Delicious: The First Course

GameHouse titles are known for their heartfelt, cozy stories that tug at the heartstrings through charming character interactions centered on themes of family, romance, and friendship. Unfortunately, Delicious: The First Course breaks from this tradition. Inspired by the game that launched what is arguably the studio’s most iconic series, both this special edition and the original are pure time-management experiences, entirely devoid of narrative or cutscenes connecting the levels.

Despite the absence of a storyline, the familiar gameplay mechanics from the rest of the Delicious series (and most other GameHouse games) are still here. The staple mechanic of using coins earned during each level to hire staff who help deliver orders, clean tables, or boost customer patience, along with various restaurant upgrades, remains intact. As Emily, players will take orders, prepare meals (some requiring multi-step ingredients or cooking time), serve dishes, collect payments, and keep the restaurant tidy. The challenge comes from juggling multiple customers at once, each with different patience levels and order complexity.

To compensate for the lack of narrative, Delicious: The First Course includes a unique feature exclusive to this edition: Endless Mode. In this mode, players choose a restaurant type and tackle an escalating series of levels with no breaks in between, pushing their time-management skills to the limit.

Delicious: The First Course includes 37 achievements, most of which unlock naturally during a full playthrough by completing all levels with three stars and fulfilling every objective. However, one achievement is tied specifically to Endless Mode, requiring players to survive 20 consecutive stages. This is a challenge that can take 45 to 60 minutes. Aside from that, the main game typically takes around 10 hours to complete.