Venba
- July 31, 2023
- Visai Games
- 2h median play time
Venba is a must-play experience, an enthralling tale of immigrants across multiple generations, all backed by a brilliantly absorbing puzzle game in the form of cooking.
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Get on PS Store"Venba" is a single-player kid-friendly simulation game that offers an intriguing story and exceptional gameplay. As Venba, a South Indian immigrant mother, you connect with your son through cooking while discovering your family's heartfelt story of love, loss, and self-discovery. The game features authentic South Indian cooking puzzles, with a brand-new in-game cookbook to try the dishes in real life, accompanied by a sensational soundtrack inspired by regional music.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features a beautiful and heartfelt story that resonates with many players, particularly those with immigrant backgrounds.
- The art style and music are stunning, creating an immersive and emotional experience.
- The cooking mechanics are engaging and cleverly integrated into the narrative, allowing players to learn about Tamil cuisine.
- The game is very short, typically taking only 1-2 hours to complete, which some players feel does not justify the price.
- The gameplay is primarily focused on narrative with limited interactivity, which may disappoint those expecting a more traditional cooking game.
- Some players found the puzzles to be too simple and lacking in challenge, leading to a less engaging experience.
- story759 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The story of "Venba" is a poignant exploration of the immigrant experience, focusing on a Tamil family navigating the challenges of cultural identity and assimilation in Canada. Through the lens of cooking, the narrative beautifully intertwines themes of family, heritage, and the emotional struggles faced by first-generation immigrants, resonating deeply with players from diverse backgrounds. While the game is short, lasting around one to two hours, its heartfelt storytelling and vibrant art style leave a lasting impact, making it a recommended experience for those who appreciate narrative-driven games.
“Venba is a beautiful game with a poignant story about an Indian couple that immigrates to Canada and tries to make a life for themselves.”
“The story of Venba's family is deeply moving, discussing themes such as family and heritage and using food as a means of communication.”
“This game tells a beautiful story that resonates with many, capturing the struggles of immigrant families while highlighting the importance of cultural identity.”
“The story is very heartfelt and the cooking is fun to do.”
“The story is poignant and sad and whatnot but the game just isn't what it was said to be and I'm left feeling disappointed and lied to.”
“The story itself is simple, but is very relatable with valid emotions about each and every topic.”
- emotional361 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game "Venba" is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling, which resonates deeply with players, particularly those from immigrant backgrounds. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke strong feelings, often leading to tears, as it explores themes of family, cultural identity, and the immigrant experience through the lens of cooking and food. The combination of beautiful art, music, and relatable narratives creates a touching and memorable experience that players find both comforting and poignant.
“The game just does such a good job putting you into the shoes of the protagonist in a way that makes some parts of the game legitimately heartbreaking.”
“Venba is a beautiful little indie game about the immigrant experience, telling a really heartfelt story about family and heritage through the act of cooking and recovering family recipes.”
“This game is deeply emotional, and I feel like no matter how professionally I write this review, my words will fall short of describing the love put into every aspect of it.”
- music239 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in "Venba" has been widely praised for its emotional depth and cultural authenticity, enhancing the game's storytelling and gameplay experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, describing it as catchy, immersive, and perfectly suited to the game's themes, with many expressing a desire to listen to it outside of the game. Overall, the combination of beautiful music and art creates a heartwarming atmosphere that resonates with players, making it a significant aspect of the game's appeal.
“The music fits really well with the gameplay, being so creative yet a bit challenging if you haven't cooked certain dishes in real life.”
“The art style, music, and foley work that were selected for the game truly help to create an immersive, authentic experience for the player.”
“The music is wonderful to listen to as you figure out how to make Tamil dishes from a cookbook passed down from generation to generation; furthermore, the game also provides some delicious flavor text on how some of these dishes are traditionally prepared and served.”
“The soundtrack doesn't suit many scenes.”
“The music in this game is straight-up so good that I would recommend the game alone on that basis.”
“The music was never overpowering; it complemented everything so well and just adds another layer and way that the audience can dive into the culture.”
- graphics169 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Venba" are widely praised for their vibrant and charming art style, which effectively captures the essence of Tamil culture and cuisine. Players appreciate the beautiful visuals that enhance the storytelling experience, making the food look appetizing and the characters relatable. The combination of stunning artwork, immersive sound design, and a heartfelt narrative creates a cozy and engaging atmosphere that resonates with players.
“The art style is gorgeous, and you can see the effort in every piece.”
“The visuals are lovely, and the food has made me want to try some of the recipes myself!”
“Venba interweaves some excellent cooking puzzles with an unflinching set of vignettes that cut right to the heart of the most difficult conversations human beings can have, and all done with a lovingly detailed art style that excellently conveys both the food and the people involved.”
“The graphics and music are so cute, and the story is touching.”
“The graphics were comforting, the music was a continuous vibe, the storyline was emotional and the food made me hungry without any question.”
“Art style is clean, simple and colorful.”
- gameplay166 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Venba" is characterized by its simplicity and brevity, often described as a mix of visual novel elements and cooking mechanics that serve to enhance the narrative rather than stand alone. While many players appreciate the engaging cooking puzzles and the emotional depth of the story, there is a consensus that the gameplay is limited, with a total playtime of around 1-2 hours, leading to concerns about its value for the price. Overall, the game is praised for its artistic presentation and cultural storytelling, but players express a desire for more substantial gameplay content.
“The gameplay is simple yet engaging, asking you to recreate recipes and fill in the gaps where the recipe book has worn out.”
“The unique integration of cooking as a puzzle mechanic adds a delightful layer to the game, making it a truly enriching experience.”
“The art is beautiful, the story is touching, and the cooking mechanics are very enjoyable.”
“Good storytelling and visuals, but very little gameplay and content.”
“The gameplay is shallow, repetitive and it doesn't leave any room for experimentation.”
“There is honestly an overall lack of gameplay.”
- replayability17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is criticized for its limited replayability, primarily due to its short duration of around 45 minutes to an hour and a linear narrative structure. While some players appreciate the option to explore different dialogue choices or achieve perfect scores on recipes, many feel that the lack of substantial content and multiple endings diminishes the incentive to replay. The game may be enjoyable for a single playthrough, but its value is often seen as insufficient for the price.
“Overall, the story's length is about an hour and a half, so this is a game that can easily be finished within one sitting and the achievements do encourage some replayability if that's something that you care about.”
“It's short but replayable to check out the different dialogue options.”
“Although it's a pretty short game, the team managed to sneak in some extra options/dialogue for replay value which is great.”
“The game is not bad (also it's more of a short story than a game), but it's only about an hour long and there is not much replay value.”
“The entire play-through lasted me less than 45 minutes, and it has no replay value to it.”
“However, it is very, very short, with only one ending and limited replayability unless you just really want to get a perfect score on every recipe - and even that shouldn't take too long to do, once you've figured out the trick to them once.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its cozy and family-friendly vibe, enhanced by beautiful graphics and a captivating soundtrack that immerses players in the experience. Reviewers appreciate the balance between the game's length and its ability to convey a meaningful story without overstaying its welcome, creating a memorable and emotional environment. Overall, the combination of visual and auditory elements contributes to a delightful and engaging atmosphere that resonates with players.
“Lots of flavor, both literally and metaphorically, and very atmospheric.”
“Nice graphics and music that really allow you to feel the atmosphere.”
“The food and the music created a cozy atmosphere that anyone can enjoy.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of poignant moments and heartfelt storytelling, with some users appreciating the light-hearted dialogues and language-switching elements that add to the comedic effect. However, there is a desire for more frequent funny exchanges to enhance engagement throughout the gameplay.
“The story is poignant, sometimes funny, and always heartfelt, and the food looks delicious.”
“I absolutely loved the language-switching aspect, especially when Kavin opens up the recipe book; it made me laugh.”
“A little more light-hearted and funny dialogues would keep the game engaging.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it requires an unrealistic commitment akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development is praised for its beautiful design and effective sound design, enhancing the overall experience.
“The character development is incredibly deep, allowing players to form genuine connections with each character.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and relatable.”
“The backstories and personal growth of each character are beautifully crafted, adding layers to the overall narrative.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game is largely stable and free of significant bugs, contributing to a smooth gameplay experience.
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches, making for a stable experience.”
“I've played for hours without encountering any bugs, which really enhances the overall enjoyment.”
“The stability of the game is impressive; I can always rely on it to perform well during intense moments.”
Critic Reviews
Venba review — A poem for Tamil cuisine
Venba is a heartfelt tale of an immigrant mother doing her best to raise a son in Canada while passing on her Tamil culture. It’s a story not often told, and it will stick with you long after the credits roll. Learning about this culture is a ton of fun and done through inventive puzzles having you cook traditional dishes. It’s a gorgeous, passionate game that gives you a glimpse into another culture.
90%Venba Review
In Venba’s short play time, the narrative-led cooking game conveys so much of this family’s experience. The stirring story is presented in snackable chapters, each with an emotional tale tied to a dish. The puzzles aren’t too challenging, making for a comforting, cosy playthrough as you prepare each meal. Be warned though: this game will make you hungry. And it may also make you cry.
80%Venba Review – A hearty serving of family, culture & love
Venba is a love letter to many things, not just food. It beautifully depicts the story of two immigrants and their struggle to keep their culture alive in a Western society that does not seem to understand or appreciate it. Venba brings together incredible art, sound, narrative, and gameplay that is magnificently entrenched in Tamil customs, leaving the player with not only a deeper understanding but also a deeper respect for this underrepresented culture.
85%
