Game update: 27/02/17

Let the carnival begin! Restaurant Story is still very much alive and kicking, and is set to celebrate the big old party that is Mardi Gras with not only an update but also a new set of goals.

Introduction to Mardi Gras goals

A Monday update is by my reckoning a first for the game. Never before has new content been dropped at the beginning of the week, and we can only speculate as to why it has happened here. One possibility is that Monday is about to become the new update day.

However I'm more inclined to postulate that this was last week's update and since Mardi Gras is tomorrow it cannot wait until Wednesday. Again we can only guess but it's certainly plausible that the lay-offs at Storm8 resulted in last week's schedule being thrown out the window, and hence the update was not possible to deliver.

Whatever the case, I'm delighted to be able to bring you the traditional list of additions:

Tables:

• Carnival Table - 7,000 coins

Chairs:

• Carnival Chair - 11,000 coins

Wall decorations:

• Carnival Mask - 20,000 coins

Floor decorations:

• Bourbon Street Lamp - 17,000 coins
• King of Mardi Gras - 28,000 coins
• Mardi Gras Float - 28 gems (LTO)
• Mardi Gras Feathers - locked by goal
• Queen of Mardi Gras - locked by goal

Wallpapers:

• Mardi Gras Wall - 7,000 coins

Floor tiles:

• Mardi Gras Floor - 5,000 coins

Appliances:

• Mardi Gras Oven - locked by goal

Counters:

• Carnival Counter - 13,000 coins

So there are 11 new items in this update, with the Queen of Mardi Gras and Mardi Gras Feathers being the goal decor. With the King of Mardi Gras readily available to buy, it's a really smart move by the gamemakers to have the king and queen pair - players have an extra incentive to complete the quest and in doing so have the opportunity to place two complementing decorations together.

It should be said that perhaps unsurprisingly there is no teaser on the Storm8 Blog for this update. There was a time when this would have me murmuring my discontent, but given that we were fearing the worst for the game's future I will quite happily deal with no preview. Hopefully a return to normality will come soon, but in truth the teasers are small potatoes in comparison to the updates themselves.

Back to the content, and I love the Carnival Table. The purple, orange and green fabric around the sides is beautifully designed, with the ripple effect really helping convey the texture. The white tabletop is a little bland, but it does mean that the table is well versed for a fancy surrounding.

The Carnival Chair and Carnival Counter have a less bright outlook without any whiteness. I think they suffer for that as they lack any vibrancy, especially since there's a dark wooden presence. This is particularly notable with the counter.

The Mardi Gras Floor most certainly does not lack vibrancy, with oranges and yellows joining the purple and green for some in-your-face concentric circles. This is not a subtle floor tile, and that generally does not bode well when I'm passing judgement. However Mardi Gras is a loud and proud event, and I think this flooring is a good fit.

Strangely the Mardi Gras Wall goes in completely the opposite direction, with the diamond pattern being rigid and full of straight lines. It's a little dull for my money - I'd have much preferred something zany and in the same mould as the floor tile. At least you can enhance the wallpaper by placing a Carnival Mask on it. This wall decoration is almost sparkling and certainly captures the glitz of a parade.

That does it for the analysis for now, although there will be more once I complete the goals - expect the goals content report to be released this weekend. In the meantime you can check out my dedicated post for all the details of the goals.

Before I sign off, there is a limited time offer up for grabs.

Notification for Mardi Gras Float limited time offer

For seven days only the Mardi Gras Float is available to purchase for 28 gems. When originally released in 2013 and returning in 2015 the alligator was 36 gems, so we're seeing a discount of around 22%. That's pretty nice, although spending a substantial fee on an item which after tomorrow is going to be out of date is just not going to happen with me. However if you want to produce a full-on Mardi Gras theme this float is a must.

On the same note, it is a little frustrating that this update has arrived the day before Mardi Gras. That makes it of limited use, at least for this year. However the circumstances over the last week or two do make the dodgy timing somewhat understandable.

That's it. Restaurant Story lives. It's been a tumultuous and confusing week for the game, but we seem to have emerged from it intact. Time will tell whether the gamemakers opt to make this the only update this week or whether something else is coming on Wednesday, but whatever the case we have goals to work on and new decor to consider. Normal service has been resumed!