Cuisineer

About

Cuisineer is a single-player Fantasy RPG where you play as Pom, a restaurateur reopening her parents' closed eatery in the town of Paell. Battle foes, gather ingredients, and cook over 100 international recipes to transform the derelict restaurant into a culinary sensation, while managing debt, humor, and emotion in this beautifully designed, though poorly optimized, experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+20

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 846 reviews

gameplay93 positive mentions

grinding155 negative mentions

Adorable art style and character designs that enhance the overall experience.
Engaging gameplay loop that combines dungeon crawling and restaurant management.
Variety of recipes and customization options for the restaurant, making it enjoyable to run.

Combat can feel tedious due to enemies being damage sponges and lacking meaningful upgrades.
Inventory management is cumbersome with limited space and no option to sell excess items.
Lack of depth in NPC interactions and quests, making the world feel less immersive.

gameplay
307 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
63%
7%
The gameplay in "Cuisineer" is characterized by a simple and repetitive loop that involves dungeon crawling for ingredients, followed by managing a restaurant to serve customers. While the charming art style and engaging combat mechanics are praised, many players find the overall experience lacking depth, with both the dungeon exploration and restaurant management feeling overly simplistic and grindy. Despite its potential, the game suffers from a lack of meaningful progression and variety, leading to a gameplay experience that can become tedious over time.
- “Cuisineer has a fun gameplay loop, good art direction, and really adorable characters.”
- “The gameplay loop is simple, but satisfying.”
- “The core gameplay loop works well, reminiscent of games like Moonlighter.”
- “Gameplay is simple and repetitive: you enter dungeons with your trusty spatula and thwack monsters for ingredients, then use those ingredients to stock the kitchen at Potato Palace.”
- “The cafe simulator mechanic is similar to games like Overcooked and Coffee Caravan, but while those games have challenging skills-based gameplay, the gameplay here is trivially easy and lacks depth.”
- “The gameplay loop itself is so repetitive and grindy it sucks the fun out of what should be a great game.”
story
283 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
82%
4%
The story in the game is generally perceived as shallow and lacking depth, with many players noting that the main quest revolves around mundane tasks like paying off a debt rather than engaging narrative arcs. While side quests provide some character backstory and unlock recipes, they often feel repetitive and unfulfilling, leading to a sense of disconnection from the characters. Overall, the dialogue and character interactions are seen as underdeveloped, making the narrative experience less compelling despite the game's charming art style and gameplay mechanics.
- “The storyline is so sweet, and it combines dungeon crawling with restauranteering so nicely that I found it hard to put this game down!”
- “The story is fine, and the dialogue is witty enough to carry the story forward.”
- “The storyline and main character's motivations are straightforward, the NPCs and merchant characters are all diverse and attractive in their own way, and each and every one of them will speak varying bits of dialogue at different points of the game that help immerse the player fully into the world.”
- “The weakest part of the game is its story.”
- “What annoyed me the most is the fact that they gave so many characters a decent backstory and even interactions with other NPCs, but in the end it's all shallow and pointless because the main character only does little things to help them but none of it really matters.”
- “The main story quests also just involve you paying increasing amounts of money to the tax man, making you feel like you're going nowhere.”
graphics
184 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
46%
2%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and cute art style, featuring vibrant colors and delightful character designs that enhance the overall cozy atmosphere. While the visuals initially impress, some players note performance issues and a decline in graphical quality during extended gameplay. Overall, the art style is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal despite some technical shortcomings.
- “The art style is gorgeous, the food looks delicious, and I love the creative freedom with the restaurant!”
- “Cuisineer has adorable artwork and an interesting gameplay loop that's like Hades meets Plate Up.”
- “The graphics are really cute and well done, from the characters and world down to every interface button; the style fits very well together.”
- “The longer you play, the choppier the graphics get.”
- “Extremely cute art style, but the game runs horribly.”
- “The performance tanks as the screen fills up; this could be fixed if graphics settings were implemented into the game.”
grinding
157 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
1%
99%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and repetitive, with many players feeling that it detracts from overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the cozy atmosphere and the blend of dungeon crawling with restaurant management, the high material requirements for upgrades and the lack of mid-dungeon saving options contribute to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game is seen as a grindfest that may appeal to dedicated fans of the genre but can be off-putting for casual players.
- “While I said earlier that Cuisineer isn't grindy, there is one exception to this: weapons and gear upgrades.”
- “It's a grindy game, so it's a bit of a hit or miss for some.”
- “The game definitely is fun, it's just a bit too grindy for a casual audience.”
- “After grinding so much it gets a little boring, especially in the combat.”
music
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
36%
5%
The music in the game is generally praised for its cozy, charming, and relaxing qualities, complementing the cute art style and enhancing the overall atmosphere. While many players enjoy the soundtrack and find it engaging during gameplay, some note its repetitive nature and limited variety, which can detract from the experience over extended play sessions. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, making it a delightful experience for players who appreciate a soothing auditory backdrop.
- “The cozy soundtrack fits the game perfectly, and even during major fights, it made me feel engaged.”
- “The atmosphere created by the music and art style is very chill, and I really like managing the restaurant.”
- “The music is upbeat, fun, and hasn't gotten old for me during my 8-9 hours of game time.”
- “The sounds in the restaurant are disgusting and the music is about 10 seconds repeating.”
- “I'm in summer and the music doesn't really change to make it feel like a new season; the dialogue is the same as it usually is even if it's a different time during the day.”
- “But I instantly forgot the music after playing it for 3+ hours straight, which is a pretty bad sign.”
optimization
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
54%
38%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting frequent stuttering, frame drops, and performance issues, particularly during combat and in dungeons. Users have noted that even high-end systems struggle to maintain smooth gameplay, and a mod is often required to alleviate some of these issues. Overall, the game feels under-polished and in need of substantial optimization improvements to enhance the player experience.
- “To begin with, the game is now super optimized and runs smoothly at a steady framerate.”
- “There are points it gets very grindy and there needs to be some improvements to tutorials, controls, information about builds and what each effect does, and overall game optimization.”
- “If it's possible, I'd love if this game could add graphical or performance settings in the future.”
- “It also is really poorly optimized.”
- “Fun game with awful performance.”
- “This feels like an early access game that needed more polish and optimization.”
character development
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
36%
12%
While the character designs and artwork in the game are widely praised for their cuteness and appeal, many reviewers express disappointment in the lack of depth and development in the characters and their narratives. The repetitive dialogue and absence of a robust story or character progression detract from the overall experience, leaving players wishing for more engaging interactions and character growth.
- “The character designs are really cool, so I wish there was some sort of friendship system or ability to have companions to take with into the dungeons.”
- “Absolutely gorgeous artwork and character design, fun gameplay, all the food looks so good I get hungry just looking at it.”
- “The art was the first thing that caught my eye: adorable enemies, wonderful character designs, and the food art!!”
- “But most of their dialogues repeat and there's not much, if any, character development at all.”
- “I wish there was a neutral option as the game itself is fun (although lacking some story/character development) but things regarding combat weigh down my review.”
- “Wish it had more depth in terms of the story and character development.”
emotional
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its wholesome and charming design, complemented by a cozy soundtrack that enhances engagement during gameplay. Players appreciate the cute and heartwarming themes, although some feel a lack of emotional connection in certain areas, making parts of the experience feel like a chore. Overall, the game is celebrated for its fun and wholesome nature, appealing particularly to fans of cute and dungeon-themed games.
- “A cute and heartwarming action game where you play as Pom.”
- “In theme and dialogue, this game is quite wholesome, charming, and cute.”
- “Everything was so wholesome, cute, and I really like the art style!”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players appreciating its silly storylines, quirky characters, and amusing gameplay elements, such as unexpected bugs that add to the comedic experience. The combination of a cute cat girl, engaging NPC relationships, and visually appealing food enhances the lighthearted tone, making it a fun and entertaining dungeon crawler. Overall, the humor is seen as a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's charm.
- “The writers have a good sense of humor.”
- “I liked the silly, funny storyline.”
- “It's a fun concept that's not necessarily new, but they added a cute cat girl, fun NPC relationships, amazing-looking food, and funny and addictive dungeons.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
The game's stability is mixed, with some users reporting infrequent but significant glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as freezing during critical challenges and getting stuck in the environment. While the restaurant aspect functions smoothly and the game runs well on platforms like the Steam Deck, loading times are slow, and minor graphical issues persist. Overall, while many players experience a stable game, others encounter frustrating bugs that can hinder progress.
- “It ran really well for me and was not buggy at all - definitely feels like so much work was put into this game.”
- “Works on Steam Deck (first load-up is long and some text is small, but runs great).”
- “Not frequent, but run-ending glitches are still present, with the most common one stopping me from being able to continue the dungeon run as no matter how I try to move, I always fall into the water.”
- “It's loading time is quite slow and it can be quite buggy.”
- “I have been trying to beat the final 3 cooking challenges for a few days now, but I have to keep force quitting the game because it freezes in the arenas and won't load enemies or chests, and I'm just stuck there while the timer runs out and my competitor wins.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
17%
17%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a charming and cozy vibe, enhanced by its cute art style and enjoyable soundtrack. While the dungeons offer a varied experience with different enemies, the restaurant management aspect can become tedious due to limited upgrade options. Overall, players find the atmosphere to be delightful and full of potential.
- “The atmosphere created by the music and art style is very chill, and I really like managing the restaurant.”
- “The art style is very cute and has a wonderful soundtrack which adds to the atmosphere of the game.”
- “This game is beautifully charming and has an absolutely comfy atmosphere ❤”
- “The cozy atmosphere of running the restaurant quickly became tedious with limited options for upgrades related to anything other than how many dishes you can queue at once or the rarity of the dishes you can offer, and no options for staff hiring even late game.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
Reviewers note that the game's replayability is limited, primarily revolving around aesthetic improvements to the restaurant rather than offering substantial new content or challenges in the end-game. Enhancements in quality of life and additional engaging elements could significantly boost its replay value.
- “Make this game more interesting and improve quality of life features to enhance replayability; it would definitely be worth a higher score.”
- “The end-game doesn't have much replayability other than just making your restaurant look more efficient and nicer.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is likened to that of a free mobile game, with a simplistic restaurant operation that lacks intrusive ads, suggesting a more user-friendly approach to in-game purchases or monetization.
- “Additionally, operating the restaurant is extremely simplistic, to the point where it feels a lot like a free mobile game minus the ads.”