Indie Developers Rush to Release Roguelikes Early as Slay the Spire 2 Looms Large

In a gaming landscape where delays are the norm, it’s a pleasant surprise to see a title’s release date move up, and that’s exactly what’s happening with the cooking roguelike, Omelet You Cook. By opting for a February launch, the team at SchuBox Games aims to sidestep the competition, particularly with Slay the Spire 2’s anticipated March release likely to overshadow their game.

“Initially, we thought we were in the clear with Slay the Spire 2 set for late 2025,” shares Dan Schumacher, the mind behind SchuBox Games and co-developer of Omelet You Cook. “But we somehow overlooked the delay and the announcement of its March launch.”

The developers at Mega Crit pushed back Slay the Spire 2 in September 2025, but it wasn’t until a casual chat highlighted the potential clash that Schumacher’s worries kicked in.

“There was no way we could launch alongside such a powerhouse in our genre,” he explains. “Every streamer we’d reach out to would be focused on it. Every roguelike fan would be checking it out. Honestly, I’d be so engrossed in it that I wouldn’t even have time to finish our game!”

Adjusting their release schedule wasn’t just about their own timeline; they also had to coordinate with Steam. Schumacher and co-developer Hjalte Tagmose secured a prime Steam Daily Deal slot that aligned perfectly with their plans. “It gave us ample time to polish and playtest everything for 1.0 without the pressure. It fell between major Steam events and sales, and coincided with a big festival we had applied for,” Schumacher recalls.

With a new release date in mind, February presented its own challenges, including Steam Next Fest and the launch of Mewgenics, but they managed to pin down a specific day. Fortunately, the music and localization for the game, where players whip up omelets for increasingly demanding customers, could meet the new deadline, and the team got to work.

“It’s all about saying ‘No’ to a lot of friends and grinding seven days a week for a month to make this happen,” Schumacher states.

He likens the entire experience to the anticipation surrounding Silksong. The years of buildup meant that the Hollow Knight sequel was a title no one wanted to compete against, and Schumacher points out that Slay the Spire 2 itself reportedly shifted its release to avoid Team Cherry. A similar scenario is unfolding with GTA 6, as major publishers are wary of releasing anything close to it, fearing the impact of another delay.

For indie titles like Omelet You Cook, having any breathing room is crucial, especially as the developers transition from Early Access to a full 1.0 release.

“We’re shedding the Early Access label that often leads to more lenient reviews,” Schumacher adds. “But we’re trading that for the opportunity to reach a broader audience, and we’re incredibly proud of how far the game has come.”

Omelet You Cook is set to launch in its full version on Steam on February 8.