For most working individuals, sweet retirement is what makes all those years of working and toiling away at a job worth it. Unluckily for Pom, her parents decided to get an early start on theirs and now she must run the family restaurant. Developed by BattleBrew Productions and Published by Marvelous Europe and XSEED Games, in Cuisineer, players get to experience both the thrills of a roguelike and a running their very own eatery. Fight through dungeon levels and battle the demands of hungry customers. Who knew that running a restaurant could be just as scary as fighting monsters?
Pom never counted on running her family’s restaurant, at least, not this soon. But it’s up to her to save it from those pesky debts her parents had racked up over the years. With help from her childhood friend, Biscotti, and the full support from the townspeople of Paell, Pom is ready for the challenge. First, ingredients and materials will need to be gathered from nearby areas. It’s a good thing that Pom is also a seasoned adventurer as she’s going to have to fight her way through layers of dungeon levels. As with most roguelikes, each level will grow to be more difficult, and health does not automatically regenerate. There is no XP to be gained as strength and special attacks will be determined by the weapons and skills equipped.
Don’t underestimate the cute animals and veggie-like creatures Pom will need to massacre to get her ingredients. Sure, they are adorable, because everything in this game is, but they are also vicious and will not hesitate to send you straight to bed. Boba milk teas can help recover health in a pinch, but there’s also no shame in quickly teleporting out of a sticky situation. It’s better to leave awake with inventory, than without.
Once enough veggies, grains, and meats are gathered, it’s time to open up the restaurant and start earning some cold, hard gold. Not only will Pom need to be quick on her feet while fighting, but she will also need to be quick with multi-tasking for her customers. Cook delectable dishes, serve them up, and collect the revenue; the better the service, the higher the restaurants reputation will grow. Becoming more popular will also mean more customers, so upgrading the size and adding more tables is key for success.
While there is so much to do in Cuisineer and with many cute characters to meet, there are also some areas in this game that feel incomplete. Some NPCs have great designs and interesting backstories, whereas others are literally copy and pasted character models with a slightly different color palettes. The town is huge, but it’s just for show as half of it is blocked off or not interactive. Though Cuisineer does feel undercooked, it’s still enjoyable and holds much promise. It just needs a longer cook time to get the flavor just right.
PROS: So adorable, addicting roguelike, and easy to jump in to play at any time.
CONS: Certain aspects of the game feel incomplete, unable to zoom in closer,
SCORE: 6/10
Cuisineer is available for PC via Steam.
Related: Reviews by Vivian Chen
Video games have always been a huge influence in my life and have definitely shaped me to who I am today . Some of my best memories growing up were the many adventures and stories I was able to experience and become immersed in. If my hands aren't either covered in clay, typing, editing, creating, or helping shoving food in my mouth, they would either be gripped to a controller, tapping away at the screen of my phone, or clicking away on my PC. I am always up for trying something new because why live just one life when you can live many.
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