‘Overcooked broke you apart and Stage Fright is there to put you back together’
A new co-op adventure game called Stage Fright is being developed by the creators of the notoriously relationship-stressing Overcooked series, with a markedly different approach to multiplayer design. While Overcooked has earned a reputation for creating tension between players—infamously referred to as “The Divorce Kitchen” in China—Stage Fright aims to provide a more positive collaborative experience.
The 2-player co-op puzzle adventure is being published by Hello Games, the studio behind No Man’s Sky, with an Early 2027 release scheduled. The game will launch on Steam and Nintendo Switch, making it accessible across PC and Nintendo platforms.
According to developers, Stage Fright is positioned as a direct counterpoint to Overcooked’s high-stress gameplay mechanics. While the original cooking game series remains celebrated as one of the best co-op experiences available, it’s equally infamous for the interpersonal friction and tension it generates during play. Stage Fright appears designed to retain the engaging puzzle-solving and cooperative challenge of its predecessor while removing the relationship-damaging stress factor, offering what developers describe as a more harmonious alternative for co-op gaming.