While games likeCooking MamaandOvercookedare all about preparing food, there’s something special about making and enjoying a homemade meal in other genres, especially in exchange for an extra boost in abilities, health, or morale.Cooking minigamesfurther invest players in their character’s hobbies, interests, and needs in a fun and experimental way.
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Preparing a meal correctly in a cooking minigame is particularly rewarding when players have to gather ingredients beforehand, experiment with flavors, or perfect their timing. However, more laid-back cooking mechanics in video games can be just as valuable, depending on the game. Whether cooking in these games is complex or simple,these games perfected their cooking minigamerecipe to fit their characters and players’ needs.
7Patapon
Pataponis a call-and-response rhythm game where players use drum beats to make an army of Patapons march forward, attack enemies, defend themselves, and retreat from threats on their journey to Earthend. While the Patapons only need the encouragement of the drums to continue their quest, players can increase their stats by feeding them stew.
InPatapon’scooking minigame, players control a Patapon chef named Rah Gashapon and cut stew ingredientswhile matching the music’s rhythm.At the end of the minigame, a talking cooking pot called Simmer Slurp spits out the creature’s final result. However, no matter the stew turns out, playing the minigame shows another fascinating part of a Patapon’s life.
6Dragon’s Crown
InDragon’s Crown,adventurers seek to recover a missing, enchanted crown from the clutches of evil. While the heroes often return to towns betweentheir beat-em-up-style missions,there are times when they must camp to continue their journey the next day.
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At camp, the adventurers can cook using the ingredients they found on their quest. However, the minigame stands out since the heroes are not limited to preparing their food in only one way. Players can boil, fry, and stir up to four meals at a time until a timer runs out. Considering the buffs that eating offers the heroes,Dragon Crown’sminigame is just as strategic as entertaining.
5Monster Hunter
Although hunting impressive beasts and completing requests are the main goals of theMonster Huntergames, it takes stamina to track the monsters down using the proper techniques. Hunters can restore their stamina by eating prepared meals at camps, but they may run out of food in the field.
To ensure hunters have the highest chance of survival while tracking down a creature, they can carve raw meat from the bodies of small monsters and roast it ona vital piece of equipment,the BBQ spit. When players use the spit, a short song plays to help them time the cook on their steak. While the cooking minigames in theMonster Huntergames are not complicated, they are a memorable and practical part of the series.
4Professor Layton And The Diabolical Box
InProfessor Layton and the Diabolical Box,Professor Layton and his apprentice, Luke, receive a tea set after helping an older woman with a pair of puzzles that stumped her. As they continue investigating a mysterious box said to murder anyone who opens it, the Professor and Luke gather more kinds of tea leaves to experiment with brews they can enjoy with the people they meet along the way.
While learning how the flavors interact together to create personalized teas is a rewarding experience, the tea minigame inDiabolical Boxis particularly charming because it reflectsLayton’s kind and gentlemanly nature.At times he will request to drink brew a cup of tea simply to enjoy its flavor and take a short break.
3Kingdom Hearts 3
TheKingdom Heartsseries has many minigames scattered throughout its worlds. However, the series introduced its first cooking game at the Bistro in Twilight Town inKingdom Hearts 3.
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By entering the Bistro after gathering ingredients from other worlds, Sora can cook withthe Little Chef fromRatatouille.Depending on the recipe, Sora will either crack eggs, flambé meat, chop vegetables, or season the dish to perfection. While it takes dedication to prepare every meal the Bistro offers, mastering recipes is a rewarding experience because it helps the Bistro gain stars and make its way toward becoming a five-star restaurant.
2Like A Dragon: Ishin!
Although theYakuzaseries is known forits entertaining minigames,Like a Dragon: Ishin!takes the series’ minigames in a different direction for its Another Life mode. As Ryoma Sakamoto helps a young girl named Haruka escape debt, players can own a pet, go farming, and cook delicious meals in exchange for virtue and friendship.
In preparation for the cooking minigame, Ryoma must collect ingredients around town or grow them on his farm. Once he begins using the kitchen, some of Ryoma’s duties include chopping vegetables, tending fires, pouring oil, and frying fish while timing his movements perfectly to enhance the dish’s flavor. While it may be less flashy than someYakuzaminigames,Ishin!takes what its predecessors did best and applies it to cooking.
1Pokemon Diamond & Pearl
Upon reaching Hearthome City inPokemon Diamond and Pearl,players receive a Poffin Case that allows them to make treats for their Pokemon in the Poffin House beside the city’s Poke Mart. In the Poffin minigame, players stir batter in different directions as it cooks, careful not to let it burn or overflow. Making Poffins uses up the berries that grow on various routes, but feeding them to a Pokemon enhancesits appeal for Pokemon Pageants.
While a handful of Pokemon games in the main series have introduced cooking minigames sincePokemon DiamondandPokemon Pearl,the success of Poffins helped ensure that these additions were in good taste.
