See whether players should battle for the title of top eatery with our review…
KuloNiku: Bowl Up! Review – The Sweet Spot
Taking over their grandmother’s ramen shop, KuloNiku: Bowl Up! has players entering the restaurant bi in the titular town of KuloNiku as they serve tasty bowls packed with noodles, meatballs, and other treats that warm the soul and bring in the tips.
When it comes to food prep, KuloNiku: Bowl Up! blesses players the whole operation, from soup to nuts.
Or bowl to bell in this case.
On that note, KuloNiku: Bowl Up! tasks players with washing bowls, chopping chilis, tending to a handy-dandy hotpot, adding broth (unless they don’t want it!), and fine-tuning flavor profiles to ensure customers are happy and Reputation Meter is filled.
Don’t worry about this being a high pressure environment, however – leave that to the hotpot!
Rather, KuloNiku: Bowl Up! features a methodical method to the madness, with clear instructions from Cassie (great name!) and easy-to-understand controls that just work. Ingredients, crafting recipes, and tools like frying pans are gradually introduced – no need to wield pickled bok choy from the offset…
Playing KuloNiku: Bowl Up! with a keyboard and mouse, tasks flowed naturally with streamlined controls that allowed for precision – there’s even a button for it.
The game: Cozy 🍜
How I play it: Chaotic 💥
Run your restaurant however you want in KuloNiku: Bowl Up! 🍴
— Raw Fury I LAST MAN SITTING IS OUT NOW! 🪑 (@RawFury) March 27, 2026
Still too pressurized?
Never fear – KuloNiku: Bowl Up! also includes an optional Cozy Mode at the offset that disables both the timer and patience elements.
On the opposite end, those looking to level up their Reputation can partake in KuloNiku: Bowl Up!’s Meatball Brawls – or “Meatbrawls” for the portmanteau lovers.
Held every Monday and Thursday at its local TV station, Meatbrawls have players setting out to make judges happy Iron Chef-style as they set to razzle-dazzle and go for that perfect score.
Score Bonus ingredients, playing to the Crowd, and other feats of fancy added some spice to our in-game weeks.
Do note that Kuloniku: Bowl Up’s Meatbrawls are mandatory for progression! Nevertheless, they manage to bring the fun with a number of exclusive minigames, which we enjoyed tapping into.
Outside of cooking, KuloNiku: Bowl Up!’s world is also ripe for exploration. Budding chefs can break up their restaurant days by hitting the town with some shopping and socializing – think of it as a “diet” version of Persona’s Social Links system (so to speak).
While not the most in-depth (it’s clear which option is best), we nevertheless enjoyed these Friendship Moments and the over-the-top anime personalities that shone bright.
Those that do take the time to be social in KuloNiku: Bowl Up! will form deeper Bonds that bless players with gameplay bonuses – and who doesn’t like bonuses?
A cozy cooking game that’s got the sauce, KuloNiku: Bowl Up! hits the sweet spot with its signature blend of minigames, social elements, and over-the-top personalities.
KuloNiku: Bowl Up! Review
Reviewed On: PC (A digital code was provided) Release Date: April 7, 2026 Platforms: PC (via Steam) Developer: Gambir Studio Publisher: Raw Fury
Shinier than its many golden eggs, Go! Go! Mister Chickums provides a pixel-perfect arcade challenge that had us gunning for yet another shot at its hallowed leaderboards.
“Cozy” and “cleaning” might sound like polar opposites, but Hozy’s cozy world provides the perfect cure-all for those looking to unwind with some spring cleaning.
Providing suspenseful horror and sheer action across both its protagonists, Resident Evil: Requiem is yet another Capcom banger survival horror fans will absolutely love.
While the Nintendo Switch 2 version of The Disney Afternoon Collection features a wealth of 8- and 16-bit classics, its light amount of extra content makes this after-school escapade feel more like an elective than a requirement.
Step into a trial by fire in #Frostpunk2#BreachOfTrust. This DLC features a scenario where players must overcome a volcanic eruption crisis in the city of New Edinburgh.
— Frostpunk 2 | FRANCHISE FEST IS LIVE ❄️ (@frostpunkgame) April 6, 2026
Built upon fresh mechanics and new challenges, Breach of Trust will task players with overcoming a crisis in New Edinburgh. Settled near a volcano that has been destabilized by the reckless use of geothermal energy, this city faces grave danger.
This Frostpunk 2 DLC will feature five unique Communities and Factions, two new scenario maps, new laps, new narrative events, and custom gameplay mechanics.
Learn more with the date reveal trailer for Breach of Trust below:
Frostpunk 2: Breach of Trust | Date Reveal Trailer
Kabam’s popular Marvel Contest of Champions is getting that much bigger this April with villains Ruby Thursday and Doctor Bong (aka Lester Verde) coming to the title.
Set in a world where survival is vertical, Ludogram and Twin Sails Interactive have unveiled their new turn-based exploration roguelite Ascenders: Beyond the Peak.
An award-winning 4X strategy game set within the Avatar universe, Tilting Point and AN Games’ Avatar Legends: Realms Collide is celebrating its one-year anniversary with its biggest update to date.
Bringing classic arcade energy to the heart of baseball, PAC-MAN is teaming up with the Los Angeles Angels with the opening of the new PAC-MAN Chomp Stop concession stand.
Kabam’s popular Marvel Contest of Champions is getting that much bigger this April with villains Ruby Thursday and Doctor Bong (aka Lester Verde) coming to the title.
🔴 Ruby Thursday ROLLS into The Contest as our 350th Champion! 🔴
With her shape-shifting Ruby, attack into this villainous Champion at your own risk! pic.twitter.com/CM6947TgAT
— Marvel Contest of Champions (@MarvelChampions) April 4, 2026
Augmenting her head with a mass of organic circuitry, Ruby Thursday has joined forces with the
Headmen as they seek out world domination through unorthodox methods. She will make her way to Marvel Contest of Champions April 9.
🔔 Ring the bell! 🔔
Doctor Bong brings chaos, comedy, and deafening Reverb as he smashes into The Battlerealm! pic.twitter.com/vXqWTQnCw6
— Marvel Contest of Champions (@MarvelChampions) April 5, 2026
Meanwhile, the super villain Doctor Bong is a super genius with advanced knowledge of genetic
Engineering. Players can obtain him on April 23, or can alternatively acquire Doctor Bong by completing objectives to receive milestone prizes during his 3-month-long Double Track event that kicks off April 8.
Starting April 15, Act 9–Chapter 4: REDEMPTION in Marvel Contest of Champions will have players joining Carina Tivan, daughter of Elders and leader of Heroes, as she gathers forces for one final push.
Set in a world where survival is vertical, Ludogram and Twin Sails Interactive have unveiled their new turn-based exploration roguelite Ascenders: Beyond the Peak.
An award-winning 4X strategy game set within the Avatar universe, Tilting Point and AN Games’ Avatar Legends: Realms Collide is celebrating its one-year anniversary with its biggest update to date.
Bringing classic arcade energy to the heart of baseball, PAC-MAN is teaming up with the Los Angeles Angels with the opening of the new PAC-MAN Chomp Stop concession stand.
Briefing us on its writing, audio, and espionage roots, we recently joined ZA/UM Studio’s Siim “Kosmos” Sinamäe and Honey Watson at GDC 2026 to learn more about CASCADE’s upcoming mission…
ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies Interview – ZA/UM Studio Talks Writing, Audio & Espionage
You have a very strong community, with a lot of people that are very passionate about strong writing in games.
What made you want to take on an Espionage RPG angle for this release?
Siim “Kosmos” Sinamäe
I would say that we wanted to do something different!
We felt that the espionage genre allows for the type of storytelling we would like to do.
We were also getting a bit tired of the police story – there’s only so far you can go with the police stereotypes and such devices.
It’s just a very fertile breeding ground – if you read about the fiction of spies and the reality of spies, the reality is often much stranger than the fiction.
Gamers Heroes
I completely understand! There are a lot of great espionage works out there too.
Is there anything your team was truly inspired by?
You’re obviously doing your own thing, but anything that you wanted to tap into – whether it be a TV show, movie, or something else – that you wanted to basically build upon and create your own vision?
We also really enjoyed this French show called Libero, which has an awesome American version called The Agency.
We were drawn to this kind of spy fiction that is not necessarily like Jason Bourne or James Bond.
Gamers Heroes
That actually leads me to my next point…
Talking espionage, you’re talking James Bond – and there are so many different Bonds.
You’ve got games like the upcoming 007 First Light that touches upon the origins of Bond, you’ve got Roger Moore, and then you’ve got Pierce Brosnan – they all have a different type of energy.
What kind of went into the design of the agent CASCADE?
I know players of ZERO PARADES can have different types of elements that include analytical, and even anxiety – but let’s not have that last one today!
What would you say goes into your ideal espionage character?
An early exploration for Hershel Wilk, a.k.a. Operant CASCADE.
Whether through playthroughs on Twitch or YouTube, have you noticed any patterns? Were there any people went pure “Paragon” or “Renegade?”
When you get games that are deeply human, the human side comes out when it comes to choices.
When I’m playing these types of games, I tend to go for the same choices – it also gives great insight into the community!
We bring you a new game every day, and THIS is Zero Parades: For Dead Spies – In this game you will fail a lot… but that's kind of the point@studiozaumpic.twitter.com/h84KfbbNTL
I think my favorite podcast moment was definitely when Mikey decided to come in and just totally steal the show and crash everything!
He’s an audio guy and did lots of the voices on Disco Elysium.
He’s also doing some voices in ZERO PARADES – he’s such a character.
He just came in; it was just me and the Narrative Director doing the podcast, and he just completely stole the show.
He started telling us what’s what about all our characters – it was really fun!
Gamers Heroes
That’s exactly what I like to hear!
And people feed off that energy – that’s why they tune in each time, you know?
So mentioning Disco Elysium, I know it originally came out in 2019, with the Final Cut released in 2021.
The gaming landscape has definitely changed in the last five years; like you said, people are craving that human writing.
There are also recent releases like Esoteric Ebb that cite your work as an inspiration – it’s fantastic!
So again, you’re doing your own unique thing, but where are some of the key learnings you’ve had since the original 2019 release?
Siim “Kosmos” Sinamäe
You could say the way we consume media has changed…
I would say the way we consume short form content is more prevalent in today’s society.
At the same time, there is the text we are able to keep inside our heads.
We don’t have as much patience or concentration – it is very different to 2019.
In 2019, Twitter was quite big – people were used to 140, then 280 characters. It’s quite a lot of words.
We’re now more used to short-form content.
I wouldn’t say that we all need to feature short-form content when writing, but we take into account the reality of:
“What is the level of intractability in the world at the moment?”
We’re used to doing a lot of clicks, tapping things, moving on.
So it informed us, in some ways, on how many choices the player should encounter per hour, and how will they feel so engaged to the story in a way they will say:
“I don’t want to look at my phone.”
I believe some TV series are already taking into account that people want to look at their phones, and then they’re writing in:
“Okay, repeat the dialog multiple times.”
Gamers Heroes
You’ve got to respect the viewer! I know exactly what you’re talking about.
It’s definitely changing, and you do have a good point. There’s Twitter and then there’s also new networks like Bluesky.
I know short form content is all the rage these days too.
Siim “Kosmos” Sinamäe
I have younger friends – they’re very varied like we used to be when we were young.
I think if a young person is into writing, they are into the game.
If a young person is into RPGs, they will also be into the game.
Gamers Heroes
I know what you mean! Putting on my corporate hat: “It reaches many verticals.”
Music is also a big part of ZA/UM’s games – with Disco Elysium, you have the English band Sea Power doing the music.
With the demo of ZERO PARADES, I had to put on my Sennheisers – it was truly incredible!
How are you looking to tap into music with this release?
Siim “Kosmos” Sinamäe
Our Audio Director, the musicians we work with, and audio people are so amazing – it’s such a joy!
I have to say that I have held off playing with audio for some time, just so it will be ready and I can dive into it fully.
Honey Watson
There are a lot of musicians on the narrative team, and our Lead Writer has actually written and performed.
Music is a huge part of this game!
Gamers Heroes
I’m so glad you agree!
Keeping it short and sweet, what’s the next major milestone you can talk about regarding this release?
Not that I want to get in anybody in trouble…
Travis Shrodes [PR Representative]
The podcast will continue going once a month, and you’ll see an update soon!
You’ll see that oftentimes that it’ll align with the assets and the interviews and things that we’re putting out at the same time.
When we were talking about the art, we’re focusing on putting more of the key art out there, putting out more screenshots and things.
Hearing directly from the people involved, their passion, their enthusiasm – that’s what we really want to get out there.
Gamers Heroes
Absolutely – I look forward to it!
ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies will release for the PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG on May 21. The title will also make its way to the PlayStation 5 later this year.
We recently joined Game Director Dave Hall at GDC 2026’s Xbox Play Anywhere event to talk shop about Invincible VS’ intricate mechanics, FGC support, and sheer brutality.
Helping with rhythm game staples like Rez and Space Channel 5, we spoke with CORE8 CEO Noboru Hotta at Day of the Devs about Twin Soul’s mission to have us all play, explore, and be moved.
Featuring a true love for the gaming industry, we recently caught up with Ballgame’s Eliot Garcia Weisberg at Day of the Devs for a tee time around this whole new ballgame…
Accepting the interview invite without hesitation, we recently caught up with the insanely talented Creative Director David Ashby at Day of the Devs to learn more about Pro Jank Footy.
We recently spoke with Pete Capella at StocktonCon Winter 2026 about his “Strength in Silver” and his love for the Sonic community – learn more with our interview.
Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together is OUT NOW on Steam.
Step into the kitchen solo or with friends and survive the chaos of running a restaurant together. Cook, serve, experiment, and create your own dishes.
A next-generation cooking sim, Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together cooks up realistic food preparation mechanics that let players prep dishes, manage kitchen workflows, serve guests, and ultimately develop culinary skills.
Featuring support for both solo and co-op play (hence the second part of the title), Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together sets out to embrace both precision and chaos.
Learn more about Cooking Simulator 2: Better Together with its launch trailer below:
COOKING SIMULATOR 2: BETTER TOGETHER | MULTIPLAYER LAUNCH TRAILER
Set in a world where survival is vertical, Ludogram and Twin Sails Interactive have unveiled their new turn-based exploration roguelite Ascenders: Beyond the Peak.
An award-winning 4X strategy game set within the Avatar universe, Tilting Point and AN Games’ Avatar Legends: Realms Collide is celebrating its one-year anniversary with its biggest update to date.
Bringing classic arcade energy to the heart of baseball, PAC-MAN is teaming up with the Los Angeles Angels with the opening of the new PAC-MAN Chomp Stop concession stand.
So, who is Hershel Wilk?
Episode 4 of IMPRINT, our 
Watch now:
