Venba review

If there’s one thing in life I love more than video games, it’s food. I’m not content eating the same scran over and over again though, and whenever the moment arises I’ll always opt to try something new above all else. Trying out the foods of other cultures is especially appealing to me, but what does all of this have to do with video games? Well Venba is a game that’s all about south Indian food and culture, and it’s just delightful.

Venba and Paavalan are a south Indian couple who have moved to Canada to start a new life. Thinking this land will be full of opportunities for them, they took the plunge and emigrated to this totally different country. With problems finding employment and no local friends, the pair are starting to think that the move was a mistake and consider going back to India. Then Venba finds out she’s pregnant.

Wanting their new son to have opportunities they never could, Venba and Paavalan decide to stay in Canada long term after Kavin is born. With money struggles it isn’t easy, but the love this family has for each other pulls them through. That and some tasty home cooked Indian meals, which you’ll be playing a big part in making.

Venba has a recipe book full of all her favourite meals that her mother made for her before leaving to Canada, and you’ll need to use this to figure out how to make the food that the family fancies. This wouldn’t be an issue if it was in good condition, but this well loved book has bits of text that have been rubbed out throughout. This means trying to make sense of how to sensibly layer a biryani or what order to put soup ingredients in a pan. Getting these recipes right can take a bit of trial and error, but your reward is seeing some gorgeous colourful meals enjoyed by your family.

Actually cooking the food is very simple, and mainly involves clicking and dragging ingredients into pots and pans in the correct order. Occasionally you’ll need to spin the stick to spread out batter or tap a button to slice something, but Venba is anything but a test of your dexterity and skill with a controller. Common sense cooking and mild food based puzzles are what you’ll find here, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

No matter how good the meals Venba cooks are, it won’t always help the family deal with their day to day drama. Kavin is clearly more interested in the local cuisine than his mum’s food, and Paavalan really struggles to find regular work in a country that isn’t particularly interested in hiring foreign writers. The story takes some fairly dark turns in the one to two hour runtime, but it is engaging throughout.

For some the runtime of Venba will put them off buying it, and for the price it is understandable. I finished the game in a single session, and although it doesn’t feel like it rushes the story it has to tell I personally would’ve appreciated a few more cooking sessions interspersed.

Regardless of how long you spend playing Venba though, the visuals and soundtrack will certainly make an impression on you. The vibrant colours and hand drawn style of the game is simply breathtaking, and the soundtrack (which is inspired by Indian musicals) is the perfect background noise while you work on your recipes.

Venba uses food to showcase a culture that many who play it won’t be familiar with, and it does so wonderfully. The story it tells about being an outsider in a foreign place is touching, and the audio and visuals transport you into the families’ unique situation. It doesn’t last very long, but the hour I spent with Venba is one I won’t be forgetting any time soon.