Either my stomach is getting weaker as I get older, or the games are getting bloody as hell lately. What could be more twisted than cutting someone up and eating them? Cutting someone up, cooking them, and then, of course, feeding them to someone else! This is especially important when the customer doesn’t know that their favorite pie “might have people in it.” That’s just part of the idea behind Ravenous Devils , a delightfully dark game coming to our PC screens.

We’ll journey through the violent streets of Victorian London in Ravenous Devils , a story that would make Sweeney Todd blush. You will step into the shoes of a couple who take their work very seriously. It’s extremely important to take pride in what you do, and it still applies if you also happen to be a serial killer. The great thing about London is that there are a lot of people in it. It means that people really won’t notice if the occasional unfortunate soul goes missing. By running a tailor who just happens to be a floor above a pub/diner, you have the perfect setup to get rid of a few unfortunate souls, get rid of them, and then make money off their remains.

The plan is simple. Customers come to the tailor for a fitting, they are brutally stabbed with scissors and dumped down a shaft in the kitchen below the diner. While the blood is wiped upstairs, the body is crumbled into patties or turned into sausage meat. These tasty foods are cooked and sent to unwilling, hungry customers, more than willing to pay to satiate themselves. Meanwhile, clothes are stored and processed into clothes for sale at tailors. Smart? Well, it’s definitely a cheap and easy way to gather supplies. As long as you don’t get caught, you can make a lot of money. You can only hope no one knows who you are. You’re a little on the run after another business opportunity didn’t go quite as planned.

Gosh, that title is gory! There’s nothing like watching someone get shoved into a meat grinder to wean you off food; for a living. There is nothing in this title for children or people with weak stomachs. If you like a little blood and murder. however, Ravenous Devils has everything you need to have a really good time. Thus, graphically, the setting is absolutely perfect. It’s dark, grim and full of guts. Just the way Victorian London should be; apparently.

The gameplay in Ravenous Devils takes some getting used to. In most dashes, you play in one plane. In some games you may be in a restaurant or diner, and in others you may be behind the counter preparing food for a number of guests appearing in front of you. In both of these scenarios, you’re playing on a level playing field. It’s vertical here. You have a kitchen in the basement of the store with a diner upstairs. Then above that are tailors. That means there are a lot of back and forth operations to be done. The fact that you are juggling two characters also requires some acclimation. If you’re cooking in the kitchen, you can’t focus on what the customers are doing above you, and you can’t even see the tailors. The same goes for the opposite: if you’re killing/making clothes/catering to clients above, you can’t keep an eye on the food.

There is a certain amount of smoke and mirrors in the gameplay. The actual gameplay loop is not that inventive. Like any other game of this genre, you follow a series of steps. The more updates you add, the more steps you add, but it’s still a case of following a pattern. For example, you start with a simple diner. As you update, you start adding tables.

Serving customers at these tables often means making food for them to order, which means you’re not refilling the diners’ table. This instantly complicates the task, add in the work that needs to be done in the tailor’s shop, and suddenly things get more complicated. The more tables you add, the more money you will make, but the more difficult the process will be. Let’s not forget that you need a fresh flow of bodies for cooking, so you need to learn to work in tandem very quickly.

The gameplay cycle is not necessarily something that makes this game stand out. While what you do is different, as is the overall layout of the game, the basics are still pretty similar to what we’ve seen before. What makes Ravenous Devils noteworthy is the story. Without going into too much detail, it’s really dark, creepy, and well-written. As the game progresses, you’ll also have the added headache of having to kill on demand. Someone knows what you’re doing and will let you keep doing what you’re doing as long as you feed them well. However, they have some pretty exotic tastes that you need to fulfill if you want to avoid jail and away from the gallows.

All in all , Devils of Prey is like a charm, looks great, and is really addictive. There isn’t a huge amount of stuff to dislike here. It’s a game you play for five minutes and then wonder where your day went. Plus the fact that there aren’t many games that let you be the bad guy, and the whole “reverse horror” thing is a breath of fresh air, and I can really imagine getting on board. If you don’t like repetitive games, this isn’t for you, as it’s not something you can really get around. Likewise, if you don’t have a strong stomach or are under a certain age (yes, you know who I’m looking at), then you better stay away. If none of the above bothers you or if you’re a big fan of time management simulators and are looking for something new, I highly recommend trying this one. As a final note,Ravenous Devils royally costs £3.99. That’s an absolute steal for the game you’re getting. Ten out of ten for value for money, and even more reasons to find out what you think.