Delicious Dungeon is a spellbinding action-adventure game that’s also part management sim—or a management sim with action-adventure elements. You're in charge of a fantasy restaurant, and stocking the establishment means exploring dungeons to find ingredients and other treasures.

It’s quirky, it’s fun, and it’s a unique spin on both the cooking and action genres. I recently had the chance to talk with the team at developer Digital Cauldron about how they made Delicious Dungeon, what inspired them, and what it was like working on a game they love.

Developer Nakisa Bastami said that the team went through several ideas before finally settling on the story of a chef going on adventures, which came from one of the programmers on the project. “I personally love cooking, and [the team] loves dungeon and boss fighting games, so we picked this idea out of a dozen others,” said Bastami.

Of course, a good restaurant simulator requires an outstanding menu. Coming up with recipes was a complex process, given the nature of Delicious Dungeon. Every dish had to be created with ingredients that players could scavenge for or hunt in-game. If the ingredients didn't exist? It wouldn't work. For instance, Bastami mentioned that the team created some great fish recipes—but there weren't any enemies that would logically drop fish, so the recipes had to be cut.

After solidifying the recipes for basic things like flour and noodles, the team picked out dishes they liked in real life and tried to fit them into the game. A special ramen recipe (literally called “The Delicious Dungeon”) was chosen because the developers loved ramen—so much so that Bastami created and cooked a real-world version of The Delicious Dungeon for the entire team after the project was completed.

Bastami says the team knew that “a dungeon crawler and a cooking sim are two very different games,” and that they “worried whether every player would feel like doing everything." Delicious Dungeon is a pretty unique blend of genres—and to address this potential problem, the team's inspirations were just as wide-ranging. Monster Hunter, for example, gives players the ability to send Palicoes out on adventures. The team also drew from real life kitchens, where head chefs have bustling crews to help them carry out restaurant tasks.

Combining these ideas, Digital Cauldron incorporated teams-for-hire that automate tasks in Delicious Dungeon. Players who enjoy running their restaurant can hire adventurers to do their dirty work. Those who love the thrill of adventuring and could care less about running a restaurant can hire workers to do the labor while they stay out on the road. Players can also explore the village. Getting to know the customers is part of what makes Delicious Dungeon feel cozy and relaxing.

The team poured their hearts into every aspect of Delicious Dungeon, and everyone was proud of different parts when it was finished. The artists were thrilled about how the vegetation in the game looked after they worked to make it look natural. The game's look “was influenced by the artists’ preferred work style," incorporating simple shapes and hand-painted textures. The team knew they wanted Delicious Dungeon to feel “friendly and cozy,” with a hint of mystery as well.

Others were proud of how the boss fights ended up playing. The food was another high point, simply because of how delicious it actually looks. And, of course, Bastami said that the team is “always happy to brag about how great the soundtrack is.”

Despite being proud of how Delicious Dungeon came together, Bastami did say that they could’ve reined in the scope a bit. “We knew from the get-go that this was going to be a big game…In the end, everything turned out okay, but looking back, we would have loved to do a little less and design certain aspects a little more.”

Overall, Bastami and the rest of the team at Digital Cauldron poured their hearts into a game that captured their own interests and captivated players. Running a fantasy restaurant while sourcing your own ingredients is as relaxing as it is thrilling—and like any great chef, Delicious Dungeon lets you adjust the experience to your own tastes.

If you're ready to open your own restaurant, you'll find Delicious Dungeon in the Epic Games Store.