Cuisineer

“Good news! You've just inherited a restaurant from your parents! Bad news. They've also saddled you with a massive debt that needs paying of...”

“Dungeon exploring in Cuisineer is a frantic challenge and the enemies are so adorable that you'll keep wanting to go back. I wish running the restaurant was just as fun, though, as it can get repetitive; I'd rather stare at the delicious recipe book than managing the business. 🍳”

“Cuisineer is a game with a strong core idea, but doesn't invest enough in its systems to keep it interesting. The excellent combat and good restaurant running soon become repetitive as a result. If the basics are enough to keep you coming back then Cuisineer might work for you, but for me this dish has turned stale.”

“Cuisineer is a charming game in concept but struggles with execution. The art style and relaxing difficulty make it an enjoyable experience at first, but the repetitive combat and lack of engaging management systems ultimately hold it back. If you’re into low-stakes dungeon crawling with a side of cute restaurant management, you might find some enjoyment here, but be prepared for some frustration with its unpolished mechanics.”

“The game features visuals and sound design that are entirely praiseworthy. However, it is unbalanced and can be tedious for some people. The most important part of the game, which would be the restaurant, ends up being like a coin: you may or may not like it, almost like Schrödinger’s cat experiment. Furthermore, obtaining resources requires repetitive effort and exhausting work.”

“Cuisineer combines restaurant management and dungeon crawling to create a simple but absorbing game. It is cute and relaxing in a way that makes it easy to unwind while still working towards goals that are satisfying to achieve.”

“Cuisineer has a very addicting gameplay loop of delving into dungeons and finding resources and ingredients. It does suffer from some of the choices made for enemies and the restaurant aspect.”

“Faced with saving her family’s eatery and armed with nothing but her trusty spatula, Pom must explore the dangerous world to discover the ingredients she’ll need to cook up delicious recipes that will keep customers coming back for more.”

“Cuisineer is a charming food management game that uses a combat and dungeon exploration system to present a fun and creative proposition. However, the lack of alternatives to keep it interesting in the face of a tiring grind to reach the end of the campaign leaves the main dish of this appetizing menu a little bitter.”

“Cuisineer delivers a fun and relaxed experience. However, the lack of depth in some of its systems and the absence of more significant challenges can make the game lose some of its attractiveness in the long run. Despite that, this is an ideal work for those moments we are looking for a lighthearted game.”

“Like most of the cozy games I find, Cuisineer randomly appeared on my YouTube front page whereupon I immediately sent it to CGM's Dayna Eileen because it”

“In the end, Cuisineer is an interesting suggestion that manages to combine the dungeon crawling and business management genres. More than that, the game brings a competent and accessible mix, with very good production – except when it comes to loading screens – and enjoyable gameplay. Unfortunately, those who enjoy more complete experiences will find little motivation in the story and mechanics to advance. Taking care of the restaurant and getting into fights, although fun tasks at first, over time show their limitations. In any case, it is still a good option for those who want a simple, original and fun adventure.”

“Ultimately, Cuisineer is a grindy game that will appeal to casual roguelike fans, weebs, or anyone looking for a grindy game to lose dozens of hours into. That same grind will likely alienate a handful of you, but if this kind of isometric combat is your thing then it’s worth pushing through.”

“Cuisineer is an excellent culinary adventure full of cute characters, tasty dishes, and challenging goals to strive towards as you become unstoppable both out in the world and in the kitchen.”

“Cuisineer is a must-play for anyone in the mood for a top-tier dungeon-crawler. The core combat has a lot of variety thanks to its weapon selection and upgrade paths while the dungeons themselves make every repeat playthrough feel different. The only caveat to the combat is the lack of baked-in turbo, but that's far from a deal-breaker when the game has so much variety with the restaurant management portion of things taking you on an adventure that doesn't require a ton of button mashing. Cuisineer is a rewarding game to play that looks and sounds great and should be a gem for anyone who loves dungeon-crawlers or who wants to get into them because as a gateway game, I can see it being a hit to those who love simulation games as well thanks to the restaurant management.”

“Cuisineer is a fun enough food themed video game, but it's a slow starter and has a few issues that hold it back from a Michelin star.”