Dungeon Meshi (Delicious in Dungeon) has won over fans with its unique blend of dungeon crawling and gourmet cooking, where adventurers turn slain monsters into mouthwatering meals. The manga and anime’s meticulous world-building, inventive recipes, and party camaraderie leave many yearning for an interactive experience that captures the same magic. While there isn’t an official Dungeon Meshi video game, a handful of console titles deliver that same satisfying loop of exploration, resource gathering, and culinary creativity. Whether you’re craving monster-powered cooking battles, farming simulations with a dash of danger, or deep dungeon expeditions where food matters, here are the games that best channel the spirit of Laios and his merry band.
Below, we break down the standout titles available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch — each offering its own take on what makes Dungeon Meshi so irresistible.
What Makes Dungeon Meshi So Special?
Before diving into the games, it’s worth pinning down the core elements that define the Dungeon Meshi experience. At its heart, the series is a dungeon survival story driven by two pillars: the thrill of perilous exploration and the delight of turning exotic monster parts into restaurant-quality dishes. Every slain creature isn’t just a combat encounter; it’s an ingredient, complete with biological lore, preparation methods, and flavor implications. The party’s dynamic, from Marcille’s initial squeamishness to Senshi’s dwarf cook wisdom, adds a layer of character-driven humor and warmth. A game that truly captures Dungeon Meshi must balance action and resource management, reward curiosity with edible discoveries, and make cooking feel as integral as combat.
Top Console Games That Channel the Dungeon Meshi Spirit
Battle Chef Brigade: Monster Hunting Meets Competitive Cooking
Available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, Battle Chef Brigade feels like it was plucked straight from the pages of Dungeon Meshi. In this vibrant action/puzzle hybrid, you play as a young chef admitted to an elite culinary academy where participants hunt monsters in the wild, then race back to the kitchen to turn their spoils into dishes. The gameplay splits between side-scrolling brawler combat and frantic match-three cooking puzzles — a loop that perfectly mirrors the hunt‐and‐cook rhythm of the manga. Each monster drops unique ingredients with different puzzle-board attributes, encouraging you to learn the “ ecology” of your prey. The story mode, complete with quirky characters, a fantastical kingdom, and a food-obsessed protagonist, nails the lighthearted yet adventurous tone Dungeon Meshi fans adore.
Final Fantasy XV: A Road Trip Where Every Meal Matters
It may surprise some, but Square Enix’s open-world epic Final Fantasy XV (PS4, Xbox One, PC) is one of the closest analogues to the Dungeon Meshi experience on consoles. The game follows Prince Noctis and his three companions on a road trip across a massive continent, and one of its standout features is the camping system. At camp, the party’s chef, Ignis, prepares elaborate meals from ingredients gathered during your travels — often from monsters you’ve defeated. The recipe animations are mouthwateringly detailed, and each dish confers powerful temporary buffs, making cooking a strategic necessity. The banter around the campfire, Ignis’s noodle recipes, and the joy of discovering a new recipe after a tough hunt evoke the camaraderie and culinary curiosity of Dungeon Meshi. While there’s no dungeon-specific cooking, the entire world becomes your larder.
Rune Factory 4 Special: Farming, Dungeons, and Endless Recipes
Rune Factory 4 Special (Switch, PC, PlayStation and Xbox via backward compatibility) is a fantasy farming simulator that seamlessly blends crop-tending with dungeon delving. You can grow produce, raise monsters, fish, and — crucially — cook hundreds of dishes using ingredients you’ve harvested or looted from defeated foes. The dungeons are filled with classic fantasy monsters, many of which drop materials needed for high-level recipes. The game’s cooking system isn’t just a side activity; mastery of meals restores HP and RP, grants stat boosts, and is vital for tackling tougher areas. The sheer depth of ingredient combinations and the way you learn recipes by eating new foods capture that “discovery through consumption” thrill. Add a charming cast of townsfolk and a story that intertwines agriculture with dungeon mysteries, and you have a perfect Dungeon Meshi-like loop.
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin: Rice Farming and Monster-Slaying in Perfect Harmony
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin (Switch, PS4, PC) is a gem that marries detailed rice cultivation with side-scrolling action-platforming. As the spoiled harvest goddess Sakuna, you must reclaim an island overrun by demons while meticulously planting, weeding, harvesting, and milling rice. The quality of your rice directly affects your combat prowess, so the farm-to-table concept is literal. You also gather ingredients from the wild — fish, meat, foraged plants — to cook meals that grant temporary boosts. The dinner scenes, where Sakuna and her human companions share meals, are warm and humorous, reminiscent of Dungeon Meshi’s communal feasts. While the dungeons aren’t deep labyrinths, the integration of food and farming into the core gameplay loop makes it a standout for fans who love the idea of a survival-driven culinary adventure.
Dragon Quest Builders 2: Building, Stewing, and Befriending Monsters
Dragon Quest Builders 2 (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC) is a block-building RPG that puts you in the shoes of a builder out to restore a ruined world. You’ll explore islands, mine resources, construct settlements, and cook a wide variety of meals and drinks using monster drops, farmed crops, and fished goods. The game even lets you befriend monsters, who can then help you in combat or work on your farms. The cooking system is robust, with dozens of recipes that restore health and provide buffs, and the act of hunting giant monsters for rare ingredients feels very Dungeon Meshi. Combined with the creative freedom to design your own kitchens and dining halls, it’s a delightful sandbox for those who want to live out a gourmet fantasy adventure.
Moonlighter: Shopkeeper by Day, Dungeon Diver by Night
Moonlighter (available on all major consoles and PC) flips the adventuring script: you run a shop. By night, you plunge into procedurally generated dungeons, battling monsters and collecting loot. By day, you arrange your wares, set prices, and haggle with customers. While cooking isn’t the focus, the game’s core loop of resource acquisition and management scratches a similar itch. You’ll find materials to craft weapons, armor, and potions, and the satisfaction of turning dungeon spoils into profit mirrors the resourcefulness of Senshi’s cooking. The charming pixel art and the balance between action and shop management create a cozy yet adventurous atmosphere that Dungeon Meshi enthusiasts will appreciate.
More Dungeon Crawls with a Culinary Twist
Darkest Dungeon: Campfire Feasts in a Grim World
Darkest Dungeon (all modern platforms) is far grittier than Dungeon Meshi, but it shares a surprising amount of DNA. This turn-based roguelike has you managing a roster of deeply flawed heroes exploring Lovecraftian dungeons. During camping, you can cook food to heal and manage stress — and certain characters, like the Hellion or Jester, gain unique benefits from specific meals. The preparation phase before each expedition, where you choose supplies and plan for expected enemy types, feels akin to Senshi’s meticulous dungeon dietary planning. While you won’t be crafting gourmet recipes, the emphasis on resource management and the life-saving importance of food in the darkness will resonate with fans who love the survival aspect of Dungeon Meshi.
For The King: Tabletop Camping and Cooking
For The King (Switch, PS4, Xbox, PC) blends roguelike elements with a tabletop RPG feel. You control a party of adventurers exploring a hex-based map, engaging in turn-based battles, and camping at night. Camping events often involve cooking food that you’ve gathered or bought, and the meals provide party-wide buffs. The cooperative spirit, the focus on provisioning, and the strategic decisions about when to rest and cook echo the careful planning of a deep dungeon dive. The art style is charmingly board-game-esque, and while not a dedicated cooking game, it captures the camaraderie and logistical side of fantasy adventuring.
Why These Games Scratch the Dungeon Meshi Itch
What unites all these titles is the celebration of food as a core mechanic rather than an afterthought. In Dungeon Meshi, every monster is a potential meal; in these games, every slain beast, harvested plant, or fished carp becomes a tool for survival and expression. They reward curiosity, patience, and experimentation — the same qualities that make reading about Senshi’s dishes so engaging. Whether it’s battering a Golem into a roaring skillet in Battle Chef Brigade or learning the precise timing for flooding a rice paddy in Sakuna, the joy is in the process. And just as important, they all include moments of quiet camaraderie around a dinner table, reinforcing the idea that food tastes best when shared with friends.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an official Dungeon Meshi video game?
As of now, no official Dungeon Meshi video game has been announced or released. Ryoko Kui’s manga and the anime adaptation remain the primary ways to experience the story. However, the games listed above are excellent alternatives that capture its spirit.
What console has the most games like Dungeon Meshi?
The Nintendo Switch offers the broadest selection of Dungeon Meshi-like experiences, including Battle Chef Brigade, Rune Factory 4 Special, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, and Moonlighter. PlayStation and Xbox also host many of these titles, but the Switch’s portable nature makes it ideal for pick-up-and-play cooking and dungeon crawling.
Are there any games where you eat monsters to gain powers?
While not a direct console title, Dungeon Munchies (PC) is an action RPG where you literally eat enemies to gain their abilities — it’s the closest mechanical analogue to the manga’s premise. On consoles, Battle Chef Brigade requires you to hunt monsters for ingredients that determine your cooking puzzle pieces, indirectly granting you the power to win cooking contests. Monster Hunter games involve carving monsters for crafting, but eating for direct power is less emphasized.
What is the best game for cooking and dungeon crawling combined?
Battle Chef Brigade stands out as the most seamless blend of hunting, cooking, and narrative. Its original take on the genre, where cooking is a competitive sport fueled by monster-slaying, makes it the top recommendation for fans of Dungeon Meshi.
Are there any mobile games like Dungeon Meshi?
On mobile, you might enjoy Eat Adventure, a casual game about collecting ingredients and cooking, though it lacks dungeon exploration. For a portable console experience, the Nintendo Switch is your best bet, with multiple titles offering deep cooking and dungeon mechanics on the go.
