Cooking Companions (2021)

Developer: Deer Dream Studios
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Genres: Adventure, Casual, Indie
Rating: 4.7 of 5, 1,195 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 4.5 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A deceptively cute visual novel that slowly reveals its psychological horror through survival decisions and creepy Eastern European folklore, creating a tense, unsettling experience.

atmosphericpsychological horrortensedarkly humorouschoose your own adventuremultiple endingscute on surfacesurvival

What players say

Players are sharply split: some find this a cute, short visual novel about cooking with friends, while others call the horror cheap, relying on jumpscares and distorted faces. The story is often described as confusing and the choices feel meaningless. Most agree it is best played completely blind.

Screenshots

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.