Devlog #3 The Secret Recipe Behind Burger Bois

Hi friends!

This month, we’re diving into the beginnings of Burger Bois—the inspiration and the backstory that brought this game to life. So, grab a snack (preferably a burger) and let’s get into it!

A Love Letter to Food & Hospitality

Burger Bois is our love letter to food, creativity, and the joy of serving up something delicious. It’s a mash-up of everything we adore: the food service vibes of Good Pizza, Great Pizza, the creative challenge of Sticky Business, and the quirky, comedic characters of Ace Attorney. But where did the idea for this burger building adventure come from? Let’s rewind to 2019.

The Birth of Burger Bois

The idea for Burger Bois was first cooked up by Alex, our resident foodie, while reflecting on his sister Jess’… let’s say, complicated relationship with cooking. 

Pictured: Jess, trying to cook.

Jess’ disdain for the kitchen combined with their shared love for Burger Wellington—an annual burger festival in New Zealand—and cartoons like Spongebob Squarepants and Bob’s Burgers sparked a thought:

“What if we could make a game that turns cooking-nonbelievers into cooking-converts through the power of humor, creativity, and a whole lot of flavor?”

For Alex, part of the joy of cooking is experimenting—and he’s not alone! We’re huge fans of Roll For Sandwich, Binging with Babish, and Sorted Food. We wanted to capture that same sense of joy and discovery in Burger Bois—trying new things, sometimes failing, and always having fun.

Fast forward to late 2021, and pre-production began during COVID-19 lockdown as a sibling side hustle for Jess and Alex. But things heated up in March 2024 when we secured the NZ CODE KickStart grant, which helped us bring the core Burger Design game loop to life. Now, we’re building out the full game loop, adding fresh content, and gearing up to put out a demo.

What Makes Burger Bois Special?

You may have heard that Burger Bois is a food truck simulator about flavor, not labor. As Patty, your job is to design burgers that match your customers’ vague, and sometimes downright alarming requests, manage your stock, and build up your truck’s reputation in a world that’s under the deeply incorrect impression that burgers are “mid.”

Most cooking games focus on the “choppy-choppy” (physically simulating cooking) or combining ingredients like “X + Y = preset outcome Z.” But we wanted to do something different. What if we removed those elements and focused purely on the flavors and physical properties of the burgers you design? That’s the core of Burger Bois—a game that celebrates taste, experimentation, and, of course, burgers.

What’s Next?

We’re still hard at work on the game, adding new features, locations, ingredients, and customers (both friend and foe). 

In the meantime, if you haven’t already, wishlist Burger Bois on Steam and help us spread the word. Every wishlist brings us one step closer to sharing this flavor-packed adventure with the world.

Got a friend who loves burgers as much as you do? Invite them to join our mailing list for all the tasty news!

Here’s to another month of creativity, burgers, and good vibes! 🍔🎮

Jess, Alex, Jackal, Stevi & Anthony