Imagine you return home from an adventure to your hometown. Upon returning home, you arrive at your family’s restaurant where you learn two things. You learn that you inherited the family restaurant and that it is in deep debt. What will you do at this point? Will you give up and get rid of it, or will you make it thrive and grow into being better than it once was? Let’s save a restaurant in our review of Cuisineer.
Game: Cuisineer
Developer: BattleBrew Productions
Publisher: Marvelous and XSeed
Genres: Roguelite , Management
Release Date: November 9 – Steam, January 28, 2025 – PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch (Reviewed)
*Thank you to XSeed PR for providing a Nintendo Switch Review Key*
Intro/Story:
From the official website:
A super cute and tasty roguelite-flavored dungeon crawler! Explore a lush world and defeat monsters with your trusty spatula and some boba tea, then gather delicious ingredients and bring them home to cook and serve at your restaurant!
Welcome to the world of Cuisineer, a wholesome food-focused game where you play as Pom, a young adventurer turned restaurateur.
One day, you return to your hometown of Paell to manage your parents’ restaurant only to find it closed for business and deep in debt. The only way to pay your debt is to re-open the restaurant and make it thrive. And to do THAT you’ve got to go dungeon-delving!
Pursue adventure in the world outside Paell, wielding your cooking utensils against giant chickens, artillery shrimps, fire-breathing peppers, and other pesky perils, sipping boba tea along the way.
Collect ingredients from the land, then take them home to cook up a frenzy and grow your derelict eatery into a sensational restaurant that will make your parents proud. Just watch out for that lunch rush!
Cuisineer is a roguelike action-adventure game with a charming culinary twist. The game combines elements of dungeon crawling and restaurant management. Players take on the role of Pom, a young chef who inherits her family restaurant but soon discovers that it’s not just cooking that needs her attention—mysterious creatures and dungeons filled with ingredients also await. With its vibrant art style, quirky humor, and surprisingly deep gameplay, Cuisineer has carved out its niche in the gaming world.
The story is simple, yet fun. However, the story is not the key part here. It tends to follow a predictable method while paced fine. The ultimate goal is to save the family restaurant and preserve her family’s legacy. What sells this game is the unique and addictive gameplay. Let’s take a look.
Gameplay:
Cuisineer seamlessly blends two distinct genres—action roguelike and restaurant simulator. Diving into dungeons to battle monsters and gather ingredients is thrilling, especially with the fast-paced, hack-and-slash combat. Meanwhile, the restaurant management side is incredibly satisfying. Planning menus, customizing dishes, and catering to your customers’ whims keep you engaged even when you’re not fighting.
To further break down, the gameplay in Cuisineer can be broken down into three different components: dungeon crawling, restaurant management, and cooking. In dungeon crawling, players explore procedurally generated dungeons filled with monsters and gather fresh ingredients. Combat mechanics involve fast-paced hack-and-slash action with cooking-themed weapons. Each dungeon has unique themes and challenges, like fiery volcanoes or icy caves. Regarding restaurant management, players use the ingredients collected to prepare dishes and run the restaurant. Customize the menu based on available resources and customer preferences. Upgrade and decorate the restaurant to attract more customers and increase profits. Cooking mechanics include recipes that are unlocked as you progress, requiring a mix of strategy and creativity. Different ingredients yield different results, adding depth to the gameplay. For Cuisineer, it is some unique elements that blend rather well.
However, there are some difficulties and bad portions to Cuisineer. While the dungeon-crawling combat is fun, it can occasionally feel overwhelming. Some enemies have mechanics that aren’t immediately intuitive, leading to frustrating deaths. This is compounded by the roguelike structure, where a bad run can set you back significantly. Additionally, though enjoyable, the restaurant management side of the game sometimes feels like it could use a bit more depth. Balancing the two halves of the game can occasionally feel uneven, as the focus shifts more heavily toward dungeon crawling later in the game.
Audio and Visual:
Visually, the hand-drawn art style and adorable character designs are a feast for the eyes of Cuisineer. The colorful environments, from cozy town streets to treacherous dungeons, feel alive and brimming with personality.
Audio-wise, Cuisineer’s humor, delivered through NPC dialogue and amusing customer behavior, adds a delightful charm that never gets old. Some roles are voiced, namely the main character and some of the characters she interacts with. However, what hits well here, is the soundtrack. The dev team shined when it came here to bring the game to life in terms of the soundtrack.
Fun Factor:
Cuisineer is addictive fun. Somehow strangely combining dungeon crawling and being a restaurant simulator comes out to be insanely fun. I do not think I ever imagined this type of game would be something I would find fun or interesting, but it delivers.
Wrap-up/Conclusion:
Cuisineer is a breath of fresh air in a sea of roguelike games, thanks to its creative blend of culinary flair and monster-slaying action. While it has some balancing issues, the sheer charm and addictive gameplay loop make it a must-try for fans of either genre. Whether you’re dishing out five-star meals or fending off dungeon beasts, Cuisineer delivers an experience as delightful as its concept.
– Until next time, Mgs2master2 out!
Score: 8/10 – Cuisineer is a satisfying and savory adventure that’s hard to put down. Perfect for those who love games with heart, humor, and a whole lot of flavor.
*Special thanks to XSeed PR for once again providing a review Key*