Image via Humble Games
Maybe you don’t think you need to experience life as a Sushi Robot but trust me – you do. Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends lets you zoom around town serving up sushi and befriending the locals, and you do it all as a quick little robot on one wheel.
The concept may sound simple, but Rolling Hills delivers layered gameplay with new surprises waiting around every corner.
The Details
- Publisher: Humble Games
- Developer: Catch & Release, LLC
- Platforms: PC, Xbox
- Cost: $14.99
- Code Provided For Review: Yes
Serving Up Sushi as a Cute Little Robot
The first thing I noticed about Rolling Hills is how satisfying it is to just zip around town as the little sushi robot. The way Sushi Bot rolls around on one wheel is super smooth, and I find myself doing little twirls just because I can.
When I first opened my restaurant, I admit I was a bit disappointed to find that you don’t actually make the sushi in the game. You press a button and the sushi conveyor belt works its magic, automatically crafting the dishes for you. At first, I wanted the experience of actually preparing the sushi – but my disappointment didn’t last long.
Bringing the food to the tables becomes a soothing routine, and it gets more complex as you go on. Soon, I found myself so enamored with Sushi Bot and the gameplay mechanics that I didn’t miss a complicated cooking mini-game like I thought I might.
The fact that sushi serving is only part of the gameplay loop is another bonus. You spend a good part of the game getting to know the locals and helping to grow the small town of Rolling Hills, making this a satisfying story as well as a restaurant management game.
As you interact with the villagers, you learn that even though you might be a robot, it doesn’t mean you don’t have personality. Sushi Bot is adorably awkward, unused to human ways but naively determined to help out and serve delicious food. I found myself incredibly charmed by the little bot, especially once I got to buy new hats for it to wear. Fellow witchy folks, rejoice – you can put a witch hat on your bot.
Get Cozy, But Not Too Comfortable with Ever-Changing Gameplay
Sushi serving starts simple, with a basic mechanic of matching the sushi flavor colors with customer orders. However, as you level up and explore the world, more layers get added to the game. Every time I think I’ve settled into a routine, something new comes into the mix – and I love it!
Starting simple and slowly building in more elements as the player adapts keeps things interesting, yet cozy. Rather than throw all the possibilities of a day at the sushi restaurant at players from the start, Rolling Hills gently guides you into more in-depth elements. I love that it feels like the game just keeps giving me more to do as I play, slowly increasing the difficulty and challenge without being overwhelming.
At first, you’re just serving sushi and doing daily tasks to help improve your restaurant and recipes. Then, you’re dodging eager photographers and cleaning up messes, all while completing quests to bring new interesting characters into the fray. Every time I boot up Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends, I’m excited to see what new adventures I’ll get up to and what discoveries await.
Interesting, Varied Characters Craft a Compelling Story
If you think the “make friends” part of this game’s title is just a cute idea, think again. Naturally, running your sushi restaurant is a big part of the game, but so are the story quests and interactions with townspeople.
At first, you’ll mainly interact with a few key figures who run important shops in town. Getting to know them becomes a part of building up the town and your restaurant, adding depth to the story. Each character has a unique personality and fun character design that makes them memorable and interesting as Sushi Bot gets to know them better.
These interactions also help open up the world, granting you access to new features as you build friendships. It’s great to see a relationship mechanic that’s so integral to the story, making you want to get to know these characters and learn more about them.
Once your restaurant starts to garner attention, new characters will enter the world. These characters often come alongside a quest, giving you another fun task for your list. As you complete these quests, you’ll make Rolling Hills more suitable for your friend, recruiting more happy customers and villagers.
Having so many interesting new characters to meet keeps things fresh and makes you feel the growth of the town as your sushi becomes more well-known and draws more visitors to Rolling Hills.
Final Score: 9/10
Even if you don’t make sushi so much as serve it, Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friends gives players plenty to do. The satisfying, dynamic gameplay grows with you as you adapt to the game, all while offering a wholesome story that gives depth and purpose to your restaurant antics.
Rolling Hills is a must-play for fans of cozy and restaurant management-style gameplay. It brings the best elements of these genres together in an adorable and compelling game that will make you want to keep coming back for more.
**A PC Steam code was provided to Bonus Action for the purpose of this review**
Looking for more indie game reviews? Check out our review of the vibrant platformer Pepper Grinder.
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