History Main / CookingMechanics

* ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey V'' allows the player to cook food that restores HP and/or TP. To do so, the player needs to learn the recipes from [=NPCS=], gather the ingredients from specific types of gathering points, and then go to one of the dozen or so campfire points hidden throughout the game's labyrinths to make the food out of the ingredients they've gathered.

Subtrope of ItemCrafting. May produce PowerUpFood. See also SpellCrafting. Related to FishingMiniGame and GameHuntingMechanic.

Subtrope of ItemCrafting. See also SpellCrafting. Related to FishingMiniGame and GameHuntingMechanic.

[[AC:EasternRPG]]
* In ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'', making Poffins for contests requires playing a mini-game where you stir a hot batter with your stylus, careful not to burn it or spill it. The better you do, and the type of berry you add, changes the flavor and strength of the Poffin.
** At the camps in ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield,'' you can make curry. Various motion controls and button inputs are used to fan the flame, stir the pot, and "put your heart into" the meal at the end. Following these controls properly will result in a higher-ranking curry, which will increase your Pokémon's stats and sociability more and heal it better. There are over a hundred different flavors of curry to cook based on what Berries and extra ingredients you put into the pot.
** You can make various types of cakes and food items to entice wild Pokémon in ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'' with cake bases and plants gathered in various areas.
* ''VideoGame/TrailsSeries'' has an extensive cooking mechanic that is your main way of healing outside of a town. Monster parts are the main ingredients, sometimes supplemented by local ingredients from shops. Cooking can be done anywhere from a special menu, and usually creates an item that can be used at any later time, but some recipes have an immediate effect on your party. You have to learn recipes in order to make specific items, which is usually done by just eating the food a restaurant or shop. Each town you visit has special local ingredients, unique monster parts in the surrounding area to harvest, and unique recipes to use them.
* ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey V'' allows the player to cook food that restores HP and/or TP. To do so, the player needs to learn the recipes from [=NPCS=], gather the ingredients from specific types of gathering points, and then go to one of the dozen or so campfire points hidden throughout the game's labyrinths to make the food out of the ingredients they've gathered.

* ''VideoGame/GourmetSentaiBarayaro'': Like the name said, you can collect various fresh ingredients from enemies during gameplay, such as garlic, mushroom, various kinds of meat and spices, tofu and whatnot, and at the end of each level you can play a mini cooking-game that combines your collected ingredients into a fine dinner. You're then shown eating it before the next level begins.

* You can make various types of cakes and food items to entice wild Pokémon in ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'' with cake bases and plants gathered in various areas.

* In ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'', making Poffins for contests requires playing a mini-game where you stir a hot batter with your stylist, careful not to burn it or spill it. The better you do, and the type of berry you add, changes the flavor and strength of the Poffin.

* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons'' brought cooking into the game in the 2.0 update. Recipes are obtained from balloons, bottles and villagers, much like [=DIY=] recipes. You can grow carrots, potatoes,wheat,tomatoes, pumpkins and sugarcane along with your fruit and cook with them, as well fruit from trees,turnips,young spring bamboo, and certain fish. Some were pleased the often annoying sea bass was one. Cooked meals can be eaten for energy like fruit and will give several points at once, or used for display. Fortunately they don’t spoil.

! Exemples:

[[AC:Main/SimulationGame]]

* In ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'', making Poffins for contests requires playing a mini-game where you stir a hot batter with your stylist, careful not to burn it or spill it. The better you do, and the type of berry you add, changes the flavor and strength of the Poffin.
** At the camps in ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield,'' you can make curry. Various motion controls and button inputs are used to fan the flame, stir the pot, and "put your heart into" the meal at the end. Following these controls properly will result in a higher-ranking curry, which will increase your Pokémon's stats and sociability more and heal it better. There are over a hundred different flavors of curry to cook based on what Berries and extra ingredients you put into the pot.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'': Curry is a popular dish in Galar[[note]](just let the fact it's Japanese curry and not Indian curry in a Great Britain-inspired area slide)[[/note]], and trainers can cook some for them and their Pokemon. Different ingredients and berries can change the flavor or improve the dish. They give experience points, HP, and friendship points when eaten, with higher quality curry giving more of. There's 151 different curries in the game, so gotta cook em' all!

-->--Description of the achievement "Cooking Up a Storm" from ''VideoGame/NiNoKuniIIRevenantKingdom''

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'' has an extensive cooking mechanic that is your main way of healing outside of a town. Monster parts are the main ingredients, sometimes supplemented by local ingredients from shops. Cooking can be done anywhere from a special menu, and usually creates an item that can be used at any later time, but some recipes have an immediate effect on your party. You have to learn recipes in order to make specific items, which is usually done by just eating the food a restaurant or shop. Each town you visit has special local ingredients, unique monster parts in the surrounding area to harvest, and unique recipes to use them.

Game developers can include these minigames for increased realism; however, because of the complexity of such mechanisms, there are often other causes such as wanting to add additional effects for elaborated dishes (such as better HP recovery, various StatusBuffs, or dispelling debuffs) or merely additional nutrition.

Game developers can include these minigames for increased realism; however, because of the complexity of such mechanisms, there are often other causes such as wanting to add additional effects for elaborated dishes or merely additional nutrition.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', the player can turn basic food items into prepared dishes such as cakes, which provide additional effects such as teleportation or merely additional nutrition compared to the raw version.

* ''VideoGame/{{Starbound}}'': the player can prepare edible items, ensuring they would give more nutrition the more complex they are, along with additional effects such as additional energy.

[[AC:WideOpenSandbox]]

** In ''PokemonSwordAndShield'' you can make curry. Various motion controls and button inputs are used to fan the flame, stir the pot, and "put your heart into" the meal at the end. Following these controls properly will result in a higher-ranking curry, which will increase your Pokémon's stats and sociability more and heal it better. There are over a hundred different flavors of curry to cook based on what Berries and extra ingredients you put into the pot.

If we have food diversity without cooking then we have GameGourmet.

* ''VideoGame/FreeRealms'' had a cooking minigame, which in turn tied in to the chef occupation your character could take up. You had to slice, fry and garnish various items to create tasty dishes.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', the player can turn basic foos items into prepared dishes such as cakes, which provide additional effects such as teleportation or merely additional nutrition compared to the raw version.

Game developpers can include these minigames for increased realism; however, because of the complexity of such mechanisms, there are often other causes such as wanting to add additional effects for elaborated dishes or merely additional nutrition.