Royal Cooking Review

A Local Favorite

As far as cooking simulator games go, Royal Cooking provides nothing new. However, Royal Cooking does provide easy distractions and good mental exercises, which is generally the purpose of simulation games. With vibrant colors, smooth animations and easy game mechanics, Royal Cooking succeeds in masking simplicity behind flare. While it is a game that starts off feeling like more work than it’s worth, Royal Cooking requires players to put in the time to get to the good stuff. Not until level 30 did I become invested, and then I was hooked. And only after an hour of playing. The same amount of time as a commuter’s daily journey. It is nearly impossible to fail a level as long as the player pays attention. And levels consist of either number of customers served or seconds on a clock, and a “minimum profit” requirement to pass. Players just need to make sure all the dishes get served.

Compliments to the Chef

Developer and publisher, Matryoshka, is no stranger to simulation games, with a decent list on Google Play. Therefore, it is no surprise that Royal Cooking is a success for them, with a rating of 4.7 stars. Matryoshka also published other cooking simulators, Cooking Live and Farming Fever, which also rate well. So, players are guaranteed a game developed by a company that knows how to make a cooking simulator game. Even non-gamers will have a good time. I convinced to get a non-gamer to try Royal Cooking, and they claimed they felt their brain getting a workout, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. And they managed to surpass me in levels. If that is not a testament to Royal Cooking’s playability, I am unsure what is.

Something Stinks

Now for Royal Cooking’s problems. A minor problem is the music. There is no flare. Royal Cooking’s playability, artwork and complexity provides players a challenging yet casual pastime. However, Royal Cooking‘s soundtrack is uninspired. It is, at best, dull, and at worst, a distraction. Speaking of distractions, I cannot give Royal Cooking a 100% on their report card is because of advertisements. FtP mobile games are expected to show a fair share of ads to gain passive revenue, Royal Cooking’s advertising game is over the top. Players not willing to pay to disable the ads will spend more time watching Temu, Mist Play, and Cosmology commercials than playing the game. Having timed it, for every 1 minute of gameplay, I spent 2-3 minutes watching ads. Usually against my own will. Like having to eat all the food on my plate, whether I liked it or not. In the end, players will have to decide if playability outweighs long and disruptive advertisements.