Overcooked Level Analysis

Metrics

Before I analyse the levels in detail, here are some of the metrics I found from watching various playthroughs of Overcooked. They are not guaranteed to be accurate, but should be a pretty rough gauge of the actual values.

Now, let's analyse some levels! Do take note that I will be analysing from a 2-player and 4-player perspective, as those are the most common numbers.

Stage 5-4 is one of the hardest and most frustrating levels in Overcooked, because of how it is set up.

Level requirements

The total points required to get 1 star, 2 stars and 3 stars respectively.

1P: 60-80-100

2P: 70-90-110

3P: 80-120-140

4P: 60-120-160

Why does it not work?

Players have 4 minutes to pass this level
This level requires 70 points to pass for 2-players, and 60 points for 4-players. This means that a minimum of 3 dishes must be served in order to pass the level for both sides.
The cooking stoves and empty tables float around the players in an infinity-shaped loop. This means players have to take note of the time taken to cook ingredients so they do not burn it as a result of not being able to get there on time.
The patterns in this stage are extremely hard to pick up, especially in the heat of the game, it is hard to notice where each table goes. The patterns are just hard to monitor, even if players know the basic pattern of the infinity sign, they cannot truly time their actions properly without much frustration.
In this level, players almost HAVE to know how long it will take for the respective food to cook in order to get anything cooked successfully.
These are things the players didn’t initially have to know, and probably wouldn’t have paid any attention to in the earlier levels, which can cause a lot of frustration when it comes to this level since they will be wondering why their food keeps burning
When a table comes around and players have to place an ingredient in the pan or take a cooked one out, they may end up dropping the ingredient on the floor, or unable to get the food in the pan and move closer to the edge, only to fall off and lose 5 seconds, while the tables continue spinning

As a result, it is a rage-inducing level that can be very tiresome for players to pass, and it is not unusual for players to replay this level over and over, or just barely pass the level with 1 star.

In comparison, we can take a look at level 2-3.

While it is admittedly an easier level as it is in stage 2, there are a few things that make it a lot easier and less frustrating than stage 5-4.

Level requirements

The total points required to get 1 star, 2 stars and 3 stars respectively.

1P: 40-70-120

2P: 60-100-180

3P: 60-110-220

4P: 60-120-240

Why does it work?

This level requires 40 points to pass for 2-players, and 60 points for 4-players. This means that a minimum of 2 dishes must be served in order to pass the level for 2-players, and 3 dishes for 4-players.

This level features a conveyor belt that travels in a straightforward clockwise rectangular direction. The opening for players to pick up ingredients from the conveyor belts are also very wide and hard to miss as long as the players camp there.
Perhaps the biggest difference is how ingredients are placed on the conveyor belt, instead of any cooking tables. It is also easier to keep track of how long it takes for a complete loop as compared to 5-4, which was messy and convoluted.
The strategy in this level is very obvious: the blue player grabs the ingredients, places them on conveyor belt and red player will pick them up, chop, and place them back on the belt. After which, blue player will cook them and pass them back to the red player to be served.
Once players get the hang of transporting ingredients and food, it is easy to ace this level, or at least, pass it on the first try.

I get that 5-4 is supposed to be a lot harder but it is really frustrating, so I think some things that can make this level more manageable and enjoyable are:

Instead of looping in an infinity-shape, the tables could loop around in a circle, it will be much easier to keep track of
Rather than have the tables always be circling around, they could be attached to the platforms first, before breaking away every fixed interval, like 30 seconds.
It will be a lot easier to cook food that way and players will be guaranteed to at least get rice and meat cooked if they are on the ball, making it that much easier to pass the level.
Hardcore players might keep retrying to get 3 stars, while players who just want to complete the level won't have to spend a long time retrying the level just to pass it.

A level done right

If there’s one level that really struck me as a good design, it has to be stage 5-2.

I think it is extremely well done and is balanced very well. It features hazards that could kill the players, while giving players the opportunity to avoid death and ace the level if they observe the map well.

Level requirements

The total points required to get 1 star, 2 stars and 3 stars respectively.

1P: 50-80-100

2P: 60-90-110

3P: 60-90-120

4P: 60-100-160

Why does it work?

This level requires 60 points to pass for 2-players, and 60 points for 4-players. This means that a minimum of 3 dishes must be served for both groups of players.
Even if players die too many times, for example, 10 times, players can still serve up at least 4 dishes and combined with tips, it’s more than enough for a 3-star.
Having the sections positioned in a clockwise manner (from ingredient to chop to cook) makes it more intuitive and easier for the players to navigate around the map.
About every 30 seconds, the paths will melt away in a counter-clockwise order, starting with the top middle path, continuing onto the left path, then the bottom middle path and finally going back to the right path.
There will always be a gap and 3 filled up paths.
As you can see from the diagram above, the routes are fairly straightforward and intuitive.
However the routes are narrow and fireballs shot through the middle will kill players for 5 seconds, but once players understand the pattern, there will be less dying and more serving.

It is a very well-made level, balancing danger and playabiity. It can cause frustration, but it’s possible to ace this level once players get the hang of it, and it’s just overall easier to pick up the patterns and manageable, making it a more enjoyable experience.

Prototype level 1

Now I will be sharing two levels I made that could possibly be incorporated into Overcooked.

Here's how the first level looks like in a 2D map:

Level requirements

The total points required to get 1 star, 2 stars and 3 stars respectively.

1P: 60-100-170

2P: 60-120-180

3P: 100-160-220

4P: 120-180-240

Design Rationale

In line with how Overcooked likes to segment players off from one another, I’ve designed a level on a small ship, which would fit into stage 3, the arctic area.

The diagram on the left shows the original formation of tables, and both players are able to move anywhere on the map
The diagram on the right shows when the tables move and players are sectioned off and can only move in their respective areas
Both players are in charge of cooking and chopping, but will have to rely on each other for certain ingredients
The table formation changes and shifts every 40 seconds, each formation appears 3 times
- In the original layout, one of the ovens and the pans is unusable, which is unlocked when the formation changes.
While the players are enclosed in tight spaces, they do have to complete two different types of dishes (pizza and burgers), so the requirements for this level are not too high as players do have to adapt to the changes in environment
- Following stage 3-4, as I think this stage would be around that difficulty level

Assuming it takes about 25 seconds for a burger to made and 15 seconds for pizza
- About 9 burgers can be made, one after the other, with no other dish being made in the background
- Assuming there are no tips, it will net players 180 points

Since not all orders will be burgers, players will definitely be able to pass the level and 3-star it with ease if they co-operate well together

Here is the 3D prototype of this level:

Prototype level 2

The next level is actually inspired by the magic academy area in Overcooked 2.

Here's how the second level looks like in a 2D map:

Level requirements

The total points required to get 1 star, 2 stars and 3 stars respectively.

1P: 50-70-100

2P: 60-80-120

3P: 70-140-200

4P: 80-180-240

Design Rationale

As there aren’t any levels with stairs in Overcooked, I thought it’d be fun to design a level that incorporates a flight of steps.

As mentioned before, the steps and separate floors were inspired by the magic academy maps in Overcooked 2. I envision this being a stage of the haunted forest area.

The diagram on the left shows the starting flight of steps, which will be on the left.
The diagram on the right shows the steps on the other side.
Just like before, the diagrams represent the different state of the map at certain time intervals
I initially wanted the steps to move left and right rapidly, like the ice blocks in stage 3-4. However, since the steps are narrow and probably hard to catch, I thought it might make more sense to just have it fall and switch positions.
There aren’t any walls in this level, as the routes are fairly straightforward. I wanted to introduce an element of danger by making the level very easy to fall off.
- Players have to be careful when ascending or descending the steps, as it is only 2 blocks wide.
Players will have to go up and down, since ingredients are placed on different levels, as well as chopping and cooking being on the different levels
Steps will fall and show up on the opposite side every 30 seconds, so each flight of steps will appear 4 times. The steps will shake before they fall, warning players so they can dash out of the way quickly.
In Overcooked, it is not possible to throw ingredients, so players will have to climb up and down the stairs to pass each other food and dishes. This ensures they do not stay on the same level until time runs out.

Assuming the player could fall 10 times (50 seconds), that leaves players with about 3 minutes
Considering that burritos take around 30 seconds to cook and soup take 15 seconds
- At least 6 burgers can be served up, including the time it takes to run around the map
- This means players can get a total of 120 points, without the tips.

Again, it’s not always going to be just burritos, so players can definitely get more than 120 if they multitask and are efficient and do not die too much.
This makes the level easy to pass, slightly harder to 3-star but not impossible.

Here is the 3D prototype of this level:

Conclusion

Designing these 2 levels was challenging, as I had to observe how Overcooked levels are done currently and try to apply the same concepts while also keeping my levels unique.

It also made me realise how some level designs are just not plausible because of how the game is being played, where all players share the same screen.

My initial idea for the second level I made was for it to be vertically stacked atop each other, I thought having a transparent platform on the first floor would make it easier for players to see.

However, after I tried it out in Unity, I realised there was no way it could work and had to scrap the idea.

Hence, I decided to opt for staircases instead, as it still uses the same 2 floors and does achieve what I wanted to some extent.

Overall, it was a good experience and I'd like to try my hand at designing levels for Overcooked 2 in the future.

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References

Image references are linked in the image where applicable

https://steamcommunity.com/app/448510/discussions/0/141136086914159923/

https://www.trueachievements.com/game/Overcooked/walkthrough/3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxNxYDhBRrw&t=10610s