Choose The Cooking Game
Choose The Cooking Game if it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. The Cooking Game launched in 2016.
The Cooking Game vs Head Chef
The Cooking Game and Head Chef both land in Indie, Simulation, Casual on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Indie, Simulation, Casual on Steam. The Cooking Game (2016) is 10 years older than Head Chef (2026). The Cooking Game is free; Head Chef is paid (Price unknown). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Head Chef
Choose Head Chef if you want a Strategy game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Online PvP. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Head Chef launched in 2026.
Both The Cooking Game and Head Chef sit in Indie, Simulation, and Casual on Steam and both list Steam Leaderboards, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 The Cooking Game |  Head Chef | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, Casual | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 54.2% positive (96 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op |
| Developers | Play Spirit Limited | TrixHouse |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation, Casual on Steam.
- The Cooking Game (2016) is 10 years older than Head Chef (2026).
- The Cooking Game is free; Head Chef is paid (Price unknown).
- Head Chef has co-op; The Cooking Game does not.
The Cooking Game vs Head Chef — FAQ
- Should I play The Cooking Game or Head Chef first?
- If you want chronology, The Cooking Game (2016) came out before Head Chef (2026). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are The Cooking Game and Head Chef similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Simulation, Casual on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does The Cooking Game have multiplayer like Head Chef?
- No. Head Chef supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op), while The Cooking Game is listed as single-player only.
- Is The Cooking Game free?
- Yes — The Cooking Game is a free-to-play Steam title. Head Chef is paid (Price unknown).