Cooking Simulator Review: Is It Worth Playing?

What is Cooking Simulator: Cooking with Food Network?

Cooking Simulator: Cooking with Food Network is a standalone expansion to the 2019 physics-based kitchen simulator, Cooking Simulator. Developed by the original studio, Big Cheese Studio, and published by PlayWay S.A., this iteration departs from its predecessor's sandbox focus.

The core premise is a direct collaboration with the Food Network television channel. The game transplants the chaotic, unpredictable physics of the original into a structured, goal-oriented framework modelled after televised cooking competitions.

You are no longer just a chef in a kitchen; you are a contestant tasked with completing specific recipes and challenges under time pressure and the scrutiny of judges. The game blends the simulation's trademark janky charm with the high-stakes format of shows like Chopped or Iron Chef, creating a unique hybrid experience.

The bottom line: A physics-driven cooking competition that layers structured goals onto chaotic simulation, best enjoyed by players who find humour in kitchen disaster.

Gameplay

In our view, the gameplay is a fascinating, occasionally frustrating tug-of-war between meticulous simulation and arcade-style challenge. The core mechanics remain unchanged from the base Cooking Simulator: you manipulate ingredients and utensils with a virtual hand, using physics to chop, fry, boil, and plate.

This is where the game's heart lies: the tactile, often clumsy interaction with the kitchen. Pans can be knocked off hobs, oil can catch fire with alarming ease, and a careless flick of the wrist can send a perfectly diced onion flying across the room. This inherent unpredictability is both the source of comedy and the primary obstacle to mastery.

Career Mode

The Food Network layer imposes structure on this chaos. The Career mode is the centrepiece, presenting a series of challenges across different themed restaurants. Each challenge provides a specific recipe or a set of ingredients, complete with step-by-step instructions.

You are judged on speed, accuracy, cleanliness, and the final taste of the dish. This creates a tangible learning curve. Early on, simply completing a burger without burning the patty or forgetting the lettuce feels like an achievement. Later challenges demand precise cooking times, complex multi-tasking, and elegant plating.

The depth is surprising; mastering the timing of several elements cooking simultaneously while keeping your station tidy requires genuine practice and planning.

Controls and Physics

The experience is perpetually underscored by the game's physics. The controls, while serviceable, lack the finesse needed for true precision. Grabbing small items can be fiddly, and sprinkling herbs or seasoning feels imprecise.

This is not necessarily a flaw; it is part of the game's identity. However, it means success often feels as reliant on wrestling with the controls as it does on culinary skill. For some, this will be an endearing challenge. For others, it will be a constant source of irritation.

Who is Cooking Simulator: Cooking with Food Network for?

This is a game for a very specific audience. It is not for hardcore simulation purists seeking a flawless recreation of cooking, nor for those wanting a purely relaxed, creative sandbox like the original game's mode.

In our view, it is ideally suited for casual players with a high tolerance for jank and a love for chaotic, objective-driven gameplay. It is for the player who finds humour in disaster and satisfaction in overcoming clumsy systems to plate a decent-looking dish against the odds.

Similar Games and Solo Play

The game is a strictly solo experience. Its closest relatives are other physics-based simulators like Job Simulator or Surgeon Simulator, where the challenge stems from intentionally unwieldy mechanics.

The Food Network branding and structured career mode also draw loose parallels to more straightforward cooking games like the Cooking Mama series, albeit with a far more hands-on and less reliable interface. If you enjoyed the core concept of Cooking Simulator but wished for more guided goals and a sense of progression, this expansion directly caters to that desire.

Graphics and Performance

Visually, the game employs a clean, bright, and slightly generic aesthetic that aligns well with the Food Network brand. The kitchen is well-lit, ingredients are colourful and recognisable, and the overall presentation is functional.

It lacks the stylised flair of some indie titles or the hyper-realism of AAA games, settling for a competent, inoffensive look that keeps the focus on the interactive elements. Performance is generally solid on PC based on our experience.

The physics engine can cause occasional frame hitches when multiple objects are in motion or during a catastrophic kitchen fire, but these moments are infrequent and rarely game-breaking. It runs adequately on modest hardware, though a system with a decent CPU is recommended to handle the physics calculations smoothly.

Value for Money

The game's value proposition hinges entirely on your appetite for its particular blend of simulation and structured challenge. The Career mode offers a substantial number of challenges across multiple restaurants, which can easily provide 15-20 hours of gameplay for a player intent on achieving high scores and unlocking all recipes.

There is also a free-play mode included, offering a sandbox with the new recipes and ingredients. However, the lack of Metacritic scores or a substantial volume of Steam reviews suggests it remains a niche product. The price point is typically in line with a mid-tier indie expansion.

If the concept of a physics-driven cooking competition immediately appeals to you, there is enough content here to justify the cost. If you are sceptical of the core gameplay loop of Cooking Simulator, this version is unlikely to change your mind, and the value would be poor.

Verdict

Cooking Simulator: Cooking with Food Network is a game of charming, frustrating, and unique contradictions. It successfully layers a compelling goal-oriented structure onto the famously chaotic foundation of the original simulator. The Career mode is engaging and offers a genuine sense of progression as you battle against the clock, the judges' criteria, and the game's own wilful physics.

Who Will Love It

• Physics-based comedy fans: You will appreciate the humorous, unpredictable interactions.
• Structured challenge seekers: You will enjoy the guided goals within a chaotic framework.
• Base game players wanting direction: You will find the Food Network branding adds a clear objective loop the original sandbox lacked.

Who Should Skip It

• Precision control purists: You will be frustrated by the lack of finesse in the controls.
• Low jank tolerance: You will not have patience for clumsy interactions.
• Realistic cooking enthusiasts: You will not find a serious, realistic cooking experience here.

Our recommendation: A cautiously positive pick for a specific player. Its heart is in its clumsy, unpredictable nature, which will be a deal-breaker for many but a delight for others.

The game's heart is in its clumsy, unpredictable nature, and that will be a deal-breaker for many. In the end, it is a niche title that executes its specific vision with confidence, offering a surprisingly deep and often hilarious cooking challenge for those willing to meet it on its own uneven terms.