Rolling Hills: Make Sushi, Make Friendsis a cozy indie life sim game that puts players behind the wheels of a charming robot sushi chef. It’s up to players to learn over 50 sushi recipes and check out the local ingredients to improve them as they master their skills as the adorable Sushi Bot, serving customers in the namesake town’s sushi restaurant. As a confirmedXbox Game Pass release for June 2024,Rolling Hillsis likely to attract the attention of fans of life sim games such asStardew Valley, albeit with an art style that’s more akin to other cozy titles likeAnimal Crossing.
Indeed,Rolling Hillshas several inspirations from the video game space, includingAnimal Crossing, recent restaurant management titlesLemon Cakeand TheSushi Spinnery,and the old-school platformer adventure gameChibi-Robo. It sounds like an exciting mix of titles and genres which, altogether, could makeRolling Hillsan endearing and entertaining blend of life and restaurant sim mechanics. Game Rant recently spoke with one ofRolling Hills' co-creators, Matthew Taylor, who developed the game with his brother and fellow co-creator James Tillman. Taylor spoke more about the specific inspirations of all these titles.
The Sushi Spinnery, Lemon Cake, and Chibi-Robo
When asked Hills' various video game inspirations, Taylor identifiedThe Sushi Spinneryas “an early inspiration,” with both he and his brother being “big fan[s] of Kairosoft sim games” and mentioned it was also “a helpful example of a sushi-themed game.” Fans ofrestaurant management gamesmay also be familiar withLemon Cake, an indie game about running an abandoned bakery. Taylor went on to explain howLemon Cakespecifically inspiredRolling Hillsfrom a gameplay perspective:
Lemon Cakehelped demonstrate how to make a fun, more cozy restaurant sim that focused on controlling a character. We felt this was important to make the game more accessible, as opposed to a full-scale sim game where you control everything from a godlike perspective.
Additionally, while some players might be less familiar with theChibi-Robogame series, it’s perhaps not too tricky to see the parallels with Sushi Bot as a concept. Taylor describedChibi-Roboas a “personal favorite,” adding it was more of a “subconscious” rather than a direct inspiration:
Looking back, I never directly thought “Let’s make a game with a robot protagonist,” but it’s no surprise thatChibi-Robowas in my subconscious the whole time.
Rolling Hills' Animal Crossing Inspirations
Fans ofAnimal Crossingmay appreciateRolling Hills' appealing visualsand for good reason. It’s clear that Rolling Hills drew from a lot of sources, and Taylor identifiedAnimal Crossingas inspiration for the game’s art style.
It’s evolved a lot over the years, but we’ve always strived for something cute and colorful. We’ve seen a few games attempt “indieAnimal Crossing” over the years, and although our game shares very little in common withAnimal Crossing’s gameplay, it was no doubt a big inspiration for our art style.
Although the visuals look to create cozy, chill vibes, it will also be interesting to see how relaxingRolling Hills' restaurant management gameplay is, something which can sometimes feel more frantic than cozy in some restaurant sims. While games likePlate Up!andOvercookedmight come to mind, evencozy gameslikeLemon Cakecan sometimes feel chaotic for some players. When asked about the balance of restaurant management and coziness inRolling Hills, Taylor reflected on the game’s initial inspirations:
I imagine a lot of folks who seeRolling Hillswill be reminded ofOvercooked, but we definitely tried to make a chiller game. A big component of that is taking inspiration from RPGs instead of purely action-based games. For instance, if you’re overwhelmed by the number of customers, you’re able to invest in better recipes or furniture, both of which will make the game easier.
