CPU Chef (2024)
System Designer, Programmer, Video Producer
A Simulation Game That Lets You Cook Steaks… Using Your CPU?
Grill steaks using your computer’s CPU — literally. Accept orders from different customers, open different programs to raise your CPU temperature, and cook the perfect steak without frying your machine.
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This game was created by a team of three during the 2024 TOJam held in Toronto. I participated in gameplay design, programming, and was responsible for the final showcase video production.
Game 'Official' Trailer
After release, our game was first featured by the Japanese gaming media Automaton. The post on X (formerly Twitter) has reached over 1.2 million views and 10,000 likes so far.​​
The game was also covered by some Chinese and international gaming media and forums, including GCores, Gamebase, gaining attention from players around the world.​​
Game Achievement
Game Features
In CPU Chef, you will continuously receive orders from customers, each asking for a steak cooked to a specific doneness. To control the heat, you should open or close different software on their computer... Literally using CPU temperature to cook the meat!
Design Process - Brainstorm
The image on the right shows the theme we received for the jam — “It’s Supposed To Do That.”
It was quite an abstract prompt, and we were a bit confused at first. With only three days from announcement to submission, we immediately jumped into brainstorming ideas.​​
We first started our divergent thinking process. Each team member came up with their own ideas of the theme and quickly visualized their ideas through rough drawings.
After exploring a range of concepts, from opening doors in unconventional ways to using a player’s arm as a propeller, we finally locked onto the idea of cooking meat with a CPU, inspired by a viral internet meme from China and Japan.​​
Theme Announcement - 2024 TOJAM
BrainStorming Sketches - May 2024
Open-world playability wherever you are
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It’s easy. Just click “Edit Text” or double click me to add your own content and make changes to the font. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you.
Gameplay Requirement List - May 2024
Doneness Formula - May 2024
Design Process - Set Goals
After deciding on the idea, we began to outline the core gameplay requirements, which followed our intended game loop: Receive Orders → Grill Steak → Adjust Temperature → Serve.
With this structure in mind, I moved into active development and broke down each task needed to bring the system to life.
I created and tested the "doneness formula" during the prototype stage
It became the key variable that determines how cooked each steak is, and it also helped our artists define the different visual states for each doneness level.
Design Process - Implement
Based on the tested doneness formula, I implemented the steak script.
The cooking time for each steak dynamically changes depending on the current CPU temperature, determining how quickly it moves to the next doneness state.
Each state then triggers a visual update, allowing the steak’s appearance to gradually change as it cooks.
Raw
Rare
Medium Rare
Medium
Well Done
OverCooked
Steak Sprite Change - May 2024
Inspector Update - May 2024
Promotion
After the game gained traction on X without any prior promotion, I created a short game trailer showcasing its core gameplay and adding a few meme-inspired elements for humor.
The trailer was later uploaded to Bilibili, and until now it reached over 31,000 views. It also received many positive and playful comments from viewers, which was incredibly rewarding.
