Video games and food and drink go together a lot better than you might think, and I’m not just talking about Doritos and Mountain Dew. Cooking food is an integral part of a lot of games, and not just the ones where food prep is its core mechanic likeCooking MamaandOvercooked. Gathering ingredients and learning recipes to best prepare what lies ahead for Link is a huge part ofTears of the Kingdom, and if you don’t have your Sims feed themselves inThe Simswell, they’re not going to last very long.
Food’s connection with the gaming world can extend beyond just preparing it in the games themselves. For as long as there has been food and drink in games, players have been whipping up dishes inspired by their experiences and even attempting to replicate some of the recipes their characters have eaten in-game. That has resulted in a slew of video game cookbooks hitting the market over the years, and there are a lot of great, well-written ones out there teeming with delicious recipes. I’ve picked a few of the best gaming cookbooks available right now, pulling from all four corners of the video game world.
The Ultimate Final Fantasy XIV Cookbook: The Essential Culinarian Guide to Hydaelyn
I’ve Heard Chocobo Tastes A Lot Like Chicken
The Ultimate Final Fantasy XIV Cookbook: The Essential Culinarian Guide to Hydaelyn features delicious cooking options all inspired by the critically acclaimed MMORPG from Square Enix.
Final Fantasy 14is a game that will consume your life if you let it. The trouble is, if you do love the MMORPG so much that you’re playing it every single day, your time with the game ends whenever you put down the controller (or the mouse and keyboard). That’s unless you’ve got its official companion cookbook. Exploring Hydaelyn virtually is one thing. Taking a literal culinary tour of Final Fantasy 14’s world via this cookbook, that’s something else entirely, and a whole new way to experience the game which is easier said than done after many have been playing it for a decade.
The Official Horizon Cookbook: Tastes of the Seven Tribes
This Is The (Post-Apocalyptic) Future Of Cooking
Horizon’s official cookbook gives you a glimpse into what preparing and eating food will be like 1,000 years from now. Its pages are filled with more than 60 recipes, there’s even lore hidden in this book that isn’t present in the games.
When you think about the future, and what people living in the future might eat, you likely imagine stuff akin to astronaut food. Well, what if the future waiting for us is closer to the one depicted in Horizon? Sure, it’s taking place after an apocalypse, but at least we’ll still be eating proper food rather than an entire meal that’s been condensed into a tablet. When the apocalypse hits, you’ll want this cookbook with you. Tonnes of recipes inspired by the Horizon series, not to mention some official lore that you won’t find in the games. That’s right, if you haven’t read the Horizon cookbook, then there are officially gaps in your Horizon knowledge.
Dragon Age: The Official Cookbook: Taste Of Thedas
Is Dragon-Aged Beef In Here?
The Dragon Age trilogy is an immersive fantasy series, but one thing the games can’t do is let you taste what life in Thedas is like. Until now. Dragon Age now has an official cookbook, and its pages are filled with 60 different recipes inspired by the three games in the series so far.
Anything to distract usDragon Agefans from the wait betweenInquisitionandDreadwolfis incredibly welcome, and while a cookbook isn’t something I had on that particular bingo card, I will absolutely take it. Not only because I’m eager to find out what the original trilogy tastes like, but with more than 60 recipes to work though, I hope that by the time I’m done, Dreadwolf will be here. It has to be right? Right?!
Diablo: The Official Cookbook: Recipes And Tales From The Inns Of Sanctuary
Recipes To Die For
With four games to pull from, even though food isn’t a central theme, the official Diablo cookbook includes more than 60 recipes inspired by the series. The book includes recipes for everyone, regardless of skill level.
Diablo 4has been criminally overlooked in 2023 as one of the busiest and best years for video game releases comes to an end. Whether you’re done with the latest installment in theDiabloseries and want to continue your adventure or you’re still playing and you’re looking for more ways to fill your life with Diablo, picking up this cookbook would be a wise choice. Food is probably the last thing on your mind when slaying demons in Diablo 4, but that means you’ll be especially hungry once you’re done and will now have a cookbook to turn to for ideas on what to eat.
Magic: The Gathering: The Official Cookbook: Cuisines of the Multiverse
Tabletop Cuisine For Your Tabletop Game
Packed with 70 recipes, Magic The Gathering’s Cuisines of the Multiverse cookbook pulls recipes from every corner of the TCG. An officially licensed product and includes recipes for everyone from inexperienced cooks to self-affirmed chefs.
A multiverse as extensive and far-reaching asMagic: The Gathering, even though food isn’t at the center of it all that often, there’s an almost bottomless well of inspiration from which to pull inspiration for enough recipes to comfortably fill a cookbook. If you’ve worked up an appetite opening packs or beating your buddies time and time again, now there’s a cookbook perfect for you to go to and whip something up. Filled with recipes for amateurs and seasoned pros and everyone in between, you may now replace the cards on your tabletop with recipes inspired by them.
My Pokemon Baking Book
Knead That Fidough
My Pokemon Baking Book is an official cookbook filled with recipes inspired by the wide world of Pokemon. Published by Insight Editions and a follow-up to My Pokemon Cookbook which includes more general recipes.
Pokemonalready has its own official cookbook, but its world continues to expand at such a rate thatit now has its own baking book too. Filled with sweet treats, and a few savory ones too, each of My Pokemon Baking Book’s recipes is inspired by a different ‘mon. From Igglybuff cupcakes to Mudbray’s mud pie, the book quite literally takes you on a journey through all of Pokemon’s regions. Starting in Kanto and ending in Paldea, as well as sorting them by region, each recipe has a difficulty rating attached. The higher the rating, the harder the author believes a particular product is to make. I’d recommend also judging them for yourselves before diving in as a few of the ratings seem a little misjudged, although most of them are spot on.
Halo: The Official Cookbook
Is That Your Stomach I Can Hear, Spartan?
Halo’s official cookbook is filled with recipes inspired by Xbox’s flagship series. In it you’ll find food used to fill the stomachs of hungry Spartans along with various dishes prepared in outlets you may well have happened upon while playing the games.
While Pokemon may well be a series that makes you think of food,Haloprobably isn’t. That makesits official cookbook, which is actually pretty great, all the more impressive. That the authors have managed to fill its pages with recipes pulled from and inspired by a series that revolves around firing Needlers and driving Warthogs. I use a lot of cookbooks, moving between them pretty regularly, and a year after picking up this Halo one, it remains in my rotation. Some of the recipes are pretty basic as you’re able to tell gathering up enough ideas must have been pretty tricky, but there are others that I’ve returned to time and time again, like the chicken satay and hot chocolate. Seriously, when you get this book, start with the hot chocolate. Thank me later.
The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook
Make Your Fictional Grandad Proud
Stardew Valley is a game built on farming and foraging, so a cookbook based on recipes inspired by its world makes a lot of sense. Launching in April 2024 and available to pre-order right now.
Stardew Valleyis a game built on foraging for food and tending to your farm. Outside of a cooking sim, there might well be no game more suited to having a cookbook than this one.Stardew Valley’s official cookbookeven cycles through the seasons, a core mechanic of the game. Its pages are filled with recipes inspired by the game and suitable for various times of the year. That means, if you really wanted to, you could gradually cook your way through it, making its recipes last an entire year. Or you can speed through it and try everything. Hey, if you want to make a heavy stew designed to keep you warm in the middle of winter at the height of summer, I’m not going to stop you.
God of War: The Official Cookbook
Gods Gotta Eat Too
God of War: The Official Cookbook explores the nine realms through food inspired by the games, with over 60 recipes for you to cook.
TheGod of Wargames let you fight like a god, but there aren’t very many opportunities to eat like one. Yes, inRagnarokyou do get to refuel at Sindri’s house pretty regularly, but eating food in a game doesn’t compare to actually eating the food inspired by it.The official God of War cookbookliterally takes you on a tasting tour of the nine realms. Written from the perspective of Tyr, the other God of War regales you with tales of his travels, remembering all of the delicious food and drink he has tried along the way. He then passes the recipes for those culinary delights onto you. Some of them include rare and exotic ingredients, so you’ll either need to go on a Kratos and Atreus-style quest to find them, or simply replace them with something similar. I’d personally trade in the quail required in one of the recipes for chicken, but maybe that’s just me.
Sonic The Hedgehog: The Official Cookbook
Did Someone Say Chilli Dogs?
Sonic the Hedgehog’s official cookbook is packed with more than 50 recipes inspired by the blue blur’s various games that will give you the energy to go fast. From chili dogs to just about every ring-shaped foodstuff you can think of.
Sonicis always going so fast that he barely ever stops to do anything, even eat. The world’s most famous hedgehog is well known for his love of chili dogs though, and there’s a recipe for what Sonic claims to be the perfect one in the pages of his official cookbook. There are also recipes for plenty of ring-shaped foods too. Doughnuts, onion rings… there are other ring-shaped foods, right? Anyway, this cookbook has a lot of food and drinks to work your way through. More than 50 of them in fact, and speed ratings on each one will help you gauge just how long it’ll take you to get through all of them. Don’t rush, but if you are keen to make something but don’t have much time, those speed ratings are incredibly handy.
The Ultimate Gamers Cookbook: Recipes For An Epic Game Night
Non-Ultimate Gamers Also Welcome
The Ultimate Gamers Cookbook doesn’t pull recipes from a particular game. It’s filled with recipes perfect to make for yourself and your friends whenever you’re next hosting game night, and each of them has an amusing name to make sure it stays connected to the video game world. More than 50 recipes are included that vary in difficulty and prep time.
Not all video game cookbooks have to be about recipes inspired by specific video games. Some of the food and drink commonly associated with gaming relate to what’s fun and easy to eat when you’re in the heat of battle or playing for hours on end with friends.The Ultimate Gamers Cookbook is perfect for those scenarios. No baking a ginger loaf recommended by Fuecoco or encouraging your friends who don’t like Sonic nearly as much as you do to collect as many onion rings as they can. Just simple recipes to knock up to eat while you play. There are some elaborate ones in there too if you’re trying to impress your gamer friends. Recommended if you’re going to spend the rest of your day being beaten inFIFAandSmash.
FAQ
Is There A Genshin Impact Cookbook?
Yes, there is aGenshin Impactcookbook, but unlike the cookbooks included in the guide, it isn’t an officially licensed one. It’s still a pretty great cookbook clearly written by people who know the game though, and it might well get an official version in the future.
What Do People Eat While Gaming?
Salty snacks are the preferred food of choice by gamers. Items that can be eaten without making too much mess and without distracting you from your game. Soft drinks, particularly energy drinks, are usually the chosen beverage pairing, but perhaps that will change if you pick up one or two of the cookbooks above.
