Press release:
Dortmund, Germany, 15 July 2026 | Solo developers Julien & Erika are excited to announce that the 1.0 release of Little Chef: Cozy Cooking is officially ready to serve. Arriving on August 26th for PC and Mac via Steam, the full launch build adds a new level to the game’s story mode and over 300 unique recipes to discover.
A Delicious Sandbox of Discovery
Little Chef: Cozy Cooking encourages players to get messy in the kitchen by experimenting. Powered by responsive physics, every object in the game has weight, motion, and a personality of its own. By dragging, tossing, and combining ingredients in fun and surprising ways, players will be able to fill their cookbook with a massive index of recipes, ranging from the gourmet to the gross.
Three Kitchens, Countless Secrets
Each kitchen in Little Chef: Cozy Cooking is its own puzzle. Players will move through three beautiful, hand-drawn levels: from a hot plate in your dorm room to a bustling cafe, all the way to your grandmother’s beloved bistro. Every cabinet and shelf is chock-full of hidden ingredients waiting to be uncovered.
Achievements That Reward Curiosity…and Chaos!
Behind every kitchen nook and cranny are achievements that reward players for bending the rules of the kitchen. To solve the game’s most challenging puzzles, players will need to throw out the recipe book, roll up their sleeves, and think outside the box. Particularly clever players may even find a surprise waiting for them upon completion of 1.0’s impressive list of recipes!
Game Features:
Mix & Match Ingredients! Drag, drop, toss, or gently place ingredients into pots, ovens, or whatever else you can find to cook in. Combining the right ones unlocks new recipes, good and bad.
Play With Physics! Enjoy satisfying, tactile mechanics where everything reacts dynamically to how you move it.
Solve Cozy Puzzles! Some ingredients are hidden, others are locked away, and solving these puzzles might mean thinking creatively.
A Sweet Story! Follow a heartfelt narrative by unlocking each recipe, from childhood favorites to brand-new creations.
Little Chef: Cozy Cooking is available now in Early Access; the 1.0 update will be available on August 26th. If you’re hungry for more info or a behind-the-scenes peek at development, you can also visit the team’s TikTok or join their Discord.
About julien & erika
julien & erika is about as indie as it gets. True to the name, the studio was founded by two friends, Julien and Erika, who share a passion for creating fun, cute, and delightfully quirky games. There is no large studio structure behind the scenes, just a small and passionate group of friends experimenting, learning, and pushing their ideas as far as their own skills, time, and personal investment allow.
![]()
Jonas “O.J” Ek
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheGamingGround
More by Jonas Ek:
Tags: Cozy Cooking, Food, Indie games, julien & erika, Little Chef, PC games, Physics, Sandbox, Steam