Cook, Serve, Delicious: Remustard! News

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]Chefs! We're BACK with a brand new reveal trailer for Cook, Serve, Delicious: Re-Mustard! Be sure to wishlist it today![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]We're so excited for this release and I'm stoked to share even more news in the coming weeks. Enjoy this delicious teaser and get ready for the most delicious foods you've ever seen. Woo![/p]

[p]We're making Cook, Serve, Delicious: Re-Mustard!, a brand new remake of our original game! So what's new narratively for CSDR? Find out in this guest blog by Cook Serve Delicious series writer Nicholas Kraak.[/p][p]It's hard to believe it's been over a decade since we released Cook Serve Delicious. Before I started working on Re-Mustard I went back read through everything we wrote for the original (which felt pretty nostalgic). CSD1 doesn't have a conventional story like Cook Serve Delicious 3 or Cook Serve Forever, but instead creates a sense of place through the spam emails, food/equipment descriptions, and little things like the phone app.[/p][p]For Re-Mustard, the goal is simple: keep what works, improve what doesn't, and add new things tonally consistent with the original. [/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][h3]Emails[/h3][p]For the in-game emails, this means crowd favorites are still there (such as the bickering coworkers Dennis & Leo), but it also means we've written hundreds of new emails![/p][p]It was fun putting on my email-writing hat again - something we haven't done since CSD2. With the benefit of hindsight, we've also been able to add some emails to better tie the game in with CSD2 and 3. There's also plenty of new emails that influence gameplay by awarding customer patience, buzz, money, or just rewarding you for putting certain foods on your menu.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]A phone app example from the original Cook, Serve, Delicious![/p][p][/p][h3]Phone Apps[/h3][p]One small feature in the original that got a lot of love was the phone. In CSD1, you could date people by sending them flirty/positive messages, and 'like' photos on social media to give you some extra buzz. Both of these are back, but we've also added extra phone apps to influence gameplay:[/p]

• [p]What's on the Menu? Customers will ask if you're serving a specific food: answer correctly and you'll earn some bonus buzz, but answer incorrectly you'll lose some.[/p]
• [p]Restaurant Reviews! Customers will post single-sentence reviews of your restaurant online. Quickly skim them and give a thumbs up if they're a positive review, or a thumbs down if they're a negative one.[/p]
• [p]Quiz! Re-Mustard is a bit of a celebration of the Cook Serve Delicious series, so Quiz will test your knowledge on the original trilogy, from questions about gameplay, to the lore, to the origins of foods themselves. Of course, we recognize not everyone will have played a CSD game before, so it's a fun little low-stakes feature for fans of the franchise. There's over 70 questions all up![/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]A sneak peek at the new menu redesigns for Re-Mustard.[/p][p][/p][h3]A Bunch of Quality of Life Improvements[/h3][p]We've also been working hard on improving the UI to make things easier to read. One feature I'm really happy with is how we've tweaked the food purchase and upgrade pages. Of course, the fun food descriptions are there (in CSD1, they're less about history and more written from the perspective of a company encouraging you to put them on your menu), but we've also refreshed the layout so it's easier to read at a glance. It's super easy to see what ingredients upgrades will add, or see the impact of boosters and detractors![/p][p]I know how much CSD1 means to people, so we're really treating Re-Mustard with the love and care it deserves. I hope you enjoy the game as much as we've enjoyed making it![/p][p]Cook, Serve, Delicious: Re-Mustard will be released early 2026![/p]

[p]Howdy folks! Here it is, the massive Q&A we've been compiling for a bit now for Cook, Serve, Delicious: Re-Mustard! Let's get right into it and as always follow me on Bluesky for more updates and be sure to wishlist and follow the game![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Is Cook, Serve, Delicious: Re-Mustard! a remake, or a remaster, or what exactly?[/p][p]I would call CSD:R a "re-imagining" more than anything else. It is completely new code, using a lot of our ideas and influences from the sequels, while maintaining the "spirit" of the original game. I'm going to be referring to this game as a remake below, but my goal is to have a game that feels fresh and new but at the same time feels like the original classic CSD at heart. You'll see a lot of the questions below illustrate how much new content will be in this game![/p][p][/p][p]Will the Autoserve mechanics from 3 and the Holding Stations from 2/3 be in the game?[/p][p]Autoserve will be in the game! It will be a piece of equipment you can buy in the Equipment store, and so far about ten foods can take advantage of the autoserve function (where you can press a button to instantly serve all foods that are ready). [/p][p]As far as holding stations go, I thought about this for a long time, and ultimately I think holding stations dramatically change the way the game is played to where this wouldn't feel like the first game. So there will not be any holding stations, which allows me to balance the difficulty in a way that wouldn't be possible otherwise. [/p][p][/p][p]Some food art by our amazing artist Lizzy Dawson![/p][p][/p][p]Will Upgrades be back like they were in CSD 1?[/p][p]I'm going to have another separate dev update on upgrades because yes, not only are they back, they're a huge part of the game! But I wanted to give you a small taste on what we're planning.[/p][p]The biggest change is that 27 foods will be upgradeable to 5 stars, unlike the first game where you had a mix of 2, 3, 4 and 5 stars. The only non-upgradeable foods are hash browns, pretzels and corndogs, which will always be 1 star. This means a lot of the foods from the last game, such as salads and baked potatoes, will have new ingredients and recipes for the extra star tiers. [/p][p]Secondly we're changing a lot of the foods that had upgrades that didn't affect gameplay. My goal is to have every upgrade affect gameplay in some way- it's all about creating some cool new gameplay challenges that weren't present in the original. I'll be covering even more examples in a future dev update![/p][p][/p][p]Will the progression system be the same? (20 days of service, etc.)[/p][p]I'm not entirely sure if we're going to utilize the same progression system as before, but there will definitely be some changes, as it felt a bit grind-y in the first game. [/p][p][/p][p]Will there be pins to earn like the last game?[/p][p]In CSD 1 you could earn pins for serving 1,500 foods of the same type, like American foods. For this remake we're revamping the entire pin system to be specific to each food. For the burger as an example you'll have 5-10 bronze pins you can earn, that will then be silver pin challenges once you earn all the bronze. Some will be milestone related ("Serve 500 burgers"), some challenges ("Serve burgers in a 50x combo") some specific ("Get a perfect day with the following five star foods: burger, soda, fries and salad"). Earning pins gets you more buzz for your restaurant when its on your menu![/p][p]You will also have pins outside of foods that will be general challenges and achievements, such as serving 5,000 foods or getting 3 perfect days in a row, and so on.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Will local co-op return? Will it be like CSD 1 or CSD 2/3? Will there be online multiplayer?[/p][p]In CSD 1 you could have local co-op where one person would send foods to player 2, who would cook them, which we called the chef/expediter mode. For CSD 2 and 3 we had a more traditional split screen mode where both players could grab foods and cook at the same time.[/p][p]For the remake we're going to be including both modes for the first time in a CSD game! You can choose the original CSD 1 style or go for a CSD 2/3 style mode! We're also going to be having a lot more customization options, such as allowing player 2 to have keyboard/mouse controls (which was locked to player 1 in CSD 2/3), as I know that was a requested feature for those using Steam Remote Play for multiplayer.[/p][p]We are exploring online multiplayer but it's likely going to be limited to local multi only like the last few games. It would be a significant addition to add online components to a remake like this that would be outside the scope of this project. [/p][p][/p][p]Are there any features you're removing for CSD:R? [/p][p]This is an interesting question! I feel like it's less about removing and more about renovating what was in the game before. For instance, the Iron Cook Kitchen was a new challenge mode that was completely separate from the main campaign in the original. For this remake I'm going to be integrating it more in the campaign, so while it feels like it's absent from the remake, it's actually more ingrained into the main story/campaign. [/p][p]Another example are the ten foods after the game's original launch, such as sushi and coffee, were never in the Iron Cook Challenge, Catering or Hungry Festivities. That will change with all new challenges for those portions of the game![/p][p][/p][p]Are the Crazy Dave bets going to be reworked or rebalanced to account for the current restaurant status?[/p][p]Crazy Dave bets, and the CookBet system in general, is getting reworked for sure. I'm going to lean away from the "bet" vocabulary we used in the first game and instead lean more towards challenges as there's an awful lot of problems indie devs are facing with ratings boards that see the word "bet" and automatically assume you're gambling in the game. Ugh!![/p][p]But yes, I'm thinking you'll get "served" challenges from CookBet and Crazy Dave when you complete milestones, like upgrading a food or getting your first 30x combo, rather than having very randomized challenges that could sometimes be impossible with your current restaurant. [/p][p][/p][p]Will there be more options to customize your menu?[/p][p]I'm adding in "randomized" options from CSD 2/3 that allow the game to pick a random food from your pool that's not menu rotted! I'm also adding way more features that I'll talk about in a future update. Here's a quick tease- the "Daily Special" is the very tip of what you can do with your menu.[/p][p][/p][p]Will the original soundtrack be available?[/p][p]You will be able to not only have the original soundtrack, but all the soundtracks from CSD 2, 3 and Forever in a custom playlist! You can read more details about it in our previous dev update.[/p][p][/p][p]Will the emails be the same from the last game?[/p][p]We will have hundreds of new emails, and some "classic" fan favorite emails! There's also some new bonuses that can come in the form of emails, so it will pay off to check your emails every day.[/p][p][/p][p]Will there be a demo? Is this still coming out this year?[/p][p]I was hoping to have a demo ready by October for the Next Fest, but honestly I felt like we'd be rushing to meet that deadline and the last thing I want is to have a sub-optimal debut for this game. So we're aiming to have a demo by the end of the year- we'll see how it goes.[/p][p]As far as the game's release, we're working as hard as we can! I know how long the wait has been for this game, and we want to make this the most polished release we've ever launched. It's more likely to be released in Q1 2026. [/p][p][/p][p]A sneak peek at our new UI redesign for the game! The background sky/restaurant is temporary art from CSD 1.[/p][p][/p][p]Any plan on continuing the chef story on CSD 4? Will there be a Cook Serve Forever 2?[/p][p]I'd love to keep makin' CSD games! Let's see how this remake does first. ːcsd2smileː [/p][p]Cook Serve Forever was a fun experiment but we're not going to be continuing that story or gameplay dynamic, that was a one time only thing. But I'm glad people enjoyed what the game turned into at the end![/p][p][/p][p]RAPID FIRE ROUND![/p][p]Here's some quick answers to quick questions![/p][p]Can you add windowed mode to the game? (Yes, we will have full screen, borderless window, and window modes!)[/p][p]Can you add in analog stick support like in CSD 1 for the controls? (I'll look into alternate ways of controlling the game!)[/p][p]What is your WPM speed, chubigans? (I just tested it and I got 76 words per minute! Not too shabby!)[/p][p]Have you beaten CSD 2 with all gold medals on all restaurants? (lmao I wish, I'm not nearly good enough!)[/p][p]Will there be more Re-Mustard-ing of games, like a CSD 2 remake? (it all depends on how this game does, but I imagine if we're doing more CSD games, the next one after this won't be a remake...so we'll see!)[/p][p]Can we have chill modes and zen modes like in the sequels? (yes, we will have new modifiers that will make the game more relaxing to play if that's what you're aiming for!)[/p][p]Is this going to be on consoles? (We're releasing first on PC and then releasing on PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch after!)[/p][p]What about Steam Deck? (We plan on having full support for Steam Deck on day one!)[/p][p]Will this use any kind of AI generated art or voice? (hell no!!!!!!! I will never use AI generated anything for my games)[/p][p]Will this be on mobile like the first game? (I hope to do just that, it would be nice to have some kind of mobile presence- we'll look at that after the console versions are released)[/p][p]There were some bugs that never got fixed in the original (like certain Cook4Love dates), is that fixed? (CSD:R is brand new code, so none of the original "legacy" bugs will be present in this game! Instead we will have all new bugs for players to discover and yell at me about!)[/p][p]How much will this game be? (We're targeting $19.99 USD, however we'll have a discount for PC at launch and we'll also have a limited time bundle where you can get a further discount if you've purchased the original CSD 1 on Steam!)[/p][p][/p][p]Whew, that was a lot of questions! I'll be back in October for our new UI redesign reveal and even more awesome updates on the game, cya then![/p][p][/p][p]-David[/p]

[p]Development updates can be tough- we're making lots of progress on the back end of things and getting our pipelines sorted out, and before you know it I'll be able to share a ton of images and details on the game! But we're just not quite there yet, so instead I'm going to be sharing some random things we're doing for CSD: Re-Mustard! [/p][p]But before I do, I'm going to be doing a Q&A for the next update in August, so post any questions you have in the comments of this post and I'll answer it! Woo![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]First off, in the initial screenshots we released for the game, we were going for a different approach to the design- we were mostly using the original game as a template for a brand new CSD. Ultimately I felt that was the wrong approach, and instead we're shifting more towards using the original game as a base design, keeping everything that people loved about the first while improving and expanding it in areas that make the game more exciting and fun. (The original game as a base is only for design purposes- we're coding this from scratch so we can make the game run faster and way smoother than ever before). [/p][p][/p][p]Phone calls were an interesting part of the CSD dynamic- you could "like" social media posts for extra buzz, message your dates, and use it during the Battle Kitchen segments to change elements of the game. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Original CSD's phone minigame, which was pretty basic most of the time.[/p][p]We're bringing back the dating mechanic while improving many elements of it- you'll still be texting your sweetie, and they'll be able to dine in your restaurant no matter how busy you are (in the original they could sometimes be trapped outside if it was too packed, and you could fail the date). [/p][p]We're also adding some new "minigames" that will be opt-in via the email client in the game. Should you decide to allow your phone to message you during work hours you'll be able to play some rapid fire CSD trivia, among other fun surprises, to earn some bonus buzz during the day! [/p][p][/p][p]The weather in CSD 1 was pretty simple- it would sometimes rain in the afternoon, giving you a buzz boost with certain foods. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Original CSD's rain backdrop, always putting me in a cozy mood.[/p][p]For this game we'll be expanding weather to be much more dynamic, with an email alert the day before. It can now rain during the morning, day and night, perhaps even all day, with hot and cold temperatures affecting new boosters that will have your customers clamoring for soup and ice cream. [/p][p][/p][p]I have much of the game designed and ready to go, with one exception: the robbery mechanic in the original game.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Remember this game from the original CSD?[/p][p]I always found this minigame to be extremely difficult in the thick of the game, and CSD 2's robbery knockout was a much more entertaining solution. At the same time I want to respect CSD 1's quirky charm as much as possible, and perhaps the way to go is to make a more refined version of this minigame. But what do y'all think? Should I keep this game mostly the same, redesign it, perhaps axe it altogether for something new? Let me know in the comments![/p][p][/p][p]You can expect another update in August as we'll have much more to share with you including art, food, and other delish details, including answering your Q&As! Until then be sure to follow and wishlist the game as there's more surprises to come![/p][p][/p][p]-chubigans[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

When I was making Cook, Serve, Delicious! I wanted to make sure it had a great soundtrack. Music is one of the most important elements in a game, but the problem was, I didn't have quite enough money to be able to create an entire original soundtrack. Jonathan Geer (composer of the entire CSD series) and I had previously worked on several games before CSD, and we worked out a deal where I could have a soundtrack made at a nice discount as long as that music went royalty free a few months after launch. I figured that would be ok- what are the odds that would even be an issue?

Well, I still get to this day emails from people hearing CSD music in commercials, web shows, movies, just about everything you can think of that needs some catchy, fun music. My personal favorite is the Subway Halloween commercial.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

The music that has spanned the series has turned up in so many unique places, my personal favorite being this recent performance by the NOTUS Vocal Ensemble singing "Chakalaka" from Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!

This is so surreal in the best possible way!

You can listen to this, as well as songs from other amazing games like Abzu and Celeste, right here!

Indiana NOTUS Contemporary Vocal Ensemble Performance!


No Celebration Without Music

For me, Re-Mustard is a celebration of the entire series as a whole by remaking the game that started it all. To that end you're going to be getting the highest quality versions of the original CSD soundtrack that have ever been heard in the series so far. It's a bit nuts hearing the main CSD theme compared to the original and how much quality was lost in the original version of the game (mainly due to compression and the tools available at the time).

But I did want this game to be special, and after talking with Jonathan Geer, he is graciously allowing us to present, for the first time ever, the ENTIRE catalog of CSD soundtracks in one game. That is nearly 200 tracks from Cook, Serve, Delicious 1, 2, and 3, as well as Cook Serve Forever, available in a playlist format for you to customize however you'd like!

Right now the plan is to have a basic level of customization by splitting each game into three playlists: relaxed (the menu music), cookin' (standard gameplay) and sizzlin' (rush hour tracks). You can place these playlists anywhere within a standard gameplay day split into five sections (morning, lunch rush hour, afternoon, dinner rush hour, evening). So if you want to start the day with some CSD 3 tracks, listen to some frantic CSD 2/CSD 1 tracks during morning rush hours, and end the day with some chill Cook Serve Forever tracks, you can do just that!

My ultimate goal is to have an advanced editor so that you can have complete control over what tracks you want shuffled into the day- it's going to be a large endeavor as you might imagine but I think we can pull it off.


Workin' Workin' Workin'

For these next two months we'll be full steam ahead in finishing Cook Serve Forever and bringing it to consoles and v1.0 for PC, and after that we're 100% focused on Re-Mustard! I'm already doing design plans and we've made some good headway into the art and feel of the game, and next time I'll be sharing what I'm planning for the modes and features.

As always I'd love any feedback, so feel free to leave some comments here or over on our Discord! Until the next dev update in May, take care and keep cookin' deliciously!

-David