Cuisineer

Cuisineer is a charming new indie game that blends cooking simulation with dungeon crawling adventure. You play as Pom, a young chef who returns home to find her family restaurant deep in debt. To save the restaurant, you'll have to don your apron and grab your whisk as you explore a fantastical world, gathering ingredients and crafting delicious dishes along the way.

Cuisineer succeeds in marrying its two core mechanics into a rewarding gameplay flow. After venturing into bright and varied environments like the Green Ruins or Frozen Fjord to gather ingredients, you return to your restaurant to cook up meals. Getting the right dishes to the right customers is key, and you're able customize your kitchen and dining area. This loop creates a moreish cadence of exploration, resource gathering, and restaurant management.

A World Full of Whimsy and Surprises

While the story setup is fairly straightforward, the world itself overflows with personality. From the punnily named biomes to the food-themed monsters, there's plenty of charm and humor. Enemies like artillery shrimps and fire-breathing peppers add a dose of delight to the combat. The writing shines with wit, from quippy NPCs to amusing item descriptions. Around every corner there's something new and unexpected, rewarding your curiosity.

With over 100 recipes to discover, the cooking itself is engaging and intricate without being too complex. You can make anything from lemon chicken to berry sweets, with diverse ingredients gathered on your adventures. Getting the right balance of flavors and components requires some strategy. The visual feast of vivid colors and appealing animations when cooking up a new dish makes the creation process viscerally enjoyable.

More Than Just a Mashup

While many games in recent years have combined crafting or building with adventure mechanics, Cuisineer executes this mashup with polish. The two halves complement each other nicely. Gathering resources feeds into expanding the scope of dishes you can cook, which in turn makes you more capable of taking on greater challenges that yield even more new ingredients. It's a loop that feels meaningful, not just tacked on.

Compared to Cooking Mama or other cooking simulator games, Cuisineer adds a sense of progression and purpose by integrating restaurant management and combat into the mix. And the lighthearted, upbeat tone sets it apart from more survival-focused crafting adventures like Minecraft or Valheim. It strikes a precise flavor balance to create something unique.

Review: 8/10

As a modest indie production, there are some rough edges in presentation and UI design. But the core concept shines through any technical shortcomings. With captivating writing, fun exploration, and diverse cooking options, Cuisineer whips up an enticing recipe for fans of cozy games with a sense of humor and discovery. For a delightful serving of cooking crossed with adventures, Cuisineer hits the spot.

Pros:

• Addictive loop combining exploration, combat, and cooking
• Charming world full of quirky personality
• Making new dishes with gathered ingredients feels rewarding
• Writing has wit and humor

Cons:

• Presentation and UI feel a bit rough
• Combat lacks complexity
• Restaurant management aspect could be deeper