Bristol UK, February 14th 2022. Startenders, developed by Foggy Box Games, is a new VR bartending experience heading to Meta Quest, Meta Quest 2 and PlayStation VR on March 17, 2022, with PS VR2 and PC VR versions planned for a later date. An immersive arcade-style game with narrative elements, Startenders puts players behind the bar to mix cocktails for a galaxy of patrons from across the universe.
See Startenders’ unique blend of space mixology in the Meet STARTENDERS trailer here.
As a newly enrolled intern in the Startenders Academy, players will have to shake, slice, cryo blast and serve to level up their skills behind the bar. Startenders offers ‘Story’, ‘Free Mix’, ‘Pass the Headset’ and ‘Daily Run’ game modes, allowing players to enjoy a hilarious narrative adventure meeting new alien species, experiment with the craziest cocktails imaginable or compare their drinks-making skills with the rest of the world in daily challenges.
This isn’t just your regular earthbound mixology as players get to craft their cosmic cocktails with the aid of the latest alien drinks-making technology. Head to the HUB and spend those hard earned Kredits on blueprints to upgrade machines. The workshop will allow players to build these new machines piece by piece, with every upgrade bringing the chance to up serving speed.
With 100 named recipes in Startenders utilising over 25 liquids which can be served at three different temperatures within three types of receptacles and topped off with 13 different garnishes there’s plenty to keep on top of as you tend bar. If that’s not enough, head to free mix and make something yourself and a customer might just order it! That’s over 2 million unique combinations of possible drinks.
“We wanted each player's Startenders experience to be unique, so we built a system that can provide endless procedurally generated shifts, with different customers and orders each time you play” says Chris Youles, Creative Director of Foggy Box Games. “We strove to create an experience where the players are not punished for having fun, even if it means going off script. The game doesn't have fail-states or restarts, you might just find the customer's do not react too kindly to you messing up their order"
It’s not all hard work though. Between shifts, players can explore their habitat. Here they can purchase blueprints, unlock new cocktails by purchasing new ingredients and learn about the universe with the Startendipedia. To be a Startender you will need to keep in top shape, players can train their mind and body with the reflex trainer, the sports machine or on the Startenders Interactive Training System.
In Daily Play, every Startender who takes part gets the same shift, customers and drink orders procedurally generated. With every ingredient, machine and recipe at your disposal, you get just one chance to achieve your best score and to compete with the rest of the world on the global leaderboard, before a new shift is generated the next day.
Features
- Full hand tracking (Meta Quest only)
- Pass The Headset local social party mode
- Create your own custom drinks for customers to order
- Make multiple drinks on time and as requested – the quicker and more accurate your concoction the higher your tips.
- Upgrade your equipment, purchase different ingredients to discover a wide array of drinks to serve.
- You get one chance a day compete on the global leader board for the best score in Daily Play
- Relax or train in-between shifts in your habitat
Startenders features a range of VR specific accessibility options for players, it can be played in standing and seated. In the Habitat we use teleport node-based locomotion and have optional snap turning, seated mode height offsets, in world subtitles and all surfaces can be individually height adjusted.
Startenders will be available for Meta Quest, Meta Quest 2 and PlayStation VR on March 17, 2022, priced $14.99 / £11.99 / €14.99, developed by Foggy Box Games and published by Yogscast Games. Visit joinstartenders.com for more info.
Press Contact
Charlotte Kenny
Charlotte@honest-pr.com
About Foggy Box Games
Foggy Box Games are Alastair Callum and Chris Youles, a game development duo based in Bristol, England. Their debut game Brunch Club is out now on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
About Yogscast Games
Yogscast Games is the independent publisher dedicated to independent developers, founded in 2017 by The Yogscast.