Over the ten years that my wife Taylor and I have been together, I would like to believe that we have always shared a respectful and supportive relationship. In other words, we never fight, we never insult or yell at one another, and we don’t let anything stand in our way. One could say that is the perfect relationship—that was until we threw on our aprons and stepped into Hell’s kitchen itself in Let’s Cook Together, where everything I just mentioned above went completely out the window.

Let’s Cook Together is an indie game developed by Yellow Dot and released on April 4, 2020. If you have ever played the popular game Overcooked, then you will have an understanding of how this game works. The game thrusts you and another player into the role of the fruit or vegetable of your choosing on a studio TV show where you are frantically racing against the clock to scrounge up the necessary ingredients to complete orders that have been placed in front of you. Two players are required to play this local co-op game, so you must find someone who is willing to share an adventure with you.

Teamwork is key in Let’s Cook Together. If you don’t have it, you can kiss your three-star rating chances goodbye. The kitchen is divided between you and your partner by a table, and each of you has a unique set of ingredients and tools that the other will rely on to finish their orders in time. Although you may have potatoes on your side of the table, your partner could have the fryer needed to prepare them so that you can get your order of fries. We ran into several stressful situations during which time was ticking away and Taylor and I were frantically yelling at one another to make sure we had our orders in. We were almost at each other’s throats! There is, however, no greater feeling than the one we both felt when we completed our orders at the last possible moment, sending us into a wave of excitement.

Here’s a clip of us making burgers and fries, complete with our spicy commentary:

Your goal is to get that three-star rating with every episode. If you want to accomplish this, you must collect coins. Earn coins by making sure no orders expire, not wasting any food, or delivering orders in a rapid succession in order to achieve combos. You can use these coins to purchase several upgrades from the shop that will help you improve your cooking experience. For example, you can upgrade your appliances to provide faster performance so you don’t have to wait so long for food to cook. Also, you can speed up the process of chopping potatoes and tomatoes. In addition to the upgrade options, you will also be able to purchase your favorite character skins to satisfy your inner chef.

If you are looking for plenty of content, then this game for sure has you covered. Yellow Dot has delivered a total of 168 levels through three seasons, each with 56 episodes. The game alone will provide countless hours of chaotic fun, especially if you’re a completionist like me who can’t be satisfied unless you earn three stars on every level. Additionally, there is an endless mode you can unlock that lets you play indefinitely as long as you don’t miss an order or drop any ingredients. There is also a battle mode where two players face off against each other to see who can get the most points. The game is also ideal for people who don’t have time to sit and play for hours because each level only takes around five to ten minutes to complete. These shorter rounds make it more accessible to players with limited time.

Here we are again pushing our score up to three stars:

If you want to be successful at Let’s Cook Together, it is imperative that you remain calm. In many situations, I find myself paying attention to everything on the screen that is going on, and I literally drive myself nuts as a result. You and your partner could easily be distracted by the slightest error, and next thing you know you are engaging in a food fight with one another. It is a game where you are always on the move with very little time to stop for a breather. Your attention is constantly focused on what orders are coming your way, making sure your burgers don’t burn, and making sure you gather ingredients in the proper order. When there are so many things going on, there are times when I get so overwhelmed and confused that I just quit moving and go completely blank. In other situations, I feel like I’m a true god of food, moving from one end of the kitchen to the other tossing ingredients to Taylor and completing my orders with time to spare, almost like I had a little rat in my chef hat controlling everything I did.

The only issue I had while playing the game is the lack of online cooperative play. Although I had no problem playing with Taylor who sat next to me, if I wanted to play with a friend living six hours away, it would be impossible. The fact that we still see games like this made, where you can create memories with your friends sitting on the couch through couch co-op, is great. But I would also like to see the option to play online with other players.

Here’s one of our more chaotic and colorful rounds with even spicier commentary… “MY TOMATOES!”:

Overall, Lets Cook Together delivers on providing players with a hilariously fun yet chaotic experience that will keep anyone entertained for hours. I don’t know if I have ever played a game where Taylor and I would bicker over the dumbest thing one second then bump fists and shout through the house with excitement the next. My wife and I know, without a doubt, that this is a game we’ll continue to play for quite some time to come.

Lets Cook Together is now available for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and Steam. You should grab a friend or loved one and join in on the kitchen madness that is sure to occur. 

Have you played it? Think you’ll give it a try?