Antje Van den Heuvel, Art Director at Rogueside – Interview Series

It’s time to pour yourself a stiff drink, folks. As it turns out, developer Rogueside has quite the concoction up its sleeve—a bloody cocktail that, from the sounds of it, will mix an entire casket of engrossing murder-mystery cases with a tapestry of immersive visual novel tropes.

In an effort to learn more about the team’s upcoming game, I decided to reach out to Antje Van den Heuvel, Art Director at Rogueside.

Well, it’s official: Best Served Cold is bubbling up quite the concoction of stiff liquors and whodunnit flavors. There’s an unsettling mystery in the game’s aroma, and we’re—sorry in advance for this—intoxicated by it. Tell us, what can we expect to unravel in the upcoming visual novel?

Antje: Best Served Cold will see the player, freshly recruited as an assistant detective, tackle a string of different murders within the fictional city of Bukovie. Each case comes with its own unique flavor – from the theatrical to the cold and clinical, and even the political – affecting a host of different characters across social strata.

Without giving away too many spoilers (not that you would, given the fact that this is a mystery game at heart), please could you tell us a bit more about the story? Who’s who, and, more importantly, who are we?

Antje: Bukovie is a city in turmoil, not in the least bit because of the growing whispers of war brewing in the West. Government grain rationing has led to a sternly upheld prohibition… but that’s not going to stop an entrepreneurial young bartender with a penchant for breaking the law, is it?

The player will step into the shoes of a character with a checkered past, using their talents to create a space where people of all social classes can come together and forge unlikely friendships… and, of course, to mix some damn good cocktails.

Naturally, the arrival of ambitious, uptight detective Hugo Mertens somewhat complicates things… but he seems determined to use the player’s skills to his advantage. After all, the residents of Bukovie have a lot on their mind and may find themselves seated at your bar before long, and nobody has more on their mind than a killer.

It’s up to you to serve and protect your patrons – be they a retired private eye, a hardened criminal with a heart of gold, a wealthy heir in a golden cage or a maid dreaming of becoming a martial arts champion.

Presumably, there’ll be a whole lot of dialogue and intriguing conversations to be found in Best Served Cold. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the game’s core gameplay elements. How will we be spending our time as a fledgling speakeasy bartender? We’re guessing there’ll be a lot more to the job than stirring the odd cocktail?

Antje: Oh, definitely! The player is a bartender first and foremost so cocktails are the main reason your patrons are here, ofcourse, but it’s also a great excuse for a 1-on-1 across the bar. Solving cases will involve gathering clues through conversation and then piecing them together on your clue board, red string and all, to spot contradictions and form theories. In doing so, you uncover means, motives and potential alibis for all of your suspects until the true culprit is revealed.

Befriending and gaining the trust of your patrons is key to get them to spill the beans, but some will require a different approach – like riling them up, calming them down or getting them the right amount of buzzed to lower their guard.

Let’s talk tips, tricks, and general pointers. Do you have any words of advice on how to tackle the night and its flavorful events? Is there a key to succeeding in the art of pouring the perfect mixture, or unlocking the patrons’ secrets, for that matter?

Antje: I’m sure it’s not a novel concept for any (aspiring) bartender that finding out your patrons’ favorite drinks will give you an easier time trying to ply and befriend them… So I’ll give you a bonus tip!

Although the player’s relationship with detective Hugo can be a bit tense at times on account of the whole ‘forcibly recruiting you under threat of shutting down your speakeasy’ thing, he is still your strongest ally in solving the game’s various cases. If you ever find yourself stumped, try discussing the clues you have collected with him – he may just give you a lead on how to proceed. Hugo will always be up for a chat… as long as you don’t start asking too many personal questions, at least.

Announcing Best Served Cold

As a bartender in an alt-history Europe, a young detective has forcefully recruited you to help solve a murder.

🥃 Mix drinks to loosen some tongues.
🍸 Build (or betray) friendships.
🍷 Find clues and uncover the culprit.https://t.co/cJCzEMPC1p pic.twitter.com/Z2lB5n1ZZH

— Rogueside 🍸 Best Served Cold – JUST ANNOUNCED! (@RoguesideGames) October 3, 2024

Mind if we ask where Best Served Cold is in terms of its development? Are we closing in on that all-important gold status, or are we still a little ways from seeing the game hit the liquor cabinet, so to speak?

Antje: Best Served Cold still has a bit of ripening left to do before it’s ready to be decanted, but we’re aiming for a release in Spring 2025. Curious would-be bartenders will be able to get an earlier taste of the game in the form of a demo, including the first in-game week of Case 1, which we’re hoping to release earlier that year – in February.

How can we stay up to date with Best Served Cold and all things Rogueside? Are we able to share any important social feeds, streams, or newsletters with our audience?

Antje: Anyone that would like to stay updated on the game’s development and get the occasional peek behind the curtain can follow Rogueside on Twitter or on our website: Rogueside.com! Our website is also where you can sign up for our newsletter. We’re still setting up a dedicated Rogueside discord server as well which will be announced in due time via those channels.

Is there anything you would like to add for our readers before we call time at the bar?

Antje: Only that we’re very excited for players to experience this delightful cocktail of a game we’ve been mixing up. Cheers!

Thank you so much for your time, Antje!

For more information on Rogueside’s Best Served Cold, be sure to check in with the team over on their official X/Twitter channel here. You can also wishlist the game on Steam for additional updates here.