A mix of strategy, management and puzzle make this game surprisingly addictive in all its simplicity.

User Rating: 8.3 | Diner Dash PC
In one of my rare "I have nothing to play" moments, I headed out to scout for new games, and came across something called Diner Dash. Although I didn't find any detailed reviews to learn more about it (just a simple fact sheet), it seemed like a good strategy/puzzle game, so I decided to give it a try.

In Diner Dash, you help Flo building her restaurant empire. Her only employee is her cook, so she does everything else. Flo seats the customers, takes their orders, brings the food, picks up the check and cleans the tables. In the meantime, you have to look out for seat colors and customer colors if you want added bonus points, plus serve drinks or bring them bread sticks to make your customers happier. Running the restaurant involves quite a bit of work!

If your customers happen to become extremely unhappy, they'll get up and leave. Keeping an eye on their moods is a sure way to keep things running smoothly. There's a little heart meter on their tables to help you see how much they like you and your business. Being quick in seating and serving them will make them happy. Bringing them drinks and seating them on the respective colored seats is the little "happiness bonus".

HINT: Double click on a table where everyone's finished to pick up the check and the dirty dishes. You can click several things (it leaves a checkmark on the spot Flo is to go) and basically create an action queue. It makes service faster.

There are 5 five different types of customers.

the young woman, friendly customer, gives good tips and is moderately patient.
the kind elderly man: a lot more patient in line and at the table, doesn't tip so well.
the businesswoman: tips very well, but is very impatient.
the college student: gives reasonable tips, is really impatient in line, but likes to linger at the table.
Mr. Hot Shot: tips well, waits patiently in line, but hates waiting at the table.
the restaurant critic: VIP customer, gives you a star if she leaves pleased, but costs you points if she doesn't get a good impression.

HINT: Elderly customers are slower choosing from the menu and they take their time eating. They also tip less, so make younger customers your priority for the chance of a better tip.

There are two gameplay modes for you to try, Endless Shift and Career.

In Endless Shift, you keep on serving customers until a certain number of angry patrons decide to leave in anger. As you complete a level, you will have a shopping menu where you pick some extras to furnish your restaurant with or to improve your service. Here's a list:

Podium: Flo can use it to make the customers waiting in line happier.
Drink station (coffee, tiki, etc): give your customers a free drink to make them happier.
Snack station: when customers request an item from it, you better bring it to them fast.
Stereo: helps keep people at the tables happy.
Performer: helps keep people waiting in line happy.
Oven: helps the cook prepare meals faster.
Running shoes: they make Flo walk faster.

In Career mode, your restaurant actually closes at the end of the day. The focus of this game mode is to make enough money to keep the restaurant in business by meeting each goal. You eventually move on from the diner to opening a tiki restaurant, then a seafood eatery and progress through a total of five different restaurants.

As your restaurant becomes more sophisticated, so do your customers. They will have less patience for waiting in line, love to be pampered with free goodies and if given the chance they might walk away without paying.

HINT: Picking up two orders or serving two dishes in a row (chain) gives you bonus points and it's a good way to work when your restaurant gets exceptionally busy.

On higher levels, running the restaurant becomes a frenzy of hopping from table to table, juggling plates and trying to seat everyone. It's a ton of fun. A mix of strategy, management and puzzle make this game surprisingly addictive in all its simplicity.

You can download the trial at the PlayFirst site and enjoy a good hour of a fast-paced game with cool characters, funny animations, enjoyable music and realistic sound effects.


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