Developer: Cympl Studios
Platform: Android
Genre: Time-management / Cooking Game
Ver: 4.0.5
No. of installs : 1C+
Ratings on play store : 4.2 ⭐
Introduction
Masala Express: Cooking Game welcomes players to the quick-paced universe of Indian street food, providing a lively cooking experience based on classic dishes. Although the game begins well with interactive mechanics and colorful graphics, its charm wears off with time as a result of repetitive gameplay and questionable character design decisions.
The game is made by Cympl Studios , a mobile game development and publishing company, established in 2015. Specializing in casual and hybrid-casual games, the studio has developed popular titles such as Masala Express, Chef Diary: Cooking & Romance, and Pet Shelter. Their games are known for engaging gameplay and vibrant art, appealing to a broad audience.
Gameplay
The action starts with an invigorating beat: cooks and servers rush through a wide array of Indian food under a timer, while improving kitchen machinery and unlocking recipes. The gameplay is easy to navigate, and the difficulty escalates at a pace that’s not overwhelming.
An element of narrative is introduced to give some character to the gameplay. Though it doesn’t greatly improve the gameplay, neither does it mar it.
But the entertainment starts to get old after a while. One of the main problems is a lack of variation in customer behavior — each category of customer orders only one dish, making interactions soon start to feel repetitive and predictable. This design decision not only hinders strategic depth but also proves problematic because the assignment of specific characters to certain foods may inadvertently perpetuate cultural stereotypes.
FTUE
The First-Time User Experience (FTUE) is done well—tutorials and guides are understandable, and the game effectively explains its mechanics. Yet, it takes entirely too long to get to actual challenging gameplay. I went all the way through the first day and even into day two without really seeing any sort of difficulty. Though an easy entry is necessary, the absence of challenge for so long made the experience dull and repetitive. A more balanced difficulty curve would be more beneficial in maintaining long-term player interest and enjoyment.
Monetization
The in-game monetization system feels a bit too pushy. The game employs the heart system akin to Candy Crush, where hearts are needed for you to be able to play. Unlike in most games where you get to retain hearts upon winning, the game takes a heart after completing each level, win or lose, which makes it really take a toll on the experience. I have never encountered this game mechanic before, and it renders the experience unpleasant. Although the shop within the game provides some excellent value for the money, overall monetization tactic—particularly through the use of ads—grates on me as making the game more paywall than light, casual fare.
Visuals and Sound
One of the strongest elements of the game is its visual representation. The art style is colorful and exciting, capturing the spirit of Indian street food culture beautifully. The kitchen settings are stunning, and the character designs fit in well with the overall feel, presenting a balanced and soothing visual experience. The visuals of the food are particularly good—appetizing and realistic. The sound design is good and complements gameplay nicely, if not very memorable. The game is generally superior in art and audio presentation, which adds so much to the game’s value.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Pros:
Vibrant, attractive graphics with well-crafted food objects
Simple to learn and play, accessible to all age groups
Tries to incorporate a story, which provides light background
Great First time experience
The ui is clean and easy to understand
Cons:
Time-management aspects feel undercooked, and gameplay feels slow and lacking in urgency
Early courses are too generic and fail to take advantage of regional diversity in Indian cuisine
Gameplay lacks depth — mostly “tap and go” mechanics with little strategy or complexity
Repetitive form and low challenge decrease long-term participation
Monetization feels forced
Conclusion
Masala Express: Cooking Game opens with charm due to its bright graphics and comforting dishes, but it fails to realize its true potential. Missing is the genuine time-management urgency, monotonous tap-and-go gameplay, and limited strategic depth, giving the game an unfulfilling feel as time goes by. Although it presents a creative idea and brings Indian cuisine in a celebratory light on the surface, it fails to penetrate its depth, diversity, and challenge. With tighter gameplay mechanics and more considered cultural diversity, this game might be able to transition from a relaxed hobby into something truly special.
Rating: 6/10
