Video Game Review: Happy’s Humble Burger Farm

I’m not sure if anyone has ever asked for a combination of Five Nights At Freddy’s and Overcooked before. If, by some chance, there is someone who has been craving for that collaboration, Happy’s Humble Burger Farm might be the game of their dreams. Happy’s Humble Burger Farm is a bizarre mash-up of genres that somehow works much better than you would expect it to.

The game opens with the player’s character waking up and heading to work at a fast food restaurant. Things seem just a little off, but nothing too alarming. The player is tasked with serving customers. From cooking burgers to fixing up desserts, to cleaning facilities, there is plenty to keep the player busy while working their not-so-mundane job. It doesn’t take too many shifts though for the player to start to see some real strange stuff. This is where the horror really shows its face, with creepy animal mascots roaming the facilities and threatening to harm the player.

The simulation aspect of the gameplay is enjoyable but doesn’t take up as much of the player’s time as some might hope for. The cooking and working gets difficult with strange creatures providing jump scares and just being ominous around the restaurant. Before long, Happy’s Humble Burger Farm is hell. Cooking helps with handling the enemies that stalk the players. It’s frantic serving the enemies, and while the core gameplay doesn’t feel like a cooking simulator, it still feels unique.

Outside of cooking under duress, players are free to explore the city. Everything has a creepy atmosphere. The city is empty, populated by only a few strange fellows. The environment is eerie and gives players the vibe that nothing is okay. The story is pushed forward through exploring the city and getting small bites of what’s going on. The restaurant acts as a way to force players to face the antagonistic forces plaguing the character and city. There are plenty of opportunities to explore the city, and as players work and face the creatures that stalk them, they will unlock more of the city. Some of the exploration is mandatory, but there are plenty of secrets for players to find. Anyone who enjoys exploration in their games will find plenty to scratch their itch.

The aesthetics of Happy’s Humble Burger Farm only add to the creepy atmosphere. Everything looks like it came from the 90’s. The graphics aren’t anything crazy, but they fit the tone of the story. The blurry and pixelated visuals do a fantastic job of making the game creepier. Considering that this made by a small team, a lot is accomplished with the technological limitations. Happy’s Humble Burger Farm also comes with fantastic sound design to round out the solid presentation.

I don’t want to give too much away, since the discovery and presentation is what makes Happy’s Humble Burger Farm so special. Just know that it’s a neat little game for those who want a strange and stressful kind of horror. It’s not a pure cooking simulator, but it’s something more, even if it isn’t for everyone.