Abra-Cooking-Dabra offers a unique gaming experience with its whimsical premise. Players take on the role of a chef transported to a café inspired by Wonderland after receiving an enigmatic email. The game’s overseer is a monocle-wearing black cat with a bold personality. Its gothic art style and smooth jazz soundtrack create an intriguing atmosphere that contrasts with the fast-paced cooking gameplay.
The demo effectively introduces the main concept: cooking through a card-based system. Each ingredient, tool, and dish is represented as a card, requiring players to drag and combine them in logical sequences—such as using a knife on a tomato to chop it, followed by placing it on a plate to complete the dish. While the initial gameplay is intuitive, the difficulty escalates rapidly. Players must manage a deck as they gather ingredients from booster packs purchased during rounds, adding an element of unpredictability along with the challenge of sometimes lacking essential cards.
What adds depth to the gameplay is the blend of strategy within the chaotic cooking challenges. Players must balance active orders against timers, organize their limited workspace, and even cultivate a garden for future ingredients. The ability to pause the clock provides a necessary breather for shopping and restructuring; however, this might disrupt the flow for those seeking continuous action.
The demo includes six levels that highlight player progression. Early stages are calmer and more inviting, while later levels ramp up the intensity, introducing a secret endless mode for skilled players. As players advance, they unlock new tools and appliances and may discover wild cards or sell surplus ingredients to the critical cat, adding an entertaining twist to the gameplay.
Overall, Abra-Cooking-Dabra is a creative and engaging title that blends deck-building, resource management, and timed cooking elements in a refreshing way. However, the random nature of booster packs may prove frustrating, and the cognitive demands of managing numerous tasks simultaneously might overwhelm some players. Nonetheless, for those seeking a mix of strategy and whimsy—with a hint of kitchen chaos—this demo is certainly worth exploring. It’s more than just a calm cooking simulation; it presents a delightful challenge set against a backdrop of jazz and Wonderland charm.
Kevin Austin has been involved in gaming journalism since the Nintendo Gamecube’s launch. A married father of three, he started gaming at age six with his first NES system. Over 30 years later, he continues to play daily. Kevin co-founded the Play Some Video Games (PSVG) Podcast network, which has been thriving for over five years. He enjoys series like Fallout and Far Cry and often engages in single-player adventures, as well as various battle royale games. If there’s an unusual game, chances are he’s interested in it.
Follow Kevin Austin on:
Twitter: @PSVGKevin
—
Source link
