Looking For The Next Subversive Game?

Ever since playing Doki Doki Literature Club Plus and Moving Houses, it seems the search for the next gaming subversion has been somewhat lacking. One was a visual novel that was in fact a psychological horror, or a chill cosy game with deep dives into emotional distress. Even going into both sort of knowing what to expect, they still left a lasting impression.

Now, here comes Cooking Companions, another game that subverts expectations. Sure, it firmly fits the mould of Doki Doki Literature Club, being a psychological horror disguised as a visual novel, but it also manages to forge a unique path of its own.

How To Cook (With) Your Companions

Set in the Polish Tatra mountains and using Eastern European folklore as its inspiration, Cooking Companions quickly sets its stall out. Four travellers arrive at what appears to be an abandoned shack: Anatoly, Karin, Gregor and Mariah. They are quickly greeted however by you; the unnamed, unseen character you play as. Offering them all a place to rest and eat, it would seem that the five of you know each other already.

To absolutely no-one’s surprise, things quickly turn south. Anatoly and the others will often go out foraging for food because supplies are short, and you have been appointed the group chef. After only a few days though, the group are down to their last slice of bread. And to top it off, a storm has come in; even foraging is out of the question.

With no food left and no way to restock, the group get pretty hungry…

Even with no prior knowledge of where this visual novel will take a sinister turn, the fact that food is mentioned repeatedly so early on almost telegraphs what is going to happen. But there is another clue in the clever title: Yes, you are Cooking with your Companions, but you are also Cooking your Companions.

That’s not to say that Cooking Companions is predictable, because there is a lot to pack in, even for a game that takes less than three hours to complete the main section.

Enter the Chompettes

Firstly, the Chompettes. These little fruit and veggie critters only help to double down on the cute aesthetic the game is presenting on the outside. It would appear that only you can see them however, and they pop up periodically to confuse, help and hinder. Usually, covering all three of those bases in one go.

These smiling veggies live in a drawer that only you can open. Potato, Cabbage, Raspberry, Bread and Onion are all unique enough that they feel like individuals rather than a set of five. Raspberry for example, will constantly talk down to you. Conversely, Bread will constantly be making puns, whether the situation calls for them or not.

How the Chompettes came to be is a prologue that can be played through at the end of the main story. However, this only left me with more questions than answers. There are secrets to be found within the game and through New Game+, but until these are uncovered, at times Cooking Companions can feel a bit messy.

Do Multiple Endings Equal Replayability?

At times it also feels like your decisions are having very little impact on the story itself. A few times you will need to choose one of the party to speak to, and doing so fills an arbitrary relationship meter. Max it out and you are rewarded with an achievement and maybe some new artwork, but the story will not change as a result of these interactions. 

There are multiple endings, but many of these come from maxing out your relationships with each character or finding some well-hidden options when you have limited time to explore. Many people will end up with the normal ending after a first playthrough.

What that means is that many endings will have a third act that just appears to fall apart before you with no resemblance of what came before. It’s a jarring oxymoron of events, but not necessarily for the better either.

Completing the main story once also unlocks Nightmare Mode; allowing the story to continue a little bit more, but this time with extra jumpscares. It is recommended that you play this in a dark room and with headphones on. You could, but there is no punishment for doing the exact opposite either. Trust me.

During my time playing however an update was released. Since then, I have not unlocked any achievements that should have. But with multiple playthroughs required, those looking for a quick completion can find things easier. There are options to skip through dialogue quickly that should help, because there isn’t all that much in terms of playing through the story again and again.

A Subversive Feast for Horror Fans (With a Few Uncooked Bits)

But if you are looking for a visual novel that echoes Doki Doki Literature Club, then Cooking Companions should be on your radar. It doesn’t quite hit the heights of the aforementioned VN, but is still able to forge its own identity. Play through the Chompettes prologue and Nightmare Mode to fill in some of the gaps, but also be prepared to go some to get all the answers.

Important Links

Don’t Get Eaten – Deceptive Horror VN Cooking Companions Serves Up Dread – https://www.thexboxhub.com/dont-get-eaten-deceptive-horror-vn-cooking-companions-serves-up-dread/

Buy Cooking Companions on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/cooking-companions/9nncf0rkxstj