Food in video games is often referred to as a “consumable,” a resource that confers health or another perk on the player. But in Venba, a narrative cooking game, food is something more: It’s something to labor over, to infuse with rich emotions, to savor. In one scene, an immigrant mother cooks a meal for her son, expecting him home from university. Chicken drumsticks simmer in a sticky sauce; a whole fish sizzles in a frying pan; an unctuous golden curry bubbles. Despite Venba’s three-year development phase, this scene of prepared-yet-uneaten food made it into the final game essentially untouched.

---

Persons: Abhi Swaminathan, ”, Sam Elkana, amma ” Locations: Venba, Canada, Toronto, India