Top 11 Best Cooking Competition Board Games of 2024
Gather around, foodies and board game enthusiasts alike! Today, we’re dishing out the ultimate guide to the 11 best board games with a cooking competition theme. Trust us, we’ve seasoned our list with games that promise hours of fun, whether you’re a master chef in the kitchen or just love a good food fight on the board. We focused on a variety of flavors when picking these games: ease of learning for newcomers, a sprinkle of strategy for the thinkers, and a heap of fun for everyone. So, let’s whet your appetite and get ready to cook up some fun with these top-notch cooking competition board games!
On this list:
11 Sushi Go!
Kicking off our culinary cruise, Sushi Go! serves up a delightful dish of drafting cards. We absolutely love how easy it is to get into, making it a top pick for newbies to the cooking competition genre. It’s all about grabbing the best combination of sushi dishes as they whizz by. Plus, it’s super quick, meaning we can play loads of rounds without anyone getting bored!
10 Kitchen Rush
Kitchen Rush literally makes you rush around the kitchen in this thrilling real-time board game. We were on the edge of our seats trying to fulfill orders and manage the kitchen chaos. It’s a cooperative game, which means we had to work together to win the cooking competition. The realism of managing a kitchen under time pressure is captured perfectly here, making it a must-try for fans of the theme.
9 New York Slice
Who doesn’t love pizza? New York Slice lets us divide and choose pizza slices to collect the best combos. It’s a game of strategy and a bit of bluffing, which adds a delicious layer of depth. We found ourselves coming back to this one, just for the fun of seeing who can be the slickest pizza chef. Plus, the components look amazingly appetizing!
8 A la Carte
A la Carte cooks up a storm with its quirky kitchen setup where you’re actually heating and seasoning dishes. The game is a fantastic mix of skill and luck, involving mini frying pans and ingredients. We couldn’t get enough of trying (and sometimes failing) to perfect our dishes. It’s an absolute riot and a unique take on the cooking competition theme that stands out for its creativity and tactile gameplay.
7 Food Chain Magnate
Now, for something a bit more on the heavy side, Food Chain Magnate challenges us with running our own fast-food restaurant. The strategic depth here is immense, with every choice feeling impactful. We dove deep into this game, exploring different strategies and approaches to dominate the market. It’s not exactly a ‘cooking’ game, but the fierce competition to be the best in the food industry fits the bill for us!
6 Sushi Roll
Sushi Roll takes the beloved concept of Sushi Go! and adds dice to the mix. Rolling dice to get your ingredients adds a fun twist of luck to the strategic drafting. We found this dice version adds just the right amount of unpredictability to keep each game fresh and exciting. Plus, who can resist those adorable sushi dice?
5 Ramen Fury
Ramen Fury packs a punch with its compact size and spicy gameplay. The aim is to create the best bowl of ramen through strategic ingredient collection and combo creation. We loved the fast-paced nature and how it captures the essence of a ramen cooking competition without overcomplicating things. Plus, the packaging looks like a ramen packet – how cool is that?
4 Point Salad
Point Salad is a fast, fun, and veggie-packed card game. It’s all about picking the best combination of veggies to score points. We adore its simplicity and how surprisingly strategic it can be. It might not be the first game you think of for a cooking competition theme, but the way you mix and match ingredients gives it a culinary twist that’s hard to resist.
3 Chopstick Dexterity MegaChallenge 3000
For a hands-on cooking competition, Chopstick Dexterity MegaChallenge 3000 has us grabbing pieces with chopsticks. It’s hilarious and requires a surprising amount of skill. The game is a fantastic way to break the ice and get everyone laughing. We especially love it for its direct player interaction and the sheer joy of snatching victory with a well-placed chopstick grab.
2 Just Desserts
Just Desserts wraps up our list with a sweet end, focusing on serving guests their favorite treats. We found its matching mechanics both easy to grasp and delightful to play. The joy of finding the perfect dessert for your guests makes every match a treat. It’s a light, breezy game that fits perfectly into a cooking competition theme by emphasizing quick decision-making and a keen eye for matches.
1 Bon Appetit!
Bon Appetit! secures the top spot on our list as it perfectly captures the essence of a cooking competition with its auction-based gameplay. We’re all about outbidding our friends for the finest ingredients to complete high-value meals. The rush and strategy involved in acquiring the best combos of ingredients under pressure brings the kitchen heat to the table. It’s engaging, competitive, and makes you feel like you’re in a real cooking showdown, which is why we think it’s the best cooking competition board game out there.
