Tostchu - Review
The retro psychological horror game Tostchu, developed by the local video game studio Ravenscape Collective, stands out with its graphics and story. Featuring an authentic portrayal of 1990s Turkey, the development team includes Mert Günhan and Barış Danış, also known as Zade.
- Tostchu was reviewed on the PC platform.
- Tostchu… It’s not just a father’s profession… It’s the desire to feed the people.
The atmospheric horror game Tostchu, infused with psychological tension, takes us to Konya, a remote corner of Anatolia, where we must take care of our late father’s legacy a humble toast shop for two weeks.
In order to keep the family business afloat and everything running smoothly, we hit the road.
Set in the 1990s, the game evokes strong nostalgia with familiar locations that anyone who lived or grew up in that era would recognize. I can say that from the very first minutes, it warms your heart just like the stove in the room.
The Story of Tostchu (No Spoilers)
Our father calls to inform us that our uncle has passed away and that he needs to travel to Sivas with our mother. As a result, we Cihan are asked to take care of the family toast shop for two weeks. At 8 a.m., Osman delivers the supplies to us.
Set in the 1990s, the game places us in Konya, where we witness strange and mysterious events unfolding. While running the shop our father’s legacy we receive help from the local tire repairman. Some of the customers who stop by the shop begin to warn us about the area and talk about people who have gone missing…
Throughout the game, we encounter people who offer us strange advice. The radio and television broadcasts reflect conversations and topics true to the era.
We hear people saying things like, “Brother, listen, I can get you goods for cheaper,” and at the same time, we meet others who genuinely try to warn us out of goodwill.
Tostchu Gameplay
In Tostchu, we manage the toast shop our father entrusted to us. By taking customer orders during the day and placing new product orders for the next day, we keep the shop running.
We earn money by preparing orders according to customer requests, using clues and information found around the environment to assist us in our work.
Let's make sure we know the toast order standards...
We hear period-appropriate shows and news broadcasts on the television throughout the game. However, due to the limited content, it can start to feel repetitive after a certain number of in-game days. On the radio, we listen to people’s strange stories and popular topics of the time.
I can say that I truly enjoyed the sense of tension the game creates. In fact, after one particularly funny conversation was followed by a brief but unsettling moment, I found myself taking the game even more seriously.
The game offers multiple endings, shaped by the choices and interactions we make.
With its retro graphics, Tostchu delivers a unique and refreshing experience. I think the visual style is beautifully integrated into the game it never feels out of place. These visuals give the game a distinct atmosphere and charm.
Long live indie studios!
Mechanics
I can’t say Tostchu guides you much in fact, I have to admit I restarted the game more than once because I couldn’t even complete my first order. However, I have to give credit where it’s due: they did succeed in fitting all gameplay controls into just three mouse buttons.
While moving with WASD, interactions are handled with the mouse’s left, right, and middle buttons. Using the middle button splits the bread in two, the left button is for cutting, and the right button for placing items. The middle button’s function changes depending on the item you’re interacting with.
We also need to take the bread, cheese, margarine, sausage, and drinks delivered through the back door and store them in the fridge otherwise, they can spoil. Especially sliced or opened packages spoil faster.
In this regard, the game works like a true simulator. It really captures the feeling of running an authentic toast shop.
Evaluation
I can say that I really enjoyed the tension the game created, the conversations typical of that era, and the nostalgic atmosphere—I’ve even made myself toast at home because of it. I think the graphics suit the game very well; they don’t feel out of place or bad at all. I appreciated the sense of suspense the game gave me, and since there are no jumpscares, I enjoyed it even more. The way the fear is woven into the environment and the events happening around you makes it even better. Without giving spoilers, there was a moment when I reacted like, “Hey, there was something here just now, but now it’s gone?”
On the other hand, what I didn’t like were the irregular pacing and some bugs that break immersion. The content variety is quite limited—the television, radio, and customer dialogues feel repetitive and scarce. There could have been more variety in the menu as well.
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