Dead Plate Gameplay Videos

What Is Dead Plate?

The Cozy Horror Aesthetic

Dead Plate is a deceptively charming restaurant tycoon simulator set in 1960s France that masks a grotesque psychological horror. Developed by Studio Investigrave (comprising artist/writer racheldrawsthis and programmer Rix), the game uses the RPG Maker MV engine to create a bespoke visual language that subverts the "cozy gaming" genre.

Genre Fusion

Dead Plate masterfully merges two seemingly incompatible genres:

• Restaurant Tycoon Simulator: Seat customers, take orders, serve food, manage patience meters
• Psychological Horror: Cannibalism, obsession, and the commodification of human connection

The visual palette employs warm, sepia-toned hues evocative of 1960s cinema and bistro culture, creating cognitive dissonance as players discover the horrific truth behind La Gueule de Saturne ("The Mouth of Saturn").

Critical Acclaim

• Rating: 4.8/5 stars from nearly 2,500 ratings on itch.io
• Visuals: Over 70 original Computer Graphics (CGs) and 8 distinct maps
• Localization: Official fan translations in Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, and Simplified Chinese

What Makes It Unique

The game operates on a principle of contrast. The rhythmically satisfying restaurant gameplay loop lulls players into a state of flow, then strategically disrupts it with grotesque sound design, flickering hallucinations, and increasingly erratic antagonist behavior. Players desire to succeed at the restaurant minigame while simultaneously being horrified by what they're serving.

Story & Characters

Rody Lamoree: The Desperate Protagonist

Rody is the player character, a lively but deeply flawed waiter driven by pure desperation: he needs money within a week to win back his ex-girlfriend, Manon.

Psychological Profile

• Lacks self-identity: Manon broke up with him because he had no dreams or goals of his own
• Codependent: Existed solely to please Manon, now transfers that dependency to his job
• Morally ambiguous: Can be abrasive, rude, and oblivious to obvious signs of murder
• Desperate: Will endure Vincent's cruelty and ignore red flags for a paycheck

Vincent Charbonneau: The Aesthete of Decay

Vincent ("Vince") is the chef and owner of La Gueule de Saturne. He is the antagonist following a tragic archetype.

The Pathology of Taste

• Ageusia: Complete loss of sense of taste, likely since childhood
• Twisted philosophy: Believes "cooking with love" is not metaphorical but biological
• Scientific obsession: Murders Manon to test if consuming someone "loved" can restore his taste

Predatory Relationship with Rody

• Voyeurism: Drills a hole in his office wall to watch Rody work
• Obsession: Doesn't want Rody to leave; wants to consume Rody's essence
• Homoerotic subtext: Surveillance is both quality control and expression of obsession

Manon: The Absent Referent

Manon never appears alive in gameplay, yet dictates every action. She is the "Absent Referent"—object of desire for Rody and object of consumption for Vincent.

Her Tragedy

• Sought to free Rody from his dependency
• Became the literal fuel for his employment
• Her murder is the inciting incident that occurred before the game begins
• Processed into the restaurant's "special" dish served to customers

The Bistro: La Gueule de Saturne

The restaurant's name ("The Mouth of Saturn") references the Greek myth of Cronus devouring his children—a perfect metaphor for Vincent's cannibalistic restaurant where love and flesh are consumed literally and metaphorically.

Restaurant Mechanics & Service Guide

Dual Phase Gameplay

Dead Plate is divided into two distinct phases that must both be mastered for the true ending:

1. Day Shift (Tycoon): Restaurant service simulation
2. Night Shift (Investigation): Uncover the dark truth

Control Scheme & Hitboxes

The "Z" Axis Issue

• Interaction mapped to [Z] key (or Space)
• Requires precise directional positioning
• Example: To clean a table, stand at bottom-right corner and press [Up] + [Z]

Sprint Mechanics

• Shift key allows Rody to sprint
• Essential for Days 5-6 when customer volume makes meeting quota impossible without constant sprinting
• Risk: Sprinting increases likelihood of overshooting hitboxes

Bug Workarounds

• Body double glitch: Two Rodys may appear during ending (harmless)
• Unresponsive objects: Re-align Rody's sprite to cardinal directions

Restaurant Service Economics

Revenue Streams

• Base dish: +50 Credits
• Tip: +25 Credits (awarded for high patience/speed)
• Cleaning/Trash: Mandatory for table turnover, no direct cash

The Patience Meter

• Each table has a timer
• If timer expires, customer leaves (penalty)
• Can delay taking orders to "freeze" table state if kitchen overwhelmed

Optimal Seating Strategy

4-Top Tables (Priority)

• Highest value: 200+ credits per cycle
• Slower patience decay: More forgiving timing
• Strategy: Seat 4-top, take order, use their eating time buffer to serve 1-top tables

1-Top Tables

• Quick turnover
• Use as fillers during 4-top eating phase
• Ignore if overwhelmed on Days 5-6

Essential Upgrades

Roller Skates (300 Credits)

• Most vital item in the game
• Significantly increases movement speed
• Required for passing Day 6

Matches (~500 Credits)

• No utility in restaurant minigame
• REQUIRED to unlock True Ending (Ending 3)
• Must be purchased before Day 7

Optional Upgrades

• Watch: Increases shift time
• Cologne: Increases customer patience
• These act as crutches for players struggling with reflexes

All 4 Endings - Complete Guide

Ending 1: Table for One (Ignorance)

How to Achieve

• Play through the week without investigating
• Don't examine trash (Day 3)
• Don't loiter in kitchen (Day 4)
• Don't answer phone (Day 6)
• Complete 7 days normally

What Happens

Rody finishes his week, gets his paycheck, and Vincent lets him go. Rody leaves still wondering why Manon won't call him back.

Analysis

Arguably the most tragic ending. Manon is dead and consumed, and Rody lives the rest of his life in ignorance, waiting for a woman who no longer exists. The horror of the mundane—life goes on despite the atrocity.

Ending 2: Best Served Cold (Despair)

How to Achieve

• Complete investigation flags (trash, kitchen, phone)
• Get the Freezer Key
• Enter the Freezer
• Do NOT have Matches

What Happens

Rody finds Manon's corpse hanging in the freezer. Vincent locks the door. Rody pounds until his hands bleed, but the cold takes him. He freezes to death alongside his lover.

Analysis

A literal death ending. Rody is reunited with Manon, but in death. Vincent continues his business, likely disposing of Rody the same way he did Manon.

Ending 3: Best Served Hot (True Ending)

How to Achieve

• Complete investigation flags (trash, kitchen, phone)
• Get the Freezer Key
• Enter the Freezer
• Have Matches in inventory

What Happens

Locked inside, Rody uses the matches to ignite oil/fat/alcohol in the freezer. The fire spreads rapidly, blowing the freezer door open or destroying structural integrity.

The Confrontation

Rody escapes the inferno. Vincent, realizing his sanctuary/abattoir is destroyed, confronts him. In the chaos, Vincent is defeated—either consumed by the fire he couldn't taste or left ruined.

Analysis

Fire symbolizes cleansing and passion. Rody finally takes action (burning it all down) rather than passively serving. It's a pyrrhic victory—Manon is gone, the money is gone—but the cycle of predation is broken.

Ending 4: Abattoir (Consumption)

How to Achieve

• Variation of the freezer path
• Fail to escape or make specific dialogue choices that lead to surrender

What Happens

Vincent catches Rody. The screen fades to black with visceral sound effects.

Analysis

The title "Abattoir" (Slaughterhouse) implies Rody is processed. Vincent achieves his goal: consuming the "lover" to understand the taste of love. The ultimate horrific consummation of their relationship.

Critical Flags for True Ending

Day 3: The Trash

• Mandatory: Examine trash bags outside
• Text describes them as heavy, wet, smelling of iron (blood)
• Failing this closes the True Ending path

Day 4: Kitchen Loiter & Dialogue

• Stay in kitchen past 1-minute mark for cutscene
• In post-shift conversation, ask:
  1. "Can you give me a raise?"
  2. "Do you like your job?"

Day 5: The Freezer Key

• Ask Vincent: "What is your favorite food?"
• Sneak into restaurant at night
• Find Freezer Key in Vincent's Office (desk or drawers)

Day 6: The Phone Call

• If all flags triggered, phone rings at night
• Answer the phone
• Respond "Yes" to acknowledge the danger

Day 7: Preparation

• Buy Matches before starting shift
• Shift will be cut short
• Vincent invites Rody to a "celebration"

Tips & Strategy for Success

Priority Strategy: Save for Key Items First

Day 1-2: Accumulate Wealth

• Goal: 800 credits minimum (Roller Skates 300 + Matches 500)
• Don't spend on cheap items early
• Learn the kitchen layout efficiently
• Master the path from order window to Table 1 (shortest route)

Day 3+: Purchase Roller Skates

• Buy immediately at 300 credits
• This is non-negotiable for Day 6 survival
• Increases movement speed significantly

Day 5-6: Purchase Matches

• Must have before Day 7
• Required for True Ending
• No other gameplay utility

Service Optimization Techniques

The 4-Top Priority System

1. Seat a 4-top table first
2. Take their order immediately
3. While they eat, serve 1-top tables
4. Return to 4-top when their patience drops
5. Collect payment + tip (200+ credits)

The Buffer Technique

• Don't take orders immediately if kitchen is overwhelmed
• Standing near a table without pressing [Z] "freezes" their patience meter
• Use this to control workflow when multiple tables are seated

Sprint Management

• Hold Shift constantly on Days 5-6
• Practice sprint control on Days 1-4
• Learn to stop sprinting before hitbox interactions

Investigation Path Guide

Day 3: Trash Investigation (Critical)

✅ MANDATORY: Examine trash bags outside after shift ✅ Text mentions heavy, wet, iron smell ❌ Skipping this locks you out of True Ending

Day 4: Trigger Events

✅ Loiter in kitchen past 1-minute mark ✅ Ask Vincent: "Can you give me a raise?" and "Do you like your job?"

Day 5: Night Break-In

✅ Ask Vincent: "What is your favorite food?" ✅ Sneak into restaurant at night ✅ Find Freezer Key in Vincent's Office (desk/drawers) ✅ Optional: Steal money from cash register

Day 6: The Phone Call

✅ Answer phone at night (if all flags triggered) ✅ Respond "Yes" to acknowledge danger

Day 7: The Climax

✅ Have Matches in inventory before starting shift ✅ Shift ends early with Vincent's "celebration"

Control Mastery Tips

Interaction Hitboxes

• Face the object directly before pressing [Z]
• For tables, stand at bottom-right corner and press [Up] + [Z]
• If object doesn't respond, adjust position to cardinal directions

Sprint Control

• Practice stopping sprint before interactions
• Overshooting = wasted time = lost customers

Kitchen Efficiency

• Memorize order window location
• Always plan your route before moving
• Use straight lines when possible

Money Management

Essential Budget

• Roller Skates: 300 credits (Priority #1)
• Matches: 500 credits (Priority #2)
• Total: 800 credits minimum

Optional Purchases

• Watch: Increases shift time (crutch for struggling players)
• Cologne: Increases patience (helpful but not essential)

Theft Mechanic

• During night sequences, interact with cash register to steal funds
• Adds to Rody's moral ambiguity
• Optional, not required for any ending