It took me a whole month to finally beat Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and I’m happy to say it’s by far one of the best games of 2017.  Now that I’m done playing that game forever, I am moving on to more casual games.  This week, I have discovered probably one of the best games (that isn’t Super Smash Bros) for Teen Game Night that you may have never heard of.

YouTube Trailer:

Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch

Rated: E

Single or Multiplayer: Multiplayer, up to 8 players for maximum chaos

Storyline: In the beginning of the game, there is a Spaghetti Monster Apocalypse where chefs have to feed its ginormous appetite in order to save the world.  It’s impossible to do, so the chefs go back in time to train for preparing a variety of meals.  Sounds ridiculous? It is.

For those of you who are Game of Thrones fans, the main menu music is strikingly similar to Light of the Seven.  You can’t unhear it!

Gameplay: Players are given the task of completing food orders in a restaurant.  Each level has complicated obstacles which pushes players to work together in order to complete orders.  When I say “work together” I don’t mean calmly explaining your strategy, I mean yelling at the other players, so be sure your program space is separate from reading areas in your library.  At the end of each level, the team’s score earns them 1-3 stars, which can be redeemed to unlock more levels.

Overcooked has two functions that make this game perfect for Teen Game Night programs. First, the game emphasizes teamwork, which is something that I prefer to have in my Game Nights over competitive games like Super Smash Bros.  My teens who don’t have a lot of experience playing video games are often intimidated by other teens who will clearly beat them, so I try to make my program more inclusive by providing co-op games.

Controls: The second reason why Overcooked is perfect for Teen Game Night programs is the controls.  This game can accommodate up to 8 players by using only 4 controllers.  How?  You have two players share one controller.  Here’s an example from Overcook’s Twitter:

Cooking time in Tampa but things might be Overcooked at the #LetsPlayLive pic.twitter.com/oh76HNeCbS

— Arrow Dealer (@Arrow_Dealer) May 1, 2017

If you can imagine how difficult this game is when using one controller per person, imagine how hard it is when you only have HALF on a controller!  It is chaotic, there is a ton of yelling at each other, and it is incredibly fun.  This game gives you the perfect opportunity to match up your gamer and non-gamer teens while guaranteeing both parties will have fun.  If you want to see an example of the chaos, I recommend checking out this Let’s Play video.

Audience: Families, teens, or any group of people who want an massively fun local co-op game.

Verdict: A must-have for Teen Game Nights.

Pricing: Ranges from $20-$40 depending on the platform. Check Amazon or your console’s online store for prices.

Questions? Comments? Tweet them at me!

By: Alanna Graves
Twitter: @LannaLibrarian