Chef RPG is an early access cooking and restaurant management game with a cozy, pixel-art style reminiscent of Stardew Valley but with a unique culinary twist. Players engage in cooking minigames, gathering ingredients through foraging, hunting, farming, and fishing, while managing and decorating their own restaurant. The game features a variety of characters, quests, and a storyline set in White Ash Harbour.
While many players praise the addictive gameplay loop, beautiful art, and diverse cooking mechanics, common issues include balancing problems, slow pacing, UI clunkiness, and shallow character development. The romance system and story progression are often described as underwhelming or buggy. The resource grind, especially acquiring power cells for upgrades, and the limited ingredient availability can feel tedious. Despite these flaws, the game shows significant promise with frequent updates, a passionate developer team, and a solid foundation that appeals to fans of cozy simulation games.
Players love the addictive gameplay loop combining cooking, gathering, and restaurant management. The pixel art and character designs receive high praise for their charm and detail. The cooking minigames add engaging mechanics, and the variety of recipes and customization options keep the experience fresh.
The game’s story and world-building, though early in development, provide a cozy atmosphere with interesting NPCs and quests. Many appreciate the depth of restaurant management including hiring staff and menu planning. The developers’ responsiveness and ongoing improvements also inspire confidence.
Common criticisms focus on balancing issues such as slow progression and reliance on rare resources like power cells. The character interactions and romance system are often described as shallow, repetitive, or underdeveloped. UI and quality of life problems include clunky inventory management, slow movement speed, and confusing mechanics.
Players also note tedious grinding for ingredients, lack of meaningful story progression at times, and occasional bugs affecting gameplay. The game’s identity feels split between a cooking simulator and management sim, leading to inconsistent pacing and unclear direction.
Craft your culinary adventure in a beautiful pixel art world. Manage your restaurants, forage and hunt for ingredients, befriend locals, and grow your culinary empire. What kind of chef will you be?