Best Served Cold released 1 year ago today, so I wanted to draw a little piece to celebrate it! With the sequel now on the way, it's kind of a passing of the torch moment, isn't it?
Thank you so much to all of you players that have enjoyed BSC and recommended it, that have streamed it and shared it with friends, that have drawn or written fan material and character analyses and wiki pages, that sent us sweet messages... It's thanks to you that this series can continue.
We are so very grateful for the overwhelmingly positive response to Last Night, Last Call's announcement yesterday. We're glad to see that people are so excited about the game!
Understandably there were quite a few questions as well, so here are the answers to three of the most frequently asked ones across our socials. If you have further questions, feel free to drop us an Ask!
Serve cocktails and solve crimes in new bartending murder mystery "Last Night, Last Call"
You thought you’d left the life of a Private Investigator behind you when you opened your own bar, but it seems the city of Bukovie isn’t done with you yet. When an old friend’s murder turns your world upside down, you find yourself dragged back into the world of crime and intrigue to ensure her killer is brought to justice.
In this standalone sequel to Best Served Cold (2025), it’ll be up to you to charm and interrogate your customers, piece together clues and uncover the true culprit. Across 5 murder cases, you’ll have to rely on the power of your wits, your cocktail shaker, and your silver tongue to ensure justice is served.
Whether you have played Best Served Cold or not, you will be able to enjoy this brand new story on its own - though returning players will be happy to see several beloved characters make a comeback.
Last Night, Last Call is currently in development, with a demo set to release in May. Follow our socials to catch any future announcements and learn more about the characters and gameplay!
As requested, the BSC keychains are now available for purchase at my new ACGoods shop! I've got keychains of the most requested characters, including a special extra big keychain with Bjorn & Lucas combined.
I've also added some adorable squishy plush badges and a print of Peter and his lucky charm lighter - mostly because I really wanted them for myself hahah.
I didn't make charms of all characters, but if there's a specific one you'd really like to see - feel free to let me know!
So. Since completing Best Served Cold about a month ago, my co-hosts and I decided to do a little event to commemorate it, hence Vtuber Happy Hour was born! We opened up a form and invited Vtubers to submit ingredients and desired themes, and I'd attempt to come up with a drink recipe based on their criteria. We got a lot of submissions, but last Friday we held a review stream for the first of three sets of drinks I made. I'll probably tweak some of these recipes more and make them a bit prettier, but the goal is to eventually compile all of the submissions into a proper recipe book and maybe make it available for print. :3
Annnd done! My last illustration of the year, and what better subject than one that occupied much of my stream time for the better part of like 6 months.
I picked Peter as the companion for Phoenny in this one because whenever I played, I usually liked talking to him last, and I kind of saw him as sort of the unofficial bouncer. Also, it's kind of no secret how much I love the guy. I also love that Peter's color scheme is very warm toned, which complements Phoenny's cooler tones.
Also... If anyone were ever to be nosy about what Phoenny keeps scribbling in her notebook, it's probably him. I actually have a bunch of ideas for doodles of what she scribbles in her notebook when the bar is slow or between conversations with patrons.
I don't usually get involved in fandom stuff, but this game was an exception. So thank you all for such a wonderful experience. :)
(As a bonus, I wrote a little thing to go with the illustration.)
Another evening at the Nightcap.
People come and go, as usual - some new faces, some old ones.
You hear bits of conversation here and there; some of it from eavesdropping, some of it from the people who find their way to the bar to chat. The more interesting things go into the notebook - as it always has.
As the evening winds down, you find yourself with more free time, and your attention returns to the notebook sitting on top of the bar. You start doodling - as you've done many times before.
Sketches of patrons, silly images of scenarios that pop into your head. You're no artist, but it passes the time. Just a bit of harmless fun.
Out of the corner of your eye, you see Peter Wagner make his way over to the bar from his usual spot by the stairs. For a while, he doesn't say a word - simply leans against the counter with his back to you as he sips his drink.
"Somethin' funny?" he asks. "You're always scribbling in that thing with a dumb smile on your face."
He cranes his neck, casually trying to sneak a peek. You not so subtly shift the notebook away from him.
"Just drink preferences for patrons," you reply. "Nothing terribly interesting."
It's not entirely a lie, but it's not entirely the truth either. From the look on Peter's face, he knows it too.
"Oh, really?"
The teasing tone of his voice should have been the first sign. Then his lips twist into a mischievous smile.
Before you can react, he swipes the notebook out from underneath your pen. Instinctively, you lunge after him from across the bar in a panic.
"No, wait!"
Peter leans away and dangles the notebook just out of reach, leaving you doubled over the counter in an undignified heap.
"Now, let's see what you've been hiding in here." He grins at you as he makes a show of flipping through pages.
You flail around trying to steal the notebook back, but Peter simply lifts his arm and presses his elbow into your back, pinning you between it and the surface of the bar - all without spilling so much as a drop from his drink.
"I thought you said there wasn't anything interesting in here, love. You've been holding out on me."
"That stuff is private!"
You try to protest, but you know doing so would just make the embarrassment worse. With each flip of the page, you hear him chuckle. You can only hang your head in response, your cheeks burning with redness - you know he's going to see those doodles.
A long, uncomfortable silence passes between you. Well. Uncomfortable for you; Peter seems to be having a good laugh from it. But eventually you feel Peter tap the notebook on top of your head, and he removes his arm from your back.
"I don't need to see your little book to know what goes on in that head of yours."
He smiles and flashes you a wink as he downs the rest of his drink and sets the empty glass on the bar before making his way towards the stairs.
You say nothing. The confused looks from the other patrons in the Nightcap along with Peter Wagner seeing all the things in your notebook have left you utterly mortified.
You remove the notebook from atop your head and resume your normal position behind the bar, trying to preserve what little dignity you have left. But you hear Peter suddenly call to you from halfway across the room, that devilish grin still on his lips.
"Oh, by the way, love. That one thing between me and the blue-eyed weasel?"
Oh no. He definitely saw it.
"That ain't happening. I like you, but I don't like you that much."
If your face was red before, it certainly is now. Peter stares at you for a few seconds longer, admiring his work before he makes his way up the stairs and leaves the Nightcap.
You can't wait for the shift to be over. And you need to make sure Hugo never sees what Peter saw. Maybe you'll find a way to get back at Wagner later.
I'm sorely tempted to write BSC fanfiction, but I'm unsure of whether or not I want to write anything revolving around my bartender OC, Phoenny. >_>
But another big idea I had was regarding Elena Earnest's career in the Bukovie PD and her later work as a private detective - that's something that's fascinated me. I can't help but imagine her as having a very Sherlock and Watson type of relationship with her assistant.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/?
Fandom: Best Served Cold (Video Game)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Peter Wagner/Bartender | Player Character, Sandra Fischer & Peter Wagner
Characters: Bartender | Player Character (Best Served Cold), Peter Wagner, Sandra Fischer, Hugo Mertens, Ilya Reis-Karenina
Additional Tags: Case 4 Timeline, Spoilers, Expanded Canon, they’re definitely in love but it’s still gonna be slowburn, we all need clown costumes most of all me, it was supposed to be a silly little ficlet and now it has chapters im horrified
Summary:
The bartender needs to fight the unfavourable odds. Peter needs to fight his inner demons. They both need to fight the tendency to overcomplicate everything.
shoutout to the BSC fandom for giving me the most UNHINGED comment to hits ratios, the dedication of tiny fandoms to commenting on every single chapter of a fic is truly giving me so much life (and making me feel a lot less self-conscious about posting so much fic hahaha)