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 The Cooking Game VR
The Cooking Game and The Cooking Game VR 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 8 years older than The Cooking Game VR (2024). The Cooking Game VR scores higher on Steam reviews (65.9% positive) than The Cooking Game (54.2% positive). 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 The Cooking Game VR
Choose The Cooking Game VR if you want the Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP side of the pairing. On Steam, it's the newer release (2024) and ships with the modern feature baseline. The Cooking Game VR launched in 2024.
Both The Cooking Game and The Cooking Game VR 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 |  The Cooking Game VR | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2024 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, Casual | Indie, Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Unsupported |
| Price | Free to play | 19.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 54.2% positive (96 reviews) | 65.9% positive (41 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Play Spirit Limited | Play Spirit Limited |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation, Casual on Steam.
- The Cooking Game (2016) is 8 years older than The Cooking Game VR (2024).
- The Cooking Game VR scores higher on Steam reviews (65.9% positive) than The Cooking Game (54.2% positive).
- The Cooking Game is free; The Cooking Game VR is paid (19.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Unsupported.
The Cooking Game vs The Cooking Game VR — FAQ
- Should I play The Cooking Game or The Cooking Game VR first?
- If you want chronology, The Cooking Game (2016) came out before The Cooking Game VR (2024). 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 The Cooking Game VR 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 The Cooking Game VR?
- No. The Cooking Game VR supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer), 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. The Cooking Game VR is paid (19.99 USD).