Monster Chef
- March 14, 2018
- Coconut Island Games
- 1h median play time
"Monster Chef" is a simulation game with an intriguing story, ingenious gameplay, and charming graphics, accompanied by an amazing soundtrack. However, it features lots of grinding, frequent ads, and several bugs that can affect gameplay. Overall, it's an imaginative cooking sim that provides relaxing yet challenging strategic entertainment.
Reviews
- The game features a unique art style and charming animations that enhance the overall experience.
- Gameplay is engaging with a variety of tasks, including monster hunting and cooking, keeping players entertained.
- The ad system is designed to be optional, allowing players to progress without being bombarded by ads.
- Many players experience issues with the game requiring a constant internet connection, which can hinder gameplay.
- Recent updates have caused significant bugs, including crashes and loss of saved progress, frustrating long-time players.
- The tutorial and game mechanics can be confusing, making it difficult for new players to understand how to progress.
- graphics210 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are widely praised for their unique and charming art style, which combines cute and quirky elements reminiscent of old cartoons. Players appreciate the detailed animations and the overall aesthetic, describing it as both engaging and visually appealing. While the graphics enhance the gameplay experience, some users note that the repetitive tasks can detract from the enjoyment over time.
“The art style is truly unique and the playstyle is not boring at all.”
“The graphics are wonderful and the idea is unique.”
“I love the graphics and storyline, and it's awesome that there aren't constant ads like other games.”
“The graphics caught my attention and the gameplay looks nice even though I haven't played it yet because here's the problem... I can't get past the loading screen.”
“Clearly a lot of time was spent on the graphics for this game but the mechanics leave much to be desired.”
“Not the most entertaining game, however I do love the graphics of this game; the design of the monsters is very cute.”
- monetization126 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 3 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game is primarily based on optional ads, allowing players to choose when to watch them for bonuses without being interrupted during gameplay. However, many users have reported persistent issues with ads not loading, which has significantly hindered their ability to progress and enjoy the game, leading to frustration and a potential decline in player engagement. Overall, while the game initially offers a balanced approach to monetization, the recent ad-loading problems have negatively impacted the experience for many players.
“Love the aesthetic, and really love that the main in-game currency is something you get an abundance of from doing tasks, thus it's very playable without ever being tempted by microtransactions or even too much grinding.”
“There are premium features but they are optional, and no ads.”
“Plus the monetization isn't in your face like in most games.”
“Lately I can't play ads anymore though, it says 'ads currently not available' and it's been doing this for months, which is why I don't really play the game anymore, because without being able to get mortal's banishers, a lot of stuff isn't worth it at all anymore :'(”
“This is a good game, but after an update, they no longer allow you to watch ads in order to help further your progress...which is a big bummer!”
“Good game, but worthless without ads. I saw the comments, it's been months they didn't fix it, if it continues there won't be any player left to play. If the devs still love this game, they should fix it ASAP or you'll lose your players' interest and this game will become junk.”
- gameplay97 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its variety, engaging mechanics, and appealing graphics, offering a mix of management, puzzle, RPG, and exploration elements. While many players find the gameplay loop addictive and enjoyable, some express frustration with loading times, ad mechanics, and a lack of clarity in certain mechanics. Overall, the game is seen as fun and challenging, though some players note that it can become grindy without proper balance and optimization.
“This is a game with a well-designed gameplay loop that's managed to hold my attention for over a month.”
“The monster variety is great, the art is fun and quirky, and the central gameplay loop is complex without having too many things to do.”
“Gameplay is varied with management, puzzle, RPG, and exploration elements all working together in assorted combinations.”
“I still love the game, but since the update 'ads not currently available', which means gameplay has become frustratingly slow.”
“Clearly a lot of time was spent on the graphics for this game but the mechanics leave much to be desired.”
“Disgusting gameplay/business model based around waiting times, energy systems, in-game currencies and so on.”
- music64 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with players praising its quirky, engaging, and memorable qualities that enhance the overall experience. Many reviewers highlighted the soundtrack as a standout feature, complementing the game's unique art style and fun gameplay mechanics. While some expressed a desire for more variety in the music, the general consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's charm and addictiveness.
“But this game has everything, it's cute, it has interesting mechanics/game loop, the soundtrack is great!”
“The music makes me want to stay and just listen to it!!”
“Everything is great, but the music is to die for.”
“I hate that it forces you into the tutorial without even giving you a chance to turn off the awful music.”
“And if you are gonna start out with a tutorial, for the love of god, please give me some way of turning down the music in the tutorial.”
“I like it but I don't like the music.”
- humor40 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its quirky, oddball charm, featuring a mix of macabre jokes, dad-level puns, and amusing animations that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the detailed and whimsical world, filled with funny descriptions and creative character designs, making it a delightful and entertaining idle resource management game. The combination of adorable graphics and clever humor keeps players engaged, despite some minor gameplay slowdowns.
“Falls into the broad category of 'idle resource management game' along with Tiny Tower and Idle Apocalypse, but its world is wonderfully detailed, with descriptions of every one of the many ingredients, dishes, monsters, etc., all suffused with a unique, oddball sense of humor (and a few interesting real-world facts).”
“If you like slightly macabre humor and dad-joke level puns, this is the restaurant management sim for you.”
“The harvesting animations are really funny and creative.”
- story32 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story is widely praised for its creativity and engaging quests, featuring unique characters and an intriguing narrative that keeps players invested. Many reviewers appreciate the blend of cooking, exploration, and monster design, although some express a desire for a more structured storyline and additional quests. Overall, the combination of fun missions and a captivating storyline contributes to a positive gaming experience, despite minor criticisms regarding in-app purchases and quest guidance for new players.
“The storyline is great, the quests are fun, and adding the cooking and exploration aspect is impressively original!”
“The art is amazing, the story is intriguing, and it's just flat out addictive.”
“Amazing and interesting story, tons of cool monsters, and a little dash of education for making food. 100/10 would cook again.”
“Really good game, but would have been even better if there was a proper storyline.”
“You may add some other elements to chases down like some story basics.”
“Love the graphics and the storyline, kind of confusing at first but eventually I get the hang of it.”
- grinding22 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews on the aspect of "grinding" highlight a mixed experience; while some players appreciate the fun in experimentation and the abundance of in-game currency that reduces reliance on microtransactions, others find the gameplay excessively grindy and tedious, particularly in terms of adventuring and monster farming. Many express a desire for less repetitive mechanics and suggest improvements like auto-farming to alleviate the grind. Overall, the game offers engaging content but risks losing players due to its time-consuming nature.
“Without the possibility of viewing ads, the gameplay got extremely grindy and unfun.”
“But the gameplay, as in depth and detailed aside turned grindy and the appearance of rare monsters was so low it sucked the fun out of leveling them.”
“It is too grindy and time consuming for me.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent bugs, freezes, and issues with progress loss, particularly after recent updates. Many players express frustration over the game's lag and glitches, which detract from an otherwise enjoyable experience. Overall, while the game has potential, its current stability issues significantly hinder gameplay.
“I had a 5-star rating for this game, but unfortunately last night it wiped my progress and I can't find any way back. It was a little buggy and the option for opening things just stopped working.”
“But when I unlocked the order sets, every time I had an A or S class set, the game freezes or I cannot click collect. When it refreshes, I just lose the whole quest.”
“I love this game and everything about it, but ever since the last update on 27/4, it's been so laggy. It freezes all the time; please fix the bugs.”
- character development5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is highlighted by its impressive and amusing character designs, which feature a dark, comic book aesthetic that players find satisfying. While the mechanics are simple, they effectively complement the engaging art style, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the gameplay.
“The character designs are amazing and very amusing; I like the aesthetic.”
“I'm not very far into this game, but I'm loving the art style and character designs.”
“I love the character designs; dark and comic book-like, just very satisfying.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have noted that while the gameplay mechanics are enjoyable, the game suffers from optimization issues, particularly on larger screens, leading to performance problems that are not present in other titles on the same devices.
“I like the gameplay mechanics, but the game needed to be optimized.”
“Not optimized for big screens like Samsung View.”
“It isn't my tablet either because it can run KOTOR without stuttering, unlike this game.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional depth, offering a wholesome and engaging experience that resonates with players. Its heartfelt themes and beautiful artwork contribute to a sense of warmth and connection, making it a standout title despite minor menu improvements needed.
“Heartfelt wonderfulness of beauty, needs, and love.”
“Very wholesome and engaging game considering the price. Great detail in artwork too!”
“A very good game that evokes strong emotions, just needs a bit of touching up to the menus and such.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a moody and captivating art style that enhances its creepiness, creating an immersive and unsettling experience for players.
“Such a moody and awesome art style, very atmospheric.”
“Creepy atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is unsettling and eerie, but it lacks depth.”
“While the game tries to create a tense atmosphere, it often feels flat and uninspired.”
“The creepy atmosphere is overshadowed by repetitive environments and predictable scares.”