Right Into the Action
Gourmania doesn't waste time getting to the fun, which is something I can definitely appreciate. As soon as you fire up the game, you're asked to input your name, then before you know it you're being asked if you can cook! John needs help with his fast food restaurant or it's going to shut down, and you're just the person for the job! Working as a short-order cook may not fulfill your dreams of being a gourmet chef, but it's definitely a good place to start.
Hidden Objects In The Kitchen
It just so happens that all of the kitchens you'll be working in are in complete and utter disarray. They're not messy from a hygienic standpoint, they're simply unorganized and cluttered. This is going to make your job a lot more difficult, but also a lot more fun!
When a customer orders something, you'll see a list of ingredients at the top of the screen. For a hamburger, you'll need things like a hamburger bun and ground beef. Find these two items in the kitchen and click them to send them up top. Once they're there, click on them and drag them into the frying pan to cook them up. Then you'll have to find whatever extras the customer wants, which usually consists of lettuce, tomato, and mustard or ketchup.
For things like sandwiches, it works the same way, but instead of cooking them, you'll drag the ingredients to the cutting board to prepare them.
Be sure to be quick about all of this! Not only will slow service upset the customer and make them less likely to leave big tips, but you can only have three customers at a time, so clearing orders out faster will allow you to do more business before the restaurant closes.
These two mechanics - hidden objects and cooking - aren't entirely unique, but combining them certainly is. Gourmania found a way to create an experience unlike anything else using two genres that have been around for years. For originality and innovation alone, this product scores big points.
How To Spend Your Cash
As you complete your jobs, you'll rake in a lot of dough. There are two things that you can spend your money on: upgrades and businesses. Upgrades will help you tremendously, allowing you to prepare dishes faster and multitask. Buying businesses is the ultimate goal. It's pretty empowering seeing your name on the deed, along with how much money your business rakes in.
Four Stars!
Gourmania is a unique package. It manages to do something new and original while feeling completely familiar and user-friendly. You'll pick up the hang of cooking in no time flat and you'll have a lot of fun doing it. This product is fun, addicting, and rewarding, and unlike real cooking, there's no messy clean up afterwards! What more could you want?
As someone who's afraid of using anything more than the microwave, I give this product a big thumbs up! I can only imagine how much actual chefs will like it!
