One Does Not Simply Fry

One Does Not Simply Fry is fully aware of how ridiculous its premise is, but goes full-force with it, and that's why I love it. It's a cooking competition set in a parody Lord of the Rings. It'd be easy for something like this to just come off as a gimmick or disposable, but the theming really does tie everything together. The game is also incredibly funny, and made me laugh out loud multiple times. I loved every bit with the bread. I realize a lot of complaints about this game come from a perceived overdose of puns or just finding some jokes weak, but I didn't really notice that. This is part of the complete commitment to the bit; it reminds me of In a Manor of Speaking.

Gameplay-wise, this is really engaging and makes good use of the ChoiceScript format. There are four characters you can play as, each specializing in different areas of cooking or having things they can use to their advantage (such as strength or persuasiveness). First, you get to choose how to budget your money to buy ingredients. During the cooking contest, you go through each step of making your onion ring, and can try to sway the judges or sabotage other contestants with your downtime. It really makes you stop to think about your choices because they all add up in determining whether or not you win. The ending also does a good job of letting you know what specifically you failed on and what you did well, so you can plan around that next time. The only luck-based element I can see is that every contestant has a 1 in 6 chance to get a premium kitchen, but the game is pretty open with showing how this is calculated and when it happens, and it does improve the replayability. The game also has a good amount of achievements, which is always neat to see.

I didn't do very good on my first run, but I'd be glad to play it over again to see if I can do better with a different character. The only real criticism I have is that a few parts feel a bit long with the rules, but they do have a good amount of comedy and you can skip the repetitive parts on replays. One of the weirdest choice-based games I've played, but I had a great time with it.