Chef Solitaire USA
Gameplay 8
Graphics 8
Sound 8

Chef Solitaire is a very addictive and polished take on the genre that stands out even with the wealth of solitaire games available on the market. The basic gameplay is a lot of fun while the short mini-games make for nice diversions. The game also features more than enough rounds to keep players of all skill levels busy for quite some time.

Gameplay: Very addictive and the added mini-games are a nice touch.

Graphics: The restaurant theme is really nice and ensures plenty of visual variety.

Sound: Great voice acting and the relaxing tunes never become obtrusive or annoying

Summary 8.0 Great
Gameplay 0
Graphics 0
Sound 0
Summary rating from user's marks. You can set own marks for this article - just click on stars above and press "Accept".
Accept
Summary 0.0 Terrible

Chef Solitaire USA

Developer: The Revills Games | Publisher: The Revills Games | Release Date: 2015 | Genre: Casual / Indie | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Big Fish Games / Steam

With titles like Legends of Solitaire and Legends of Solitaire 2 already under their belt, not to mention a few others, it is clear that The Revills Games knows a thing or two about Solitaire. Players who enjoy solitaire, but are not into swords and sorcery will be happy to hear that the team is back with a brand new theme. This time the action shifts to a woman named Stacy who sells her ailing bookstore in order to open her own restaurant. From her humble beginnings in Mississippi you must help Stacy make a success of her restaurant and expand to other states, all with the power of solitaire.

Legends of Solitaire: Curse of the Dragons was released on Steam a while back and we really enjoyed its setting and addictive gameplay. Chef Solitaire is every bit as enjoyable, but instead of simply switching around the visuals the developers have actually made the theme an integral part of the game. Chef Solitaire still uses the same one-up, one-down solitaire play style, which means most players will be able to jump right in and have fun. You simply click on the cards that are a number higher or lower than the face up foundation cards or click the draw pile when there are no more cards left on the board to play. The game is spread across 48 states with ten rounds each, which means there are a whopping 480 rounds of solitaire on offer. Completing everything can keep you busy for quite a while and it is a relaxing way to unwind and decrease your stress.

Your goal on each round is to uncover the cards marked with chef hats while building huge combos and earning stars. The stars are used to unlock new states, but along the way you also earn money that can be used to purchase new items from the kitchen store. Building up big combos increases your multiplier, which in turn results in more money awarded at the end of the round. You need to match six or more cards in a row to start a combo and bonus money can also be earned when selecting cards that are the same suite as the foundation card. The shop can only be accessed between rounds, but contain useful items like the menu board that allows you to collect a wild card, ladle that bestows an extra undo, meat cleaver that randomly removes a playable card and much more. Items only need to be purchased once to take advantage of their special abilities although three of the items, the cleaver, pepper grinder and wooden spoon, has to recharge between uses.

Sticking with the whole chef theme the game also throws a couple of extra obstacles in your path. Some cards are covered by ingredients, such as an egg, grease, bacon rashes or onions that need to be removed first to access the cards underneath. For example, to remove a fried egg from a stack of cards you first need to find the spatula card that is located elsewhere on the board, while for the bacon rashes you need the tongs card. To provide a break from the solitaire the game also features certain cards that activate restaurant themed mini-games when uncovered. These are all played against a timer and while relatively simple make for a nice change of pace. From a memory match style mini-game where you flip cards to reveal ingredients to one where you assemble burgers based on customer orders these mini-games are all quite fun. They are not essential to clearing boards, but do earn you some extra cash for the restaurant shop. You can also select freeplay, TriPeaks and Five Peaks mini-games from the main menu if you ever tire of the story mode.

Chef Solitaire doesn’t feature the companions or limited use items found in the Legends of Solitaire game and neither can you build up a large stack of wild cards to help out. This means that the game actually feels a bit more challenging than Legends of Solitaire, which is a good thing. The game still features multiple difficulty settings, so players more interested in relaxing than being challenged can still opt for a lower setting. Visually the game looks nice with widescreen support and well-drawn characters as well as backgrounds. Some of the backgrounds are re-used quite a bit, but considering the sheer amount of rounds in the game this is understandable. Everything is bold and colorful, so much so that the “dessert bar” mini-game gave us sweet cravings with its scrumptious drawings of tasty treats! The audio is also very good and features relaxing tunes along with some nice voice acting for the story portions.

As with any solitaire game, Chef Solitaire: USA is probably not going to make fans out of players who don’t like the genre. However, solitaire aficionados or players looking for a great way to kill a couple of hours will find a solid, polished and addictive version of the popular card game.

The full version of Chef Solitaire: USA as well as a free one hour trial can be found on the Big Fish Games website, *but the developers are also looking for Greenlight support to get the game on Steam. We suggest playing the free trial to get a feel for the game and then giving the game a thumbs up on Steam Greenlight.

*Update: Chef Solitaire: USA is now also available on Steam after a successful Greenlight campaign.

System Requirements

  • OS: Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8/Windows 10
  • CPU: 1.0 GHz
  • RAM: 256 MB
  • DirectX: 9.0
  • Hard Drive: 57 MB

Related posts

Borderlands

Borderlands

Borderlands is a unique first person shooter with some nifty RPG elements making it very action packed and addictive to play. For the best results the game should be played in co-op as the story is rather thin and the game has a very MMO feel to it. The unique art style and abundance of weapons makes this game a great time waster. Gameplay: Thin on story but lots of action and loot hunting. Graphics: The visual style sets it apart from other first person shooters. Sound: A good soundtrack and decent voice acting.

Geometric Sniper

Geometric Sniper

Geometric Sniper sees players taking on the role of Andrew, a sniper working for a secret division that takes down bad guys for the good of the country. It plays out like a hidden object game where the goal is to find specific targets in crowded black-and-white line art environments. However, time limits, limited bullets, and targets that can blend in with other look-alikes add some tension to the formula. There are some frustrating elements to the game, but the number of game modes and budget price make up for this. It won’t appeal to all fans of hidden object games, but does something new with the genre and is worth a look. Gameplay: Memorize how your targets look and then find them through the scope of your sniper rifle before it is too late. Graphics: While the visuals look like a typical Flash game the style suits the gameplay and adds to the challenge. Sound: The music and sound effects are rather forgettable, but doesn’t detract from the experience.

Continue?9876543210

Continue?9876543210

I didn't quite know what to expect from Continue but I certainly enjoyed the experience. The game might seem a little pretentious, but it handles mature themes in an interesting manner and managed to keep me hooked right to the bitter end. It is not often that a game challenges players to confront their own mortality, but I think Continue has pulled it off admirably. Gameplay: A game that challenges you to think instead of just testing your reflexes. Graphics: Moody and atmospheric in a retro kind of way. Sound: A brilliant soundtrack with good sound effects.

Greak: Memories of Azur

Greak: Memories of Azur

Greak: Memories of Azur is a charming puzzle platformer with the unique premise of being able to control three characters at once. This gimmick definitely has its moments where it shines, but it can become a little cumbersome for many parts of the game. Nevertheless, the beautiful hand-drawn visuals and orchestral soundtrack make for a memorable experience, and the game is still a lot of fun despite the occasional frustrating bits. Gameplay: Controlling three characters at once is fun at times but often a little cumbersome. Graphics: The game has beautiful backgrounds and great hand-drawn animations. Sound: The orchestral soundtrack of Greak: Memories of Azur is incredible.

Queen’s Quest 2: Stories of Forgotten Past

Queen's Quest 2: Stories of Forgotten Past

Queen’s Quest 2 features a different lead character than part one, but improves on the original game in all areas. There is a large cast of fairytale and folklore characters to interact with, beautiful hand-drawn locations, plenty of puzzles as well as a variety of hidden object scenes. While the game isn’t very taxing, it remains entertaining throughout and we can certainly recommend it to fans or those who are curious about the genre. Gameplay: Neither the puzzles or hidden object scenes are very difficult, but remain fun. Graphics: Beautiful artwork and plenty of variety. Sound: Decent music and the voice acting isn’t too bad either.

Seven Doors

Seven Doors

Seven Doors is a puzzle game that challenges players to navigate their way through several unique challenges. Each room challenges players in a different way and the developers have come up with plenty of unique scenarios. There isn't really an over-arching story to tie everything together and the game is also quite short, but it's an enjoyable experience while it lasts. Gameplay: Seven Doors will challenge your problem-solving skills in several unique ways. Graphics: Not cutting-edge, but impressive enough for a small studio. Sound: Very good.

1 Comment

  1. originaleyecorn November 21, 2015
    Reply

    Voted YES because the smug looking Gordon Ramsey lookalike made me laugh out loud.

Leave a comment

9 + ten =