Cook Serve Forever
Video Game
Developer: Vertigo Gaming Inc.
Release Date: 2024
Platforms: Steam (consoles TBA)
Accolades: The Storyteller's Festival 2024 Official Selection
STORY DEVELOPMENT AND SCRIPT WRITING
Along with co-writer Nicholas Kraak, I brainstormed, outlined, wrote, and edited over 300 pages of the game's story and side quests featuring over 30 diverse characters. The story includes a mixture of genres, including drama, comedy, mystery, romance, and satire.
BARKS
I wrote over 450 barks in which characters respond to numerous player actions. Each bark was carefully crafted to account for the speaking character's personality and background as well as the tone and information intended for the player.
UI TEXT
I wrote UI text that educates players on how the game functions and what features they have unlocked. These mostly appear in the form of very brief text boxes that clearly and succinctly inform the player while also maintaining a tone consistent with the game's narrative.
MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA
I created and managed marketing and social media content for Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Discord, YouTube, and LinkedIn, as well as the company newsletter throughout development. This included writing, graphic design, and video editing.
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
In addition to writing, I also provided feedback on artwork, trailers, and cutscenes to ensure they lined up with the setting, characters, and lore. I assisted in casting voice actors by creating character profiles to send to agencies and listening to auditions. I also acted as a script supervisor during voice recording sessions by providing direction and feedback to actors and performing on-the-spot rewrites.
Reception
“With its LGBTQA+ friendly story, Cook Serve Forever creates a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all players. Embrace a diverse cast of characters. Engage in heartfelt interactions. Experience a narrative that will warm your heart faster than a pot of simmering soup.”
- Game Gush Gamer (link)
"While the fun, intuitive, and adaptive gameplay is the star of the show, the charming cast of characters that populates the game’s world is just as critical to its overall appeal. The dual anchors of this wonderfully charming cast are Nori and Brie. The fun and often silly interactions the two have both in cutscenes as well as during gameplay never let the player lose track of the fact that Vertigo Gaming’s clear focus is for them to have fun and feel good whenever they play the game."
- Charles Hartford, But Why Tho? (link)
"What the game lacks in complete button memorization, it makes up for in story and character development. Nori Kaga’s world is a fun fusion of cultures and coloration. The bright and colorful world blends many eye-catching designs and characters that all share a common passion for food. The characters are fun and diverse and are brought to life by a great cast of voice actors. At times the game feels like an anime, with bubble dialog and dramatic flair for silly reasons."
- Zach, EverythingAction (link)