Makan Siang Bergizi

Overview

A two-player cooperative online simulation game where players assume distinct roles (a cafeteria chef and a nutritionist) collaborating in real-time to prepare balanced, nutritious meals for school children with varying dietary needs across Indonesia. Selected as a National Finalist at KMIPN 2025.

Problem

Educational games about health and dietary balance often struggle with player engagement due to passive quiz formats. The design challenge was turning complex nutritional guidelines into a fun, fast-paced asymmetric cooperative experience that demands active verbal communication and teamwork.

Solution

• Asymmetric Cooperative Roles: One player manages the nutritional balance and patient data, while the other executes the physical cooking and meal assembly.
• Dynamic Student Demographics: Procedural customer generation reflecting diverse dietary restrictions, allergies, and caloric requirements across Indonesian schools.
• Point-and-Click Time Management: Intuitive interaction mechanics designed for cooperative synchronization under tight time constraints.

Architecture & Core Systems

• Multiplayer Synchronization Layer: Online room matchmaking and client synchronization for kitchen stations, ingredient states, and order progress.
• Asymmetric Role-Specific UI: Independent UI viewports tailored for each role's distinct workflow.
• Nutritional Scoring Engine: Real-time calculation formula comparing dish composition against target nutrient quotas.

Technical Implementation

• Networked State Management: Deterministic station timers, ingredient transformations, and order submission verification.
• Data-Driven Recipe Architecture: ScriptableObject database containing nutritional values, recipe combos, and student demographic data.
• Feedback & Alerts: Dynamic warning systems for overcooked items and order deadlines.

Challenges

• Synchronizing fast-paced cooking interactions and ingredient transfers reliably across network clients.
• Balancing the nutritionist role to ensure analytical gameplay felt just as urgent and fun as the physical cooking role.

Results

National Finalist at KMIPN 2025. Published and playable on Itch.io.

Lessons Learned

• Asymmetric information distribution naturally drives organic verbal communication and player engagement.
• Decoupling server-authoritative logic from immediate client-side UI feedback is essential for smooth multiplayer responsiveness.