Dinner service is stressful enough without armed intruders storming the kitchen. 505 Games and INGAME STUDIOS have announced Mayhem à la Carte, a four-player co-op cooking game that mixes frantic restaurant management with first-person shooter action. The game is planned to launch on PC through Steam Early Access in 2027.
Players begin by working together to prepare increasingly complicated meals, with orders arriving and ingredients needing to be chopped, fried, baked and plated. Things quickly become much less ordinary, however, as waves of attackers invade the restaurant and turn the kitchen into a battlefield.
Keeping the restaurant running means dividing responsibilities between cooking and combat. One player might be finishing an order while another fights off enemies, with the entire kitchen becoming a potential source of weapons. Cleavers, kitchen equipment and firearms can all be used against attackers, while food and ingredients can also have unexpected effects, including stunning, freezing and shrinking enemies.
Chaos is an important part of the experience. Pots can boil over, ingredients can roll across the floor, walls can be destroyed and even giant lobsters can escape into the kitchen. Players will need to communicate and adapt quickly as an organized kitchen can turn into a disaster in seconds, all while customers continue waiting for their meals.
Each of the four players can take on different responsibilities, encouraging the group to operate like a professional kitchen brigade. Proximity voice chat allows players to coordinate during the hectic shifts, although it may also make it easier to identify who caused the latest catastrophe.
The action will also take players to restaurants inspired by cuisines from around the world, with new recipes, environments, hazards and kitchen mechanics to master. Mayhem à la Carte is scheduled to enter Early Access on PC via Steam in 2027.