Venba Reviews
Venba is not only an excellent video game, but a powerful sociocultural message. At one point, characters discuss how a piece of art had the potential to make a stronger impact with an audience in the way than a protest or traditional statement. Venba meets this potential, and then some. I'm hungry for more.
Venba might feel somewhat too brief to fully do justice to its character paths, but it has a lot to say about the importance of preserving one’s culture, the difficulties of generational friction, and the excruciating irony of realizing the value of something after you’ve already lost it. Furthermore, as if all of that weren’t enough, you get to prepare some amazing-looking Indian food while watching the movie. Therefore, fans of narrative-heavy games with a twist might give Venba a look if they are willing to keep their expectations in check concerning the amount of information they get here.
It’s abundantly clear that the developers of Venba poured their heart and soul into crafting this love letter of a game to share the hardship and adjustment period that comes with being a new immigrant.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Venba, even more than I was anticipating. I expected a laid-back cooking sim, but what I got was a deeply moving narrative about generational struggles with immigration and creating a home for yourself in an unfamiliar land. Solving the puzzles of the missing steps in each recipe is surprisingly fun as well. Even though it’s a short experience, taking only about two hours to complete, it still a journey worth taking.
Venba tells a beautifully intimate and reflective narrative about the nuanced experience of being a first generation immigrant. Its vibrant art-style and rhythmic Carnatic music come together to celebrate the cuisine of Tamils.
One part exploration of culture, another puzzles in the form of food prep, Venba has a fresh feel but requires some patience
As the credits rolled for Venba, I began thinking about how this would be someone's favourite game of 2023 and maybe one of their favourites of all time.
Tender and cozy, Venba is a story worth checking out.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Venba speaks on social issues people can face when placed in a society that feels adverse to acceptance and understanding.
Venba is a unique experience that clearly offers a different way of telling a story. While gameplay isn't the title's masterpiece, it's still fun to understand the recipes and try to complete them. Clearly, the title would have benefited from more stages in the preparation of dishes to prolong the adventure. In a way, while the game doesn't do anything particularly bad, we're left a little disappointed. Perhaps I'd have liked the gameplay phases to have been a little longer, even if this shifts the way the story is told. There's no doubt that the Visai Studios team is talented, and we'll have to keep an eye on their next projects!
Review in French | Read full review
Venba is a poem whose verses we interpret and feel in different ways. It is a sincere story about the life of a family, with its ups and downs, but there is harmony in its tragedy, humanized by the bond between Venba and Paavalan - the chapters often end with the couple lying down at the end of the day, discussing their problems and doubts - and by the conflict faced by Kavin as a child of immigrants.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Venba’s portrayal of the complex diasporic family dynamic is spot-on. It’s a perfect portrait of the challenges and wistfulness that come with trying to live a life while being torn between two completely different cultures.
Venba is an incredibly heartfelt, yet short, experience that offers glimpses into a family's life, culture, and delicious-looking meals.
Venba is a beautiful cooking game that emphasizes the meaning of family, culture, and tradition. It's a game that will hit home for many who had to make the difficult choice of moving away from home, and one where you might shed a tear at the end.