Choose Cooking Simulator
Choose Cooking Simulator if it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 8,509 Steam reviews back the pick.
Cooking Simulator vs School Cafeteria Simulator
Cooking Simulator and School Cafeteria Simulator both land in 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 Simulation, Casual on Steam. Cooking Simulator (2019) is 4 years older than School Cafeteria Simulator (2023). School Cafeteria Simulator scores higher on Steam reviews (92% positive) than Cooking Simulator (85.6% 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 School Cafeteria Simulator
Choose School Cafeteria Simulator if it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. School Cafeteria Simulator launched in 2023.
Both Cooking Simulator and School Cafeteria Simulator sit in Simulation and Casual on Steam, 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
 Cooking Simulator |  School Cafeteria Simulator | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2023 |
| Genres | Simulation, Casual | Simulation, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 85.6% positive (8,509 reviews) | 92% positive (25 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Big Cheese Studio | Akhir Pekan Studio |
Side by side
- Both share Simulation, Casual on Steam.
- Cooking Simulator (2019) is 4 years older than School Cafeteria Simulator (2023).
- School Cafeteria Simulator scores higher on Steam reviews (92% positive) than Cooking Simulator (85.6% positive).
- School Cafeteria Simulator is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Cooking Simulator (4.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Cooking Simulator is Deck Verified, School Cafeteria Simulator is Deck Playable.
Cooking Simulator vs School Cafeteria Simulator — FAQ
- Should I play Cooking Simulator or School Cafeteria Simulator first?
- If you want chronology, Cooking Simulator (2019) came out before School Cafeteria Simulator (2023). 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 Cooking Simulator and School Cafeteria Simulator similar?
- They overlap on 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.