Have you ever wondered why despite the modern and complex gaming dynamics available today, simple flash-based arcade cooking games still remain to be quite popular among many youngsters? Bakery Story, an online management game for the iPhone, is actually one of the top free games on Apple app Store today.
About the Game
If ever you’ve had the chance to play Restaurant Story, you will definitely become instantly familiar with Bakery Story. TeamLava is the developer for both cooking games. Perhaps the only thing that sets these games apart is apparently the food that you are going to prepare and the furnishings that you’ll adorn your store with. Rather than roast chicken and cheeseburgers, you will get to prepare sweets like cakes, tarts and pies. The goal here is to earn more money and neighbors in order for you to expand your own shop.
The Gameplay
Bakery Story is an interesting app that allows you to design and manage your own bakery. Your goal here is to build the best bakery possible by leveling up and attracting more customers. You will need to prepare the food and serve it timely to make your customers happy and satisfied. You will determine the mood of your customers through the emoticons that are on display on top of every character’s head. The better your service, the more people will drop by your bakery and the more interesting the game gets.
Early in the game, you will only have a few recipes to offer your patrons, and you will be unlocking new ones as the game progresses. To attract more customers, you will have to lure them with a steady supply of baked goods. When you’re not serving anything then it might be necessary to block the door with a piece of furniture to prevent customers from entering and leaving your bakery. Use your earnings to expand and decorate your bakery. You will also have to network with other gamers so they will send you gifts and tips to help you make more money.
User Interface
The interface is laid out very well, much like the many other Story games. Although the iPhone and iPod Touch screen space is rather limited, it isn’t really very hard to find certain buttons to help you pursue a task. It is very easy to move around, make dishes and decorate the interior even without any hints, although the game provides some tips shortly after you open the bakery. All the social interactions also contribute to make you much more involved with the game. People will come and visit your store to leave a tip and a comment on your wall. You may also see possible requests for you to add them as a friend.
Graphics and Sound Effects
The graphics do have a cartoonish look, but nevertheless they are clean, colorful and crisp enough to fascinate every player. Also, the designs are really cute which are supported by simple flash animation that is easy in the eye. Meanwhile, the sound effects are also quite simple to keep anyone enchanted while paying.
The Drawback
While Bakery Story is pretty addicting, there are also some drawbacks to the game. One of them is the purchasing of gems with actual cash. Such feature does devalue the essence of “free” download. Another disadvantage is that the game can only be played online, which means that you’ll have to secure internet connectivity first before you can start playing. Finally, the real time aspect of baking can also limit the gaming experience of any player. Some pastries can even take as long as 2 days before you can serve them.
Recommendation
Overall, we would highly recommend Bakery Story to anyone who loves playing management games and to those who are so much into real life baking. Not to overrate the niche of the game but playing Baking Story actually yield a few benefits. It teaches you some basic skills such as nurturing your creativity, sense of timing and responsibility, hand and mental coordination and so on. Needless to say, the game is also very kid-friendly!
Bakery Story
Category: Games
Price: Free
Developed By: TeamLava
Requirements: Requires iOS 3.0 or later
Compatible With: iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad
Other OS: Android, Facebook
Our Rating: 
About Aurora Freegard
