petting a customer. Why not double down on the weird?
đ Technical Execution
Functionally, the game ran without bugs or crashes. However, one of the biggest friction points was figuring out how to properly serve drinks. Even when you had the right ingredients, the order of operations for adding them mattered in a very specific way that wasnât clearly explained. Once I figured it out, it worked—but it definitely wasnât intuitive at first.
Suggestions:
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Introduce a quick in-game tutorial or recipe book to clarify drink assembly.
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Use color-coded steps or visual guides to indicate correct assembly order.
đĄ Originality
The genre is familiar, but the rude customer service twist is where Bobalicious! shines. The flipping-off mechanic was unexpected and genuinely funny—think Dicks Last Resort meets Overcooked. Itâs a gimmick that hasnât been fully explored yet, and youâve got something here that sets your game apart. Lean into it.
âš Polish
Thereâs room to refine both visuals and gameplay flow. The pixelated white rims and unclear order-fulfillment process detract from what could be a much smoother experience. Some basic onboarding, UI improvements, and stakes would elevate this to something much more engaging.
đ Suggestions for Final Polish:
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Add a clear end-goal or "Youâve Been Evicted" fail state.
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Smooth out softlocks by ensuring players can always earn some currency, even from failed orders or âflipping offâ customers.
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Consider implementing a short âShow, Donât Tellâ visual tutorial to teach mechanics.
đ§ Final Thoughts
Bobalicious! is rough around the edges, but undeniably funny and unique. That flipping mechanic gave me actual belly laughs, and in a jam full of earnest, emotional games, this was a refreshing palette cleanser. Thereâs something here worth expanding—especially if you embrace the absurdity and push the rude customer service angle even further.
With a bit more structure, cleaner visuals, and some tension-building mechanics, Bobalicious! could absolutely stand out in a crowded genre. For now, itâs an oddball with real potential—and one that gave me a good time despite its flaws.