Fruitbus: Everything We Know

If you’re one for the culinary arts and all things berry-based, then have we got news for you. Turns out, Krillbite Studio, the team behind the likes of Mosaic and Among the Sleep, is fashioning a new type of indie cookbook from the grassy roots up, and it’ll be heading to consoles and PC at some point in 2024. Or at least, that’s what the so-called Fruitbus has let on, anyway.

Speaking of which, what exactly is Fruitbus, and how will such a charming little indie compare to the studio’s former, and let’s face it, gloomier works? Well, here’s everything we’ve been able to collect on the IP since first catching wind of it earlier this week. Let’s talk turkey. Sorry, tangerines.

What Is Fruitbus?

Fruitbus is an upcoming first-person cooking adventure game in which you take control of your very own food truck and set out to explore the culinary world. As the owner of a fairly shoddy truck, you will venture out to source new ingredients to fund your future projects and expand your fruit and veg-based pantry. Like Food Truck Simulator, perhaps, but with less human customers, and more wide-eyed critters and vibrant environments to scoot around in.

In Krillbite Studio’s own words: “Fruitbus is a cute culinary adventure, set in an open world where taste is everything. Upgrade your trusty truck and visit a whole world of new destinations together.”

“Discover fresh fruits and vegetables on each island of the Gustum archipelago, learn their customs and cook meals that will make someone’s day.”

Story

Fruitbus will transport you to the network of biomes known to the locals as Gustum—a tropical world in which fruit platters and vegetable tagliatelle is the community’s bread and butter. As the proud owner of a refurbished food truck, you will find your way as an up-and-coming culinary wizard, and with the help of two prickly green fingers, gather the ingredients needed to create dishes that’ll knock the people of Gustum for six.

As far as an actual storyline goes, it seems the theme will gravitate towards a run-of-the-mill rags-to-riches sort of scenario. But as for the adventures that you’ll be embarking on between prep time is another story in itself, as they’ll no doubt be littered with their own characters, obstacles, and interactions. Safe to say that the journey won’t merely consist of sitting behind a wok every hour of every day, anyway.

Gameplay

From the looks of it, Fruitbus will divide its time between a few things — cooking, being the obvious one. Other than that, there’ll also be cases of exploring untapped areas to forage for ingredients, as well as interacting with the locals to unravel new backstories and lore. And then, of course, there’s the whole situation with the truck itself, which you will need to upgrade in order to progress deeper into the world of Gustum and unlock new areas to forage. So, quite the tall order, after all.

“Treat Mother Earth well as you adventure into the wilds and gather ingredients,” the description adds. “Find inspiration for your next top-selling dish in ancient glades, secret groves, and forgotten grottos.”

“Grow a following of loyal customers and discover their unique stories by creating dishes that evoke feelings and memories. Use the power of food to help and unlock new possibilities for you and your Fruitbus.”

It’ll be an open world game, too, so expect to find plenty of opportunities to step away from your truck and visit the overgrown wilds that the realm of Gustum has to offer. And when we say opportunities, we’re mostly referring to the fact that you can play basketball with a squirrel, or go fishing with a fox. You know, regular activities like that — as you do.

Development

It came as a bit of surprise, seeing the creator of an indie horror game formulate the idea of bringing a cutesy cooking sim to consoles and PC. That said, it was a surprise well-received, with the vast majority of onlookers praising the concept for its art style and cooking mechanics. If all goes according to plan, then the final product should arrive on consoles and PC at some stage in 2024. But more on that shortly.

Trailer

Has Krillbite Studio’s latest project managed to whet your appetite? As luck would have it, the team posted a trailer earlier this week to highlight some of the key features and gameplay elements. You can check it out for yourself in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Fruitbus will be heading to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC via Steam in 2024. As for when in 2024 it’ll release has yet to be determined, though the likelihood of it arriving before Q2 2024 is somewhat slim at present, given the fact that it has only just been teased. But who knows? Maybe the devs will surprise us with an update a little closer to year’s end? Only time will tell on that one.

As far as launch editions go, Krillbite Studio has only revealed the one, which is the standard copy on consoles and PC. You can go ahead and add that to your wishlist over on Steam here.

Has Fruitbus caught your eye? If so, then be sure to check in with Krillbite Studio for all the latest pre-launch updates over on its social feed here. We’ll be sure to let you know just as soon as there’s a release date set in stone. Until then, it’s over to the devs to cross the t’s and dot the i’s.

So, what’s your take? Will you be setting out on your own culinary expedition when Fruitbus eventually comes to consoles and PC? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.