We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I personally go to sleep at night dreaming of the sweet smell of freshly roasted coffee and gently toasted carbohydrates. Happiness truly is in the simple pleasures. That’s the best kept secret of the morning people (especially on Mondays) – have something to look forward to (like indulging in A.M. foods)! Toast Time: Smash Up! Takes the original “cult smash hit Toast Time”, and says focaccia what you thought you knew! But is it truly the best thing since sliced bread?

Developer: Force of Habit

Publisher: Force of Habit

Hours Played: 3 hours // Review Copy Provided // Price: $9.99 USD

If you have been thinking to yourself, “Why can’t mornings be more interesting?” Wonder no more, Sir Francis Bacon, for I have the solution. Toast Time: Smash Up! will make your case of the Mondays a Naan-issue with a breakfast-themed blitz! In fact, this seemingly innocent game was able to get quite the rise out of me. But before I explain why, allow me to shed light on some half-baked background information of this artisanally-crafted indie title.

Save Monday Mornings!

In terms of story, I must say the developers sure cooked up quite the spread! You play as a well-accessorized toaster named Terry. T.E.R.R.Y. actually stands for “Toast-Ejecting Recoil and Reload System”, and sure lives up to the name. You, as the player, are invited to be the hero of Monday morning. Interdimensional monstrosities have scrambled together to invade your savory safe-space and are out for YOUR FREE TIME! It is up to you to show these clock-stealing kleptomaniacs that breakfast isn’t the only thing being served this morning.

In Toast Time: Smash Up! there aren’t enough spots set at the table for unwanted guests. It is up to you to utilize weaponized wheat and other breakfast-themed bullets to wreak morning meal mayhem! Launch around the screen, strategically use your environment, and dish out platefuls of PAIN . . . and I ain’t talking au chocolat. Survive the invasion for a set amount of time shown on the clock and live to see another sizzlin’ sunrise scramble. The only thing hotter than these meals will be Terry’s smoking coils in the wake of the aftermath. As they say, if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen!

Bigger Than a Breadbox?

Bread and breakfast puns aside, this game packs a lot of content into a tiny package! Toast Time: Smash Up! manages to bring 54 uniquely challenging single player missions, each with their own sweet soundtrack. Entertaining guests? There is a multiplayer mode that is sure to bring insanity if you decide to RSVP with some friends too! Whichever way you choose to play, be confident there will be plenty of options. Sprinkle your own flavor in each battle to match your palette’s preference. Not only are there combat options, but also a plethora of toaster trimmings and trappings as well!

Dressing up a toaster may in fact be a fire hazard (we here at Nindie Nexus do not condone this) IRL, but not in Toast Time! Enjoy being able to freely sport headbands and top hats, wield bow staffs and magic wands, or just randomize (including the sprites’ colors) and let it ride; I won’t tell you how to live your life. Though these don’t have any effects other than pure, toasty aesthetics, it is nice to be able to tell apart your Terry from all the other madness going on at any time. I keep speaking of craziness, but what makes this indie game so hectic? I always assumed toast to be pretty safe.

Think again! When you are launching crumpets and croutons faster than you can say “gluten-free”, things can get . . . messy. First of all, there are a ton of enemies coming for your precious clock at any given time. Because Toast Time: Smash Up! incorporates manual aiming and (usually) unlimited ammo, there is no limit to how many pieces of white bread you can scatter around the screen. Pair this with boxes of special power-ups and piping hot cups of coffee and you have yourself a party. Bag those baddies with bagels by button-mashing and bring home victory. Just don’t expect to beat the game this way.

Golden-Brown

Ah, now here is where things can get a little . . . heated. Each level requires a slight adjustment in play style, and gets more difficult the further you progress. Right around level 25 or so is when I noticed a spike in difficulty. Enemies fly in from all directions, and will utilize new strategies – such as teleportation abilities. They will vary in size, move at different speeds, and interact with the environment. Not to mention the noticeable increase in numbers.

Your movements must become much more precise well-timed, wherein lies one issue. Your standard bread attacks are ejected at specific angles only. Though it is typically enough to reach pretty much anywhere on screen, there are certain instances where I found myself just not being able to hit certain enemies from a specific range. Whether I shot directly at them, or led them with my bread blasts, it wouldn’t matter. It seems that from certain distances you lose out on small areas of the screen you won’t be able to successfully hit. This can be pretty frustrating, especially if it causes you to lose a combo, or the level completely.

At the beginning of each level (or retry), Toast Time will offer on-screen tips. One of these seems to address this issue by suggesting positioning yourself closer to enemies for greater accuracy. This does work, but when enemies engage from all directions it can place you in near impossible situations. Fortunately, there are unlimited attempts afforded to you and matches do not last long at all. However, even with on-screen words of wisdom, it can be pretty rage-inducing for the perfectionists out there.

Written in the Stars

But why? It’s just a bit of baked beauty, is it not? That may be true, but for each level there is a star rating factor that will show you how well you complete said level. It is based on combos and the number of items you access in the limited amount of time. You need both a high score and enough power-ups collected in order to achieve that sought-after three star rating! For all of you completionists out there, good luck. Defending your Monday morning free time may just end up taking all of it.

To be honest, this was really my one and only gripe with Toast Time: Smash Up! Is it game-breaking? Not in the sense that would make it unplayable, no. But is it game-breaking? Yeah – crumbs may not be the only little pieces you’ll be cleaning up later. But don’t let that deter you from playing, I recommend every breakfast and game enthusiast alike try it for themselves! Plus, with my tips you know which side your bread is buttered!



Toast Party – My House (BYOBread)

Overall, Toast Time: Smash Up! is a welcome addition to the multiplayer, arcade action genre. It’s great for short bursts of play, and doesn’t try to be anything it isn’t. Plus, it’s themed after my favorite meal! The movements are crisp(y), and there is a surprising amount of strategy involved (and challenge levels for the upper crust of arcade game players).

It’s a game that is easy to pick up and difficult to master. The soundtrack is great, and the little customizable features are a nice touch. Though it’s not something I personally see myself playing long-term, I believe this toast-tastic indie title would lend itself well to competitive play. What may spark additional interest would be the implementation of sort version of online play. But as it stands, it’s smooth edges and rough, heated, gameplay will leave a warm feeling in your belly. Just be careful not to get burned!

Thank you for spending some quality time with this review; it means a lot! I hope all of the breakfast puns made you warm and toasty in these cooler, November days. If you enjoyed reading, please join our community discord and subreddit. Or if you prefer, spend some time cuddled up watching our YouTube channel. Lastly, if you want to buy us a scone or some Ko-fi, we have a Patreon. Thanks again – until next time!