Pizza Express is a fast-paced restaurant simulation where you'll join the laborious Gastone and his wreckless friend Lucky in a tasty adventure which will bring you from zero to hero. Manage every aspect of your pizzeria and turn it into the best eatery in town!
Players can choose from over 50 different ingredients to assemble their pizzas, adjusting the quality and quantity of each topping. This allows players to create truly unique pizza recipes, experimenting with different flavor profiles and ingredient combinations. The ability to name each pizza creation further reinforces the sense of ownership and personalization.
The gameplay shifts to a fast-paced pizza assembly minigame when the restaurant is open. Players must quickly and accurately drag and drop the required ingredients onto the pizza dough to fill customer orders. The frantic pace and need for precision creates an engaging, challenging experience as the orders get more complex over time. Some reviewers noted this section can lead to hand fatigue, suggesting the game may benefit from additional control scheme options beyond just mouse-based controls.
Players can control various aspects like business hours, pricing, advertising, furniture, and more. Reviewers highlighted how this management layer adds substantial depth, with many interlocking systems that players must balance and optimize. The ability to customize the difficulty level was also praised, allowing players to find the right challenge for their preferences.
The game's narrative features branching paths and alternate endings based on the player's choices, adding an element of replayability. Reviewers widely enjoyed the humorous, heartwarming tone of the writing and characters, noting these story elements kept them invested in progressing and succeeding.