Ondeh Ondeh Kaya's Tasty Tale Preview - A Sweet Rhythmic Treat

Like No Straight Roads, Ondeh Ondeh Kaya's Tasty Tale Is Shaping Up To Be A Charming Musical Treat Published Oct 14, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT George is the Lead News Editor for TheGamer, and has been working in the industry since 2021 after graduating from the University of South Wales with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. He has also previously written for RPG Site, WhatCulture, and PlayStation Lifestyle. George is an expert on platformers, action games, and fighters, but tends to play as many releases as possible. This hands-on experience lets him dive into gaming communities and follow the latest trends. Some of the games George has extensively covered first-hand include Dead Rising, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and Ninja Gaiden 4. No Straight Roads may have been overshadowed by the masterful Hi-Fi Rush, but Metronomik’s debut game still stands as one of my favourite indies of the last generation. Occasionally janky combat aside, NSR’s unending supply of heart and character, clear passion for music, and the at-the-time unique central rhythm mechanic made it something truly special. So, you’d assume I’d be eager for the team’s next game, Ondeh Ondeh: Kaya’s Tasty Tale, which looked to bring that same charm, proud focus on Malaysian culture, and rhythmic focus to an action puzzle game. But I actually had no idea Metronomik was working on anything other than No Straight Roads 2. Even though Kaya’s Tasty Tale only recently made its big debut during September’s Nintendo Direct, the noticeably choppy trailer dulled my excitement and meant I completely missed the obvious Bunk Bed Junction vibes. After going hands-on at a recent Bandai Namco preview event, however, I’m happy to say that Ondeh Ondeh is shaping up to be another charming adventure from Metronomik that’s nowhere near as rough as it first appeared. Ondeh Ondeh Instantly Evokes The Charm Of No Straight Roads As I mentioned above, I didn’t realise that Ondeh Ondeh comes from the No Straight Roads team, so I admittedly wasn’t as excited as I could have been going into my preview. Within seconds of seeing the distinctive character designs and hearing the trademark conversational, I slyly whipped out my phone and got clued in on who was cooking this musical meal. Ondeh Ondeh: Kaya’s Tasty Tale fittingly tells the tale of Kaya, the daughter of Selera’s worldbuilders, two charming giants that look after the land and its inhabitants. Kaya has dreamed of following in her parents’ massive footsteps, and finally gets the chance to prove herself on her birthday. From the get-go, Ondeh Ondeh grabbed me with its wonderfully charming dialogue, particularly with Kaya and her unbelievable amount of enthusiasm that’s immediately comparable to NSR’s Mayday. All of the characters are incredibly likeable and well-written, something that continues to be one of Metronomik’s biggest strengths alongside proudly shining a spotlight on Malaysian culture. The name Ondeh Ondeh comes from a traditional Malaysian sweet, but it’s also what Kaya calls the music and flavours she sees through her synesthesia. Musical Puzzles And Exploration Are Ondeh Ondeh's Main Focus Kaya’s first steps in becoming a worldbuilder have her chasing after a dog, Biri-Biri, to put him in a hotpot, which she was thankfully just as surprised to hear as I was. This is where I got my first taste of Ondeh Ondeh’s gameplay, which has the same rhythmic focus as No Straight Roads, but with more of a puzzle and exploration focus instead of combat and platforming. Just like that game, there’s a constant beat as Kaya explores the world. Puzzles involve timing actions to that beat, whether it’s stepping on a pressure plate for just the right amount of time, stomping to move platforms or items, or arranging bleating sheep in a specific pattern of notes. The game’s first area, Salty Village, slowly warms you up to these mechanics as you collect said musical sheep to go on Biri-Biri’s back before his trip to the hotpot. Things quickly start to get more complicated when Kaya ventures into a forest to find the last lamb, where she’s introduced to the Salty Ondeh. Each Ondeh has a different effect, and the Salty one causes blocks to rise to the beat. At first, this just means moving the sheep into the Ondeh to cause platforms to rise, but puzzles quickly get more involved as you figure out what sheep need to go where to clear a path. The puzzles weren’t particularly tough, but they were well thought-out and satisfying to piece together. While puzzles are the main focus of Ondeh Ondeh, it does still have some combat mechanics, something I learned as I ventured deeper into the forest. Kaya has a basic combo string that hits on the beat, while enemies (such as wolves that dive bomb you) will attack you to their own rhythm. It’s simple stuff compared to the puzzles and not particularly engaging, but it’s a nice pace breaker to all the thinking you have to do. Kaya's Tasty Tale Is Shaping Up Well, As Long As It Doesn't Hold Back On Depth The final moment of my Ondeh Ondeh demo had me going up against a big wolf for a boss battle, which I was excited for considering it was easily the best element of No Straight Roads. While nowhere near as energetic as something like Sayu, the wolf encounter in Ondeh Ondeh was a lot more thoughtful than anything in NSR, as Kaya had to dodge wolves on a specific beat before quickly using a sheep and salty Ondeh to stomp on its head. I sadly didn’t have enough time to finish the fight, but it was enough to show Ondeh Ondeh has struck a good balance with its musical element and effectively using it in all aspects of the game. As much as I love No Straight Roads, the beat gimmick could mostly be sidestepped, and it was the world, characters, and vibes that really made it stand out. Ondeh Ondeh has those same strengths, while also making better, more purposeful use of its core mechanics. My time with Ondeh Ondeh: Kaya’s Tasty Tale felt like an appetising entree for what is hopefully a delicious full course. If the final game has a bit more depth to its Ondeh and allows for more complicated puzzles, then it should end up as a very tasty treat indeed. And hey, even if not, it’s still going to be one of the most charming games of 2027. Ondeh Ondeh Kaya's Tasty Tale Released 2027 ESRB Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, Language, Crude Humor Developer(s) Metronomik Publisher(s) Bandai Namco Entertainment Number of Players Single-player Steam Deck Compatibility Unknown Genre(s) Action, Adventure, Puzzle, Rhythm, Exploration