Kitchen Scramble - Rockyou Inc

This review of Kitchen Scramble was completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 19 April 2015.

About the app

This section contains details about the app provided by an ACCM Reviewer.

ACCM review

This review of Kitchen Scramble contains the following information:

• The level to which the game was reviewed
• App description
• Reviewers comments
• In App purchasing
• Online information
• Gambling
• Advertising and product placement
• Gender stereotypes and sexual references
• Coarse language
• Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents
• Other

The level to which the game was reviewed

This review focuses on levels: 1-10

App description

Kitchen Scramble is an interactive arcade game based around time management in a restaurant context. The objective of the game is to serve as many customers as possible, before any of them become impatient and leave without their food, thus not paying or leaving any tips behind money for the player. Within the game, players require skills in strategic thinking (in terms of the ordered selection of customers), time management and motor skills.

Reviewers comments

When the app is installed and opened, players are met with an initial pop-up disclaimer stating “Additional content can be purchased in Kitchen Scramble. Purchasing this content costs real money and will be charged to your account. You can adjust your device settings to lock the ability to make in-app purchases.” The app then asks players to enter in their age.

 

After a loading screen, players are welcomed to their ‘new food truck’ by a friendly female chef, Chef Crisp. They are informed that this truck will enable them to bring fresh, healthy food to people around the world. A customer then approaches the truck whilst players are positioned inside the kitchen – they are informed that he wants a friend egg. Players are then directed to tap on the image of a fresh egg sitting on one of the shelves, and then proceed to tap on the fry pan skillet in order to move their character over to it to cook the egg. Players are told to remove the egg quickly after it has finished cooking, or it will overcook. They must then serve the meal to the customer and tap on the leftover coins to collect payment.

Players are then shown the Roadmap, which consists of various locations in a linearly designed path – this contains all of the levels that players may work through. Before beginning a new level, players are given information on what they must cook (e.g. an egg and a potato), and occasionally must purchase new equipment or tools in order to cook their meals (e.g. a low voltage electric oven). Players are taken to the Food Truck Market in order to purchase these items (as well as upgrades) in exchange for gold coins.

During their cooking levels, players can be assisted in making meals by browsing their recipe book. This means that if a customer wants a baked potato, players can browse the recipe book and discover that this entails placing a raw potato in the electric oven. Food cooks at different rates, and players must keep an eye on different kinds of food that they may be cooking simultaneously. For example, an egg that is finished cooking will burn much more quickly than an oven-baked potato that is finished. If customers have to wait for longer periods, they will become annoyed and eventually leave without paying. Speedy service results in players receiving additional tips and money, and they will also receive more stars at the end of each level if they have served all the customers who wished to purchase something.

The app also contains a Goals list, incorporating achievements to be earned such as ‘Serve 145 customers’, ‘Earn 15,000 in coins’, ‘Serve 35 baked potatoes’, etc. The rewards for achieving these goals take the form of tokens.

In App purchasing

Yes: It is possible to make in-app purchases within the game store by using real-life currency. Players are able to buy piles of cash, as well as coins. Each of these can be purchased in packages of 40 dollars in cash or a pinch of coins for $5.30, 80 dollars in cash or a tablespoon of coins for $10.61, 184 dollars in cash or a gallon of coins for $21.21, 500 dollars in cash or a barrel of coins for $53.05, or 500 dollars in cash or a truckload of coins for $106.11. Cash and coins can be used within the game to buy tokens (which are used to pass token gates without any hassle), or to refill supplies and upgrade/purchase new equipment.

Online information

It is possible to sign in via a Facebook account and share your progress and achievements with friends, or to compare high scores.

Gambling

No gambling content was found during the review of this game.

Advertising and product placement

N/A.

Gender stereotypes and sexual references

N/A.

Coarse language

N/A.

Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents

No game playing behaviour which may be of concern to parents was found during the review of this game.

Other

N/A.

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