Game of the Week #28: UMAMI, a Delicious 3D Food Puzzler

A Cozy Cuisine Puzzler with a Delicious 3D Vibe

Game of the Week #28

Umami, the debut 3D food puzzle game from Mimmox first caught our eye during the recent Steam Next Fest earlier this year.
It’s a beautifully simple idea, rotate and organize wooden blocks to discover satisfying little scenes with gentle no pressure logic. As cozy games go, the relaxing, stress free gameplay is both fun and more challenging than I initially gave it credit for. If you’re into more mellow picks, you might also like our feature
Cozy Games Ripe for Discovery.

Official Trailer

Trailer courtesy of Mimmox / Next in Game.

UMAMI

Release: November 17, 2025 (PC)

Genre: 3D cozy puzzle

Developer / Publisher: Mimmox / Next in Game

Platforms: PC — Steam

3D Puzzle Food Towers and Stress Free Gaming

While the premise of building a 3D food puzzle seems simple enough – the geometrics of the 3D wooden blocks still takes some figuring out as you rotate and organize the pieces to build out the puzzle, matching the corresponding design – once you hit the sweet spot of a correctly placed piece it’ll vibrate and an audible will notify you.

Initially you start with a wooden base with stud-style connection points to attach the puzzle segments, all the pieces are scattered around the base and by process of elimination and much trial and error of rotating and organizing you build up the 3D puzzle — all to the sound of chill lounge music that keeps the mood soft and hassle free. For short stint gaming sessions this hits the mark, creating a laid back and relaxing atmosphere, however I have to say the very cute stacked out Shiba Inu doggy burger took me a good 30 minutes to figure out, I don’t know if that’s just a sign of my age or I’m just a bit shit at puzzles in general.

If anything, playing this game makes you hungry, so don’t play this if you’re on a calorie reduced diet since it’s packed with some over the top savory and sweet based food tower puzzles featuring cute animals and other delectable motifs. Sitting there staring at an overloaded half pounder dripping with cheese and burger sauce for thirty minutes took every ounce of mental strength not to grab the car keys and hit the drive thru once I’d finished it! If food-themed gameplay is your thing, you might enjoy
Now Playing: Food Truck Simulator & Aquarist on PlayStation.

Rotate, Zoom and Place Creates Satisfying Gameplay Loop

Because its a 3D puzzle game players have the ability to rotate, zoom in/out with the camera while you are holding a puzzle piece, in some cases it’s easier just to place the piece anywhere on the base even if its not correct just to visualize where and how it might fit — rather than visually sift through all the pieces laid out in all their various 3D shapes — visual clues via back and forth image referencing help things along though and once you’ve got a corner correctly constructed you’re up and running, and this is where the satisfaction loop of UMAMI really kicks in.

A 3D Cozy Game Mechanic with a Delicious Laid Back Vibe

The only thing I didn’t like was the lock in mechanic, the point at which you’ve placed a puzzle piece in the correct position — for me personally speaking this is far too subtle and not pronounced enough to the extent I couldn’t tell if I’d actually placed it correctly, this is but a small niggle though and not a game breaker.
There are 15 unique hand-painted puzzles, all of which are beautifully realised and set the ‘cozy’ tone of the game perfectly. Overall Umami is an absolute delight and highly recommended, the 3D puzzle aspect is challenging with a very satisfying visual payoff that keeps you coming back for another serving. More please!

Why We liked it

• Tinker, rotate and organize wooden blocks to discover satisfying little scenes full of cute animals, gentle logic, and soothing sounds.
• Beautifully hand drawn art represents the Indie vibe of the game and creates some incredibly pleasing eye candy.
• Challenging and rewarding, a 3D geometric puzzle game wrapped in a delicious comfort food aesthetic.
• No timers or pressure, great for short gaming stints with a pick up and play nature.