Bad Vices Games, the creator behind the Sweeney Todd-inspired restaurant sim Ravenous Devils, is rustling up an all-new horror game called While We Wait Here. Apparently, it’ll combine standard cooking mechanics with a rough-and-ready and supposedly psychologically unnerving post-apocalyptic setting. Quite the pitch, to be fair — yet one that happens to intrigue us all the same.
So, what do we actually know about this upcoming psychological horror restaurant management simulator? Well, a fair amount, thanks to its Steam listing and the Bad Vices Games handle sharing a generous amount of information on the project. However, for the sake of feeding you the key facts, here’s everything you need to know about it. While We Wait Here: what is it, really, and why should you keep it stapled to your wishlist ahead of its 2024 release?
What Is While We Wait Here?
While We Wait Here is an upcoming psychological horror restaurant management sim by Bad Vices Games, the studio behind Ravenous Devils. In this latest first-person adventure, players will assume the role of a chef at a roadside diner—a location that stands as a haven for travellers who, like you, seek shelter from the “frighteningly serious threat that lies outside the diner’s doors.” This is where you, along with all your utensils and leftovers, will aid the guests and mold the futures that await them on the other side of the door.
“With a strong narrative, multiple choices and endings, and a fresh gameplay perspective, While We Wait Here will have you questioning every choice you’re about to make. Will you head for shelter at Mount K, encouraging your guests to do the same, or will your instincts keep you from making the trip, opting to ride out your fate while you wait here, where you’ve always waited?”
Story
Going by the blurb, “players must juggle between the mundanity of flipping burger patties and pouring soda to the frighteningly serious threat that lies outside the diner’s doors.” But what is it that waits beyond the door, and why is everyone whispering about a shelter that goes by the name of Mount K? Well, that’s just it — we don’t actually know what’s brought the world to its knees, only that its surviving population is split between fearing for their lives, and determined to absolve themselves before heading into the unknown.
From the looks of it, you will play a crucial role in not only your own story, but those who step into your restaurant. As a fate maker of sorts, you will influence your guests and steer them towards their next pitstop, be it within the confines of Mount K, or in the pits of the kitchen that you yourself are instinctively bound to. Question is, what will you achieve during your final moments alive, and before the world succumbs to an imminent calamity?
Gameplay
It seems that the bulk of the gameplay here will be made up of managing an actual restaurant, both on the floor and in the kitchen. And not just that, but interacting with the customers and helping them atone for their past mistakes and decide whether or not to pursue hope during their final moments on earth. So, basically everything a typical restauranteur would do, but going the extra mile. Or twenty.
“Combining restaurant management mechanics with the creeping fear of the unknown and the impending end of the world as we know it, you’ll meet characters from all over the country, discover their psyche, feel their fears and regrets, playing a decisive role in their, and your, eventual redemption or demise.”
Development
Bad Vices Games, a studio that has been on the block for a little over a year now, first revealed its intention to bring While We Wait Here to PC back in February of 2023. And while it didn’t come with a release date per se, it did receive a rough 2024 slate. It’ll be heading to Steam and the Epic Games Store as a day-one exclusive.
“When we launched Ravenous Devils last April, we knew we had something strong, but we couldn’t have imagined the impact it would have on us as a small indie studio,” said Bad Vices Games co-founder Eleonora Vecchi. “Enter While We Wait Here! Making games is our passion, and with this announcement we want to go from strength to strength, aiming to release another that’ll make players squirm, shout and jump out of their seats!”
Trailer
Release Date, Platforms & Editions
While We Wait Here will be coming to PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store in 2024. Does this mean it won’t be heading to consoles, then? At the moment, no. That said, Ravenous Devils, the studio’s last game, did go on to receive a console port under the wing of Troglobytes Games following its initial PC launch, so it isn’t exactly out of the question, either.
At the time of writing, Bad Vices Games hasn’t mentioned anything about bringing any special editions to the table outside of its standard copy. If anything of the sort does come knocking, then it’s sure to be made public over on its Steam handle.
To keep tabs on Bad Vices Games’ exploits, you can follow the official social feed here. If anything interesting pops up ahead of its 2024 launch, we’ll be sure to fill you in on all the key details right here on (KNIGHT FANSCOTT GAMING BLOG)
