Cook And Hero is a short rpg about a high-stakes fantasy cuisine battle.
I can't tell whether this was an influence, but it has a *strong* Battle Chef Brigade feel.
Cook And Hero's PDF is 2 pages, with lovely art and a well-organized, easy to read layout.
Oddly, one of C&H's most interesting innovations isn't cooking related at all. The game leads with a pair of tables---one to determine the competition's host, and the other for the GM to determine the story's genre. This keeps the GM on their toes, and might be really refreshing. That said, some rolls (such as dating show, sitcom, or interview) may also be especially tricky to frame stories around.
And speaking of innovations, C&H's writing in the first half is also a little experimental, in that it frames the game's directions the same way you might frame a recipe. There are instructions to do things like "add the dice," which is neat but also briefly kicked my brain into high gear trying to process the meaning.
For players, C&H's gameplay is extremely easy to learn. A la Honey Heist, PCs have two stats, a style, and a class, and all rolls are resolved by trying to roll under or over a stat---using an extra die if you're doing something that fits your style or class. Succeeding and failing pushes your stat split in either direction, and letting your character become all cook or all hero is a death sentence. Before you get to that point, however, you can gather three key ingredients and put them together perfectly to win the game---or you can find a powerful artifact and try and kill the GM's celebrity chef. Your call.
Overall, Cook And Hero has a *lot* of experimentation going on, but the core is very solid and easy to play. Be prepared as a GM to play loosely and reactively---you'll have to throw together a lot of setting information and challenges on the fly unless you sit down and write an adventure in advance. That said, if you're looking for something quick and food-themed to run, this is a great pick---especially if you like highly chaotic, flexible storytelling.
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Cook And Hero is a short rpg about a high-stakes fantasy cuisine battle.
I can't tell whether this was an influence, but it has a *strong* Battle Chef Brigade feel.
Cook And Hero's PDF is 2 pages, with lovely art and a well-organized, easy to read layout.
Oddly, one of C&H's most interesting innovations isn't cooking related at all. The game leads with a pair of tables---one to determine the competition's host, and the other for the GM to determine the story's genre. This keeps the GM on their toes, and might be really refreshing. That said, some rolls (such as dating show, sitcom, or interview) may also be especially tricky to frame stories around.
And speaking of innovations, C&H's writing in the first half is also a little experimental, in that it frames the game's directions the same way you might frame a recipe. There are instructions to do things like "add the dice," which is neat but also briefly kicked my brain into high gear trying to process the meaning.
For players, C&H's gameplay is extremely easy to learn. A la Honey Heist, PCs have two stats, a style, and a class, and all rolls are resolved by trying to roll under or over a stat---using an extra die if you're doing something that fits your style or class. Succeeding and failing pushes your stat split in either direction, and letting your character become all cook or all hero is a death sentence. Before you get to that point, however, you can gather three key ingredients and put them together perfectly to win the game---or you can find a powerful artifact and try and kill the GM's celebrity chef. Your call.
Overall, Cook And Hero has a *lot* of experimentation going on, but the core is very solid and easy to play. Be prepared as a GM to play loosely and reactively---you'll have to throw together a lot of setting information and challenges on the fly unless you sit down and write an adventure in advance. That said, if you're looking for something quick and food-themed to run, this is a great pick---especially if you like highly chaotic, flexible storytelling.