Bake 'n Switch is a four-player party game about bread, the munchies, and an ancient curse

The world of Bake n Switch is an odd one. Generations ago, the First Bakers battled a relentless enemy known as the Scourge by mashing cute little dough creatures together and then shoving them into ovens to bake them into loaves of bread which would be used to summon the eternally munchies-suffering Guardians, who would then fight the Scourge and eat the bread. But there was a dark price to be paid...

Bake 'n Switch is a multiplayer party game reminiscent of the excellent Overcooked but with PvP play as well as co-op. The initial Steam Early Access release will include four Bakers—Ginger, Parsley, Thyme, and Rosemary—who will turn their talents against enemies including Stickies, Spores, and Mouldies. Like their forebears, players must mash the dough creatures (morbidly obese corgis, basically) together and then shove 'em in the oven as quickly as possible.

Unlike those long-ago days, though, they can opt to compete against one another for the title of best baker, and (of course) hose each other by sabotaging other players' ovens. Sounds a bit like The Great British Bake Off, but elbows up.

The Early Access launch is expected to happen in the fall, and developer Streamline Games said that, because it's a multiplayer game, where it goes from there will depend on "honest observations, input, and feedback" from players. The current plan is to keep it in the Early Access oven for three months, with more levels, mechanics, and characters being added throughout.

There will also be a "slight" price increase when the game is fully baked (get it?), although there's currently no price at all, so it's impossible to say how that might work out. There is, however, a Discord server you can dive into, and a website with more at streamline-games.com.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.