Many cooking games are designed to be stressful: making you jump between portals to cook and dealing with hungry hordes turns a normally peaceful routine into something harrowing and intense. Not so with "Venba," a culinary puzzle game slash visual novel released this week on Steam. The protagonist is an Indian family that has moved to Canada, and instead of rows of screaming guests, the game is about solving puzzles, preparing meals for the family, and unraveling the memories of a woman trying to start a new family.

Each level of the game relates to a year of cooking and family life. According to Polygon's Nicole Carpenter, each dish is presented as a puzzle in the family's cookbook with torn and stained pieces of the recipe. By solving the puzzles, players help connect Vemba to memories of her hometown and her family and traditions.

According to the Steam page, players will explore "family, love, loss, and more" and "experience a story of culture and self-discovery." I have not played the game, but positive reviews (including Polygon's review) suggest that the game is as lovingly crafted as they make Putu and Idris, with several reviewers saying they were "moved to tears."

Venba is now available on Steam for a 15% discount. The only complaint of some user reviewers seems to be its length. The developer describes Venba as "a short and sweet cinematic experience that can be enjoyed in an hour or two."