Punch thieving children in this free game about making Indonesian meatballs

Who among us can resist the lure of delicious meatballs, simmered in a spicy broth, complete with chilies, veggies, and noodles? Because that is the allure of Bakso, a delicious traditional meatball served with noodles in Indonesia.

And that is the allure of Bakso Simulator, an addition to the long line of piss-take simulators, and one you can play for free on Steam. Well, that and punching thieves trying to make off with your expensive cooking equipment or pick your pocket or whatever, some of whom happen to be children.

To be clear I do not condone punching children, generally, but I make an exception for digital thief children.

In Bakso Simulator you're in charge of running a Bakso restaurant with your buddy, Bakso Man, setting up plastic chairs on the sidewalk, serving patrons, and stocking the booth. As you get richer and more popular you're able to add seating, room for patrons, and upgrade yourself and your chef buddy.

You've also got to deal with thieves, who'll do their darnedest to make off with not just a free meal, but occasionally the entire cooking cart, or a table, or frankly anything because they seem very strong and can lift basically anything they want. You also have to punch stuff like flies, which are pests, and ghosts, which are pests but in a different way.

There's a story and all that to enjoy, as well, I guess. You can design your house. It's a huge joke but it's a huge, detailed joke, and I'm sure by now you know if that's for you.

You can find Bakso Simulator on Steam, where it's free courtesy of creators Akhir Pekan Studio.

Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.