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Cooking sims and deckbuilders have both evolved a lot over the years, but the two genres weren't combined until Arcane Eats debuted at last year's PC Gaming Show. In it, you run a fantasy-themed restaurant and feed your hungry diners, from goblins and orcs to fairies and dwarves. Now, the game has another new demo for you to sink your teeth into, and a trailer narrated by none other than celebrity chef Gorgon Ramsey.
As someone who grew up on Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares, I recognised the intonation and blue language in the voice over immediately—it's a solid impression. You'll have to put your cooking skills to the test to impress the likes of Gorgon Ramsey, Guy Fairy, Wolfman Puck, as well as newly introduced Jewelia Crag-Child—I'm a sucker for pun names.
You play by creating dishes out of cards in your deck. You'll have ingredients like star potatoes or a giant eagle egg that you use to form the base; upgrades in the form of kitchen tools, such as twin cleavers that allow you to double your next ingredient; and garnishes like black abyss pepper which add a spicy kick to your meals. Just like real life, there are a lot of combos to try.
You've got to pick and choose the dishes customers get, which may lead to some upset diners. You'll learn the tastes of regulars and even try to impress the legendary chefs mentioned above—if you do, you'll get the coveted three Mythril Star rating. You'll also be able to climb the ranks of three guilds that each reward different types of cards. Go hearty and heavy with the Hearth, turn up the heat with the Grove's elemental spices, and become a mise-en-place master with the Order.
Arcane Eats, developed by the very appropriately named Wonderbelly Games, has a new demo that you can try out today; download it on Steam.
