While I’ve engrossed myself in the world of roguelikes more times than I’d like to admit, my wife has never felt comfortable jumping into these games. They can be extremely challenging and unforgiving, leading to plenty of frustrations for those who aren’t as dialed into the world of gaming. That’s when I discovered Cuisineer, and while I was initially drawn in by the cutesy and colorful world it brings to life, I quickly found out that it’s the perfect introduction to the genre. Plus, it’s a surprisingly cozy game. That’s always a plus in my book.
In ‘Cuisineer’, It’s Equal Parts Hack & Slash, as well as Slice & Dice
Roguelike games such as Hades are beautiful, exciting, and hard as Hell. That’s why I’m glad games like Cuisineer exist. After booting up the game for Katie, she was immediately given the option to select a difficulty. Yes, a roguelike game with a difficulty slider, allowing her to take less damage as she ventures into the wild unknowns in search of cooking ingredients. Roguelike games typically demand that you’re locked in from the second you sit down, so the ability to take less damage from hits for newer players is a blessing.
It’s also a great way to spice things up as players begin to get better at the game. As her confidence and skills increase, she can push up the difficulty as she sees fit. Or, she can just keep playing on the easiest setting, mowing through waves of chickens and other creatures. Who am I to judge? But that’s only the beginning of what makes Cuisineer stand out in a sea of roguelikes. Much like Moonlighter, you can take the items that you’ve gathered by defeating enemies and sell them. But here? You get to cook them, and that may have been the best part of all.
Rather than just selling off the items she earned, Katie could make fun recipes with them. Think Cooking Mama meets Hades, in a way. Plus, if she ever got sick of fighting, I could take over the more “in-depth” work, and she could take care of the more cozy elements.
‘Cuisineer’ makes Stressful and Cozy mesh together well
I mean, a good roguelike is going to have you sweating, regardless of what difficulty you’re playing on. And Cuisineer did cause Katie to mutter a few illicit phrases during her playtime. However, I also heard plenty of “gamer talk”, which was a bit of a shock. While none of this was due to the cooking, and rather her inexperience with the roguelike genre, she found herself dipping back into Cuisineer quite often.
A game like this rarely captivates her in the way that this one did. Maybe it was the colorful and cutesy world of Cusineer that got her attention. Or maybe, she’s finally warming up to the idea of roguelikes. Either way, Cuisineer offers enough variety to make things exciting for seasoned veterans or beginners. You can crank the difficulty up to make Hades seem like a breeze. Or you can take things slow and steady, soaking in the broth of enjoyment.
No matter what, it’s great that games like this can exist. They’re the perfect jumping-in point to bridge the gap between cozy games and more intense types. Getting to find a new game that we can play together, even if it’s by swapping the controller around when she gets tired of slaying monsters in dungeons, is always a win in my book.
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