We recently had the chance to talk about the recently released KuloNiku: Bowl Up! with the cozy cooking game’s developers: Game Designer and Programmer Gian, Story Writer Rakaputra Paputungan and Art Director Bayu Nugroho. We discussed the culinary and pop culture influences behind the game, the intense Meatball Brawls, and the title’s reception. You can now buy KuloNiku: Bowl Up! on PC and Mac via Steam.
In our review of KuloNiku: Bowl Up!, we described the game as “a fast-paced, cozy cooking game that blends a sharp anime aesthetic with pleasant writing to create a rather unique title.”
The cast of KuloNiku is great. Which characters were your favorites, and which were you most excited for players to meet?
Raka: Thank you! My favorite character is Stella, because there are so many layers to her, so her first impression might be deceiving. And this is a bit of a cop out, but I was excited for everyone to meet all the characters. They are so varied in designs and personalities, so hopefully everyone can find their favorite!
Bayu: My favorite is Runa. Her design was inspired by Persona 5’s Tae Takemi.
Gian: Mine is Lado. He was already my favorite since his design was finalized.
There is a lot of anime inspiration for KuloNiku. What series in particular really inspired the game’s presentation?
Gian: The main inspiration for KuloNiku’s art style is actually Mega Man Legends. I’m a big fan of the franchise and I think the art style would work really well with the gameplay. Then Bayu and the art team developed it further.
Bayu: Our team grew up watching a lot of anime, so that definitely spilt over into the game. We’re inspired by Pokémon and Panty & Stocking, along with some vibes from Detective Conan, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, and, of course, Persona 5.
There’s a pretty wide range of ingredients in the game. What cuisines and cultures most contributed to the food and cooking aspects of the game?
Gian: The biggest influence is definitely Indonesian cuisine, and specifically bakso (Indonesian-style meatball). Then, to make the gameplay more fun, we looked for inspiration from regional cuisines, like ramen, pho, and udon.
The way that Meatball Brawls combines quick cooking with a form of turn-based gameplay is so interesting. How difficult was it to combine those two styles into one?
Gian: It was pretty challenging, especially because it’s still unusual in the cooking genre. I wanted the players to enjoy both the strategic gameplay – choosing which ingredients to cook – and the fast-paced gameplay of the mini-games. Then I had to connect these two gameplay modes – how they affect each other. It took a lot of iterations, but I’m happy with the final result.
What’s it been like to see the fan reception to the game since it launched at the beginning of April?
Raka: It’s been so fun reading about the different theories that our players have. I’m so happy that our community finds the story and characters interesting!
Bayu: Thank you for all the fanarts and memes! Our team is very impressed by everyone’s passion and skill.
Gian: Everyone is happy by the positive response the game received so far. But we’re surprised as well, because we honestly didn’t expect such a great response.
We are still cooking some new features and content in the kitchen, so please look forward to more updates from KuloNiku: Bowl Up!
