Japanese Ramen Simulator is in Early Access

Launched

Japanese Ramen Simulator is in Early Access on Steam. Wild Dog's launch announcement set one worldwide instant: 9 October 2026 at 08:00 UTC. The English store page checked on 10 October 2026 shows the release date as Oct 9, 2026 and the Early Access release date as the same day. The store FAQ says Early Access is expected to last about six months, and that the timeframe may change.

The same day's announcement, titled Early Access Is Here, names the Day 1 update as v0.1.48.17626. Use that version when you read shop levels and the beer rule on this site. An older plan, 28 September 2026 at 09:00 JST, was postponed and should not be used as the launch time. The marketing page at wilddog.jp still showed a September 2026 plan line on 10 October; the store and the announcements are the current record.

The store fetch also showed Very Positive from 88 reviews, with 90 percent positive. That count was already moving on launch day, so treat it as a snapshot.

Early Access launched worldwide on 9 October 2026 at 08:00 UTC, and Wild Dog's Day 1 update is v0.1.48.17626.

Price

Do not pick a single number from a guide. Wild Dog's Steam announcement "Launch Date & Time Confirmed" says the launch price will be US$12.74, down from US$14.99, and that the discount was increased as an apology for the delay. It also says to check Steam for other currencies.

The public appdetails file saved on 10 October 2026 has price_overview currency USD, initial 1499, final 1274, and discount_percent 15. The formatted fields are $14.99 and $12.74. That is the same US pair as the announcement. Yen figures in the Japanese posts are another currency, not a second US price. The store page for your account is the price you will be charged.

The store FAQ says the price is planned to rise as major content is added, and that Early Access buyers will not be charged extra later for those increases. Games Press confirms a 15 percent launch discount and tells readers to see the store for regional prices.

Wild Dog's launch announcement and the public appdetails response on 10 October 2026 both name a US price of $14.99 discounted to $12.74.

First Shift

The store describes one shop, not a single minigame. You prepare ingredients, cook the noodles, arrange toppings, serve the bowl, and clean up. Gyoza, rice bowls, and beer sit on the same menu. Char Siu Don is ramen ingredients served over rice. A critic may visit. Thieves and fires are named as interruptions, and the page names shuriken and fire extinguishers as tools for them.

You can hire part-time NPC staff and run the shop alone. Online co-op on the store page is up to six players, with spatial voice chat. The Day 1 patch also adds dish-clearing staff. Shop Level unlocks more ingredients. The numbered levels that were actually printed are on the unlocks page, and the beer scoring rule is on the cooking page.

You prepare ingredients, cook, serve customers, and clean up, either with NPC staff or with up to six players.

Steam header art: the Japanese Ramen Simulator title beside a ramen bowl. — Steam header for AppID 4968640, checked 10 October 2026. It shows the title and a bowl, not this site's logo.

Where the rest of the answers are

Facts are for Early Access AppID 4968640. Patch numbers are from Wild Dog's Day 1 announcement, v0.1.48.17626, unless a sentence names the store page checked 10 October 2026.