Overcooked 2

In the cooking simulator game Overcooked 2, teams of up to four players cooperatively prepare and cook orders in absurd restaurants. Players gather, chop, cook ingredients, combine them on plates, serve dishes, and wash dishes. Between coordinating short orders and bumping into each other's characters, the game tends to overwhelm. The game features two modes: versus mode allows two teams of two players to compete in the same kitchen to complete the most orders; arcade mode allows players to select the desired theme with a randomly generated stage.

The sequel builds upon the original game, which was released in 2016, with new interactive levels, restaurant themes, chef costumes, and recipes. Some levels have moving floors and other obstacles that complicate the cooking process, including portals, moving walkways, and impassable fires. Other levels transition between settings and recipes, such as one that begins with preparing salads in a hot air balloon and ends crash-landed in a sushi kitchen. The sequel introduces ingredient tossing, such that players can throw uncooked items to another chef or pot from far away, and online multiplayer, in which teams can connect either across a local wireless network or through online matchmaking.

Overcooked 2 was released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One platforms on August 7, 2018. It was developed by Team17 alongside Ghost Town Games, and published by Team17. It was announced a month prior, at E3 2018. Atop the base game, the developers created cosmetic add-on content, such as a platypus character costume exclusive to the Nintendo Switch release and a pack of other character costumes as pre-order bonus.

The development of Overcooked 2 utilized a "laundry list" of ideas previously cut from the first game due to time and budget constraints. Ghost Town Games described their process as "psychological experimentation," studying player behavior to ensure levels were built around distinct elements like "pinch points" or player separation. To address issues where players were left idle during map transitions, they introduced a throwing mechanic to facilitate faster cooperative play. Additionally, the team partnered with Team17, utilizing 15 additional developers to implement online multiplayer and provide technical polish that the original two-person team could not achieve alone.

Overcooked 2 received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received strong approval, being recommended by 87% of critics. Several reviewers noted that while it did not feel like a significant evolution of the formula established by Overcooked!, it was a strong sequel.

Jordan Devore of Destructoid called Overcooked 2 "one of the best co-op titles around" while praising the dynamic level design and frantic gameplay while taking minor issue with the basic recipes and a lack of snappy feel in the Nintendo Switch port. Johnny Chiodini of Eurogamer recommended the title, writing, "Overcooked 2 may be more of an improved recipe than a completely new menu, but it remains an excellent sequel and a delightful co-op experience", and praised the increased difficulty. In comparing the title with its predecessor, Andrew Reiner of Game Informer praised the title for its online play and for being less frustrating due to more forgiving scoring and level gating. Mitch Vogel of Nintendo Life and Stephen Tailby of Push Square praised the improvements in presentation and performance the game made over its predecessor.