According to Polygon, Netflix and A24 are teaming up to adapt the chaotic cooking game Overcooked into an unscripted competition series. The project marks A24’s first venture into reality competition programming, while Netflix already has established hits like Nailed It! and The Great British Baking Show in that space. The original Overcooked game launched in 2016 and became an instant hit with its frantic four-player cooperative cooking challenges. A sequel, Overcooked 2, followed in 2018 with additional recipes and gameplay twists. The TV adaptation is currently in early production stages and promises to deliver the same “high-stakes kitchen challenges and signature chaos” that defined the games.
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Can They Actually Pull This Off?
Here’s the thing – adapting video games to screen has always been tricky business. But turning a game about cooking on moving trucks and near lava into reality TV? That’s either genius or completely insane. The games work because they’re controlled chaos – you’re managing ingredients, fires, and bizarre kitchen layouts with friends who are probably yelling at you. But reality TV contestants? They’re not your gaming buddies. They’re competing for prizes, not trying to three-star a level while laughing about burning the soup for the tenth time.
And let’s talk about that A24 factor. This is the studio that gave us Everything Everywhere All At Once and Hereditary – not exactly known for lighthearted cooking competitions. Their move into reality TV feels… unexpected. But maybe that’s exactly what this needs – someone who understands how to create tension and visual spectacle without relying on tired reality TV tropes.
What Made The Games Work
The original Overcooked became a surprise hit because it captured something special. It wasn’t just about cooking – it was about communication, coordination, and controlled panic. You’re trying to make burgers while your kitchen is splitting in half or floating down a river. The environments were absolutely bonkers, from outer space kitchens to pirate ships. And the fires? Things would just randomly catch fire because that’s what happens when you’re trying to cook ratatouille on a moving vehicle.
Basically, the magic was in how the game forced cooperation through absurd circumstances. You couldn’t win by being the best chef – you won by being the best team. Which makes me wonder: will the TV show capture that essential team dynamic, or will it devolve into individual competition drama?
The Reality TV Trap
Look, we’ve seen what happens when great concepts get the reality TV treatment. The focus shifts from genuine skill and cooperation to manufactured drama and personality clashes. The Deadline report mentions “high-stakes kitchen challenges,” but what does that actually mean? Are we talking about cooking in genuinely dangerous environments, or just dramatic music and tense confessionals?
And here’s my biggest concern: the games work because the chaos is systemic and fair. The kitchen layout changes, orders come in waves, fires start – but it’s all part of the game design. Reality TV? Not so known for its fairness or consistency. Will producers engineer chaos rather than letting it emerge naturally from the cooking process?
If they’re smart, they’ll lean into what made the games special. Send contestants to cook in ridiculous locations. Make the kitchens actually move or change mid-service. Let things catch fire for real (safely, of course). But if this becomes just another cooking competition with a video game skin? That would be missing the point entirely.
A24’s Gaming Ambitions
It’s worth noting that Overcooked isn’t A24’s only gaming adaptation in the works. They’re also working on films based on Death Stranding and Elden Ring – two games known for their deep, complex worlds rather than their straightforward narratives. That tells me A24 sees something in gaming beyond just recognizable IP. They’re picking projects with strong visual identities and unique atmospheres.
Overcooked fits that pattern in its own way. The visual style is colorful and cartoonish, but the concept – chaotic cooperative cooking in impossible kitchens – is absolutely distinctive. If anyone can translate that energy to screen in an interesting way, it might be the studio that turned a multiverse adventure into an Oscar winner.
So will it work? Honestly, who knows. But the combination of Netflix’s reality TV experience and A24’s creative ambition makes this one of the more interesting – and risky – video game adaptations we’ve seen. Just please, for the love of all that’s holy, don’t make it another generic cooking competition with minor game references. Commit to the chaos or don’t bother.
