Cooking games are fun, relaxing, and some even teach you a thing about cooking IRL. They tend to be casual and on the shorter side, so they are a great distraction when you are busy and only have a few minutes here and these to game. Most are point-and-click with puzzle-lite elements. Some lean toward a visual novel, as well.
Here are some of the best cozy cooking games out there right now. In my opinion, anyway!
10 Best Cozy Cooking Games on Steam
These cozy cooking games are out now on Steam:
1. Venba
Venba is an emotionally resonant and culturally rich narrative-driven video game that immerses players in the life of an immigrant Indian mother, Meena, as she navigates the challenges of raising her family in 1980s Canada. The game explores themes of identity, family, and belonging, as players make choices that impact Meena’s relationships and her journey to preserve her culinary heritage by running an authentic Indian restaurant.
Through its heartfelt storytelling, engaging gameplay, and immersive cultural backdrop, Venba offers players a unique and heartfelt experience that delves into the complexities of cultural adaptation and the importance of preserving your heritage.
2. Cooking Mama: Let’s Cook (iOS & Android)
Cooking Mama: Let’s Cook is a delightful cooking simulation mobile game that puts players in the chef’s shoes to prepare a wide array of virtual dishes. With intuitive touch controls, players can chop, slice, stir, and sauté their way through various recipes while striving for culinary perfection.
The game’s colorful graphics, engaging mini-games, and Mama’s cheerful guidance make it accessible and enjoyable for players of all ages. Whether you’re baking sweets or crafting savory meals, Cooking Mama: Let’s Cook serves up a tasty and immersive cooking experience on your mobile device, making it a perfect choice for food enthusiasts and casual gamers alike.
3. PlateUp!
In PlateUp!, you’ll step into the role of a culinary maestro, where you not only cook and serve delectable dishes but also wield the creative power to design and embellish your very own restaurants. As you navigate procedurally-generated locales, each with its unique challenges, you’ll unlock a treasure trove of new abilities, dishes, and upgrades on your path to gastronomic glory.
This game seamlessly blends classic cooking action with a roguelite twist, where your culinary journey carries permanent progression. You can choose to collaborate with up to three friends or go solo in your gastronomic conquest, from crafting intricate automatic kitchens with linked appliances to personally cooking and serving eager customers. PlateUp! offers an appetizing blend of chaotic kitchen management and strategic planning, creating a roguelite experience that’s as distinct as it is delightful.
4. Overcooked 2
Personally, I don’t find Overcooked! to be that cozy! It’s insane, hectic, stressful! But it didn’t feel quite right not having it here. Single screen couch co-op games are becoming rare, so you could say there is a kind of coziness to cuddling up on the couch with a companion to cook together. Overcooked! 2 is a fast-paced, cooperative cooking simulation video game that amps up the culinary chaos.
Players team up with friends or AI-controlled chefs to prepare an assortment of dishes in absurd and often hilariously challenging kitchen environments. The game’s main goal is to work together efficiently to chop, cook, and serve orders under tight time constraints while navigating dynamic and often whimsical kitchens.
5. Cooking Simulator
Cooking Simulator is a highly detailed and immersive culinary simulation game that allows players to step into the shoes of a professional chef. In this game, you’ll have the freedom to experiment with a wide range of ingredients, kitchen appliances, and cooking techniques as you create mouthwatering dishes. From flipping pancakes to filleting fish, every action is meticulously simulated, providing a realistic cooking experience.
You can run your own restaurant, design the kitchen of your dreams, and even deal with the challenges of food orders and customer satisfaction. With its attention to culinary realism and a sandbox-style approach, Cooking Simulator offers a satisfying and educational cooking experience for both food enthusiasts and aspiring chefs.
6. Papa’s Freezeria Deluxe
Upon starting a job at the serene oceanfront ice cream parlor on Calypso Island, tranquility quickly gives way to a whirlwind of excitement as Papa Louie’s zany clientele descends upon the island! Now, the responsibility falls squarely on your shoulders to independently concoct and serve delectable sundae creations all year round.
Your tasks involve crafting delectable sundaes by deftly ladling ice cream, incorporating a medley of mixables and syrups, expertly blending sundaes, and topping them off with the perfect summertime flourish of whipped cream and toppings. Juggling multiple stations within the restaurant, each offering a distinctive hands-on experience, is essential. This deluxe reimagining of Papa’s Freezeria introduces a trove of new ingredients, fresh faces in the form of customers and seasonal holiday flavors, all aboard the bustling S.S. Louie cruise ship.
7. Good Pizza, Great Pizza
Have you ever dreamed of running your very own charming pizza parlor? Well, now you can step into the shoes of a pizzaiolo and experience it firsthand with TapBlaze’s captivating narrative-driven cooking game, Good Pizza, Great Pizza! As a dedicated chef, your mission is to skillfully prepare pizza orders from eager customers and generate sufficient revenue to ensure the continued success of your eatery.
As the storyline unfolds, you’ll have the opportunity to enhance your restaurant with a medley of tantalizing toppings, stylish decor, and cutting-edge kitchen equipment, all in your quest to outshine your pizza-making rivals with each new chapter of the game!
8. Espresso Tycoon
Espresso Tycoon presents a fresh take on the beloved classic tycoon games that evoke nostalgia from your childhood days. Craft the coffee haven of your dreams, a place where patrons can unwind and savor exquisite coffee creations. Navigate the emotional highs and lows while cultivating a thriving coffee empire. Develop your unique brand, infuse personality into your coffee shop’s ambiance, oversee your dedicated team, and ensure the utmost customer satisfaction.
Leverage the power of the 3D coffee editor to concoct delightful coffee recipes, manage your supplies efficiently, and amass valuable rating points. Dive headfirst into the world of coffee entrepreneurship, constructing your entire coffee enterprise and conquering every mission in the process!
9. Nour: Play with Your Food
Nour is an innovative food art experience that seamlessly merges delectable visuals, rhythmic beats, and imaginative discovery. Free from the constraints of scores, time restrictions, or conventional realism, Nour encourages you to whimsically interact with food across a spectrum of surreal settings, spanning from serene to delightfully offbeat.
Journey through more than 20 playful vignettes, each offering its own distinct charm—from the nostalgic ambiance of a classic American diner to the serene Zen of adding boba pearls to a glass of milk tea. Embark on a whimsical foodie adventure and rekindle the joy of pure, unadulterated play in this one-of-a-kind culinary fantasy.
10. Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator
Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator is an immersive game that allows players to create and manage their dream restaurant. In the game, players can choose and customize various kitchen components such as cooking surfaces, food processors, and ovens to build their ideal kitchen. The game emphasizes the importance of organization and management, requiring players to handle their team, manage suppliers, and obtain premium ingredients to impress even the most demanding gourmets.
The gameplay involves various cooking and management skills, challenging players during each service. Players must manage the cutting, cooking, and preparation processes, up to the plating stage where they can add their creative touch. The ultimate goal is to grow the restaurant from a local café to a Michelin-starred establishment, learning new recipes, refining cooking skills, and maintaining customer loyalty.
Conclusion
Those are my picks for the best cooking sims on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and mobile. I hope you found a new favorite in the mix!
Stay cozy, gamers!