Magical Delicacy

While I don't necessarily think that this game is really bad, I do think it's trying a bit too much? The concept and mixture of mechanics are very interesting but overall I feel like while on paper a cooking, inventory management, and metroid-vania is super inspired and interesting in practice it just seems like too many genres of gameplay that just end up conflicting with each other. The vibe and art style and cooking aspects are very cozy game coded but then it's baked (pun) into a metroid-vania style map and platforming world that just makes a lot of the cozy parts become tedious since now you have to like go out of your way to explore and find resources and upgrades. People who like one side are most likely going to be confused by the other. I personally enjoyed the exploring and wandering and collecting, but then having to wander all the way back just to cook and then head out again was honestly really annoying. PLUS the movement is just kinda underwhelming for a hot while, I think if the movement of the game was very stylish and satisfying it could've made the cozy part better and mixed better but idk.

An engaging experience with beautiful pixel art! At first I was hesitant due to the platforming element as I do tend to get frustrated quite quickly by this game genre, but I had a wonderful time playing this game. I did have to rely pretty heavily on guides to complete certain tasks/missions but that definitely wasn't a dealbreaker for me. Took about 18hrs to 100% and I was sad to see the end of it; definitely recommend!

Magical Delicacy was a big surprise for me, especially considering the mixed reviews, which I usually listen to and abstain from buying. I wasn't expecting to love it this much, and I can now say it's one of my favourite games I ever played. I feel like the majority of people who didn't like the game (based on reviews and other online discourse) just didn't know what they were getting into. Magical Delicacy is a cozy, combat-free metroidvania with cooking/crafting elements. It is NOT for everyone. Cozy gamers expecting farming and life sim elements with customization will be disappointed, as well as seasoned gamers looking for a challenging platformer. At its core, Magical Delicacy is about platforming, exploring, collecting ingredients, unlocking abilities and new areas, and trying to cook the right dish for every customer you meet to make the story progress. The cooking mechanic is well executed and really lets you experiment and discover. There are many, many ways to get to the desired result, which makes progression feel less linear. It's rarely punishing. Heck, it even inspired me to learn more about actual real-life cooking! The atmosphere and vibes are really what stuck …

Such a cute little romp. Story is pretty thin, but the art style is so fun. The game offers relaxed, standard, and challenging modes; plus the option to adjust a bunch of setting individually to create your ideal platforming experience. And while the game teaches you the basics of the cooking mechanics, it leaves you a lot of room to experiment and figure out recipes on your own.

I love this game so much and genuinely feel like it was made just for me- I first played it on switch (twice) but it doesn’t have achievements so I got it on steam. What first hooked me was being a witch that cooks, and while I was a tiny bit overwhelmed at first with all the mechanics, they fell into place once I started exploring. I adore the how the pixel style is simple yet still detailed, how all the backgrounds have subtle movements that make the setting feel alive. The characters are unique (among themselves) and their orders are out of the way enough they don’t feel same same (although if you don’t like exploring and gathering materials, you may find this tedious if you don’t have things pre-gathered). I loved the main story- no spoilers- but also found myself just as engaged in the side plots. Also I love the outfitssss and dungeon crawling and finding secret hidden things. I found myself coming back to cook, there’s so many different things you can make and unlock that’s not just given to you with a recipe. I also love you can change flavor profiles and cook with certain themes if you care enough. Anyway! Would love a second one 💜✨

Absolutely amazing been one of my new favourites ever since release. Nice story, interesting and fun gameplay and the coziest atmosphere. Have been looking for games like this ever since