Ripple Island: Kyle and Cal’s Restaurant

Ripple Island: Kyle and Cal's Restaurant is a game that needed more time in the oven. While it reinvents the 1988 classic for a modern audience and captures some charm in its writing and character designs, too many fundamental issues hold it back. When the stars align and you find a full online lobby or gather friends for local co-op, Ripple Island reveals glimpses of something genuinely fun and unique. But these moments of brilliance are too few and far between, buried under layers of poor design decisions and a nearly nonexistent player base. It's a noble attempt at reviving a forgotten classic, but Ripple Island arrives at the table undercooked and underseasoned.